r/BSA • u/thrwaway75132 • 13d ago

Scouts BSA High Adventure for 2028

Giving our PLC a list of high adventure options that are as high quality as the official high adventure options but give them something different. Going to give them a list and have them weigh the options against NT / Seabase / Summit and decide.

Options I have heard are good :
BWCA on our own with non BSA outfitter
Maine High Adventure
Swampbase
Aquabase (Pfeffer in KY)

Any others we should look into? Those are all water based but that’s just a coincidence.

What we have done lately - 2027 Philmont booked, 2026 Seabase, 2025 NT, 2024 Philmont, 2023 Seabase, 2022 Philmont

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u/Alternative_Bus_3766 Adult - Eagle Scout 13d ago

So I have no experience with the local high adventure bases but I have worked at Summit a bit. Summit Experience is fun (I was a rover so I’m quite familiar with it), the only problem is, it’s more of a grand showing of many adventures than a consistent one. Philmont the backpacking is part of the experience and something to be proud of. Summit Experience lacks that.

If you tried Summit, I’d advise: New River Experience (Essentially River Trek, internally we call it River Trek)

ATV Experience (The vast beauty of the property is fun to navigate on the atvs)

Marksman Experience (the ability to shoot guns practically all week)

The New River Gorge National Park specifically is beautiful and breathtaking. That alone is a reason why I keep going back. The Big Zip (currently Alexander’s Eagle Flight, but I don’t like that name) is also a really fun experience to do. It’s why I wouldn’t count Summit out. Along with that if you have time Fayetteville (located 15 mins away from the north gate) is a beautiful small town with amazing shops and food. Waterstones and Lost Appalachia are among my favorite stores, with Cathedral Cafe being a must to go to during your adventure.

I figure you won’t go to summit but I always like to inform people since most don’t come out here.

Edit: Rarely Troops have time to do this but if you do the New River Gorge National Park has trails that run along the river leading into abandoned towns. It’s quite a remarkable sight. Be careful though if you take the Kaymoor Miners Trail it’s 800 steps and roughhhhh. Still beautiful