Accessible recreation organizations

The following organizations can give you more information on accessible outdoor recreation facilities and opportunities in Minnesota.

Government Organizations

Minnesota State Council on Disability
The Council on Disability acts as an advocate in ensuring state and other agencies provide physical and program access. They can provide information on other recreation programs and opportunities for people with disabilities in Minnesota.

Superior National Forest and Chippewa National Forest
Both of these national forests have a number of accessible campgrounds and other facilities.

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
The Corps of Engineers has a number of accessible recreation areas in Minnesota, most of them in the northern part of the state along the Mississippi River. The Natural Resources Management Section can provide you with further information as to their location and site details.

Voyageurs National Park
Minnesota's only national park, Voyageurs has two accessible visitor centers, close-captioned interpretive films, an accessible boat tour of Rainy Lake, and more. Accessible facilities expected in the near future include lakeside campsites and a self-guided nature interpretive trail.

Independent Organizations

Amherst H. Wilder Foundation
The Wilder Foundation organizes group outdoor recreation activities for non-profit, educational or social service institutions, serving people of all ages and all disabilities. Activities include hiking, field trips, overnight camping, and a residential camp.

Buckmasters American Deer Foundation
Buckmasters provides information and links on various forms of adaptive equipment, state laws/regulations, hunting opportunities, and local and national groups for people with disabilities.

Capable Partners
A Hunting & Fishing Organization for the Physically Challenged
The Vision and Mission of Capable Partners is to create a well known and respected Twin Cities based non-profit organization of sport persons whose mission is to volunteer their time and talents to provide hunting, fishing, and related opportunities for people with disabilities.

Courage Center
Courage Center organizes a number of seasonal activity programs for people with disabilities throughout the year, including a residential summer camp.

Let's Go Fishing of Minnesota
The mission of Let's Go Fishing of MN is to enrich the lives of senior citizens through fishing and boating activities that build relationships and create memories. This program assists many seniors who are unable to participate in fishing and boating themselves because of health issues or other concerns.

The Minnesota Broken Wing Connection
Working with and for the physically challenged community. "The Minnesota Broken Wing Connection, a small non-profit, was formed to help the disabled discover, or rediscover, the great outdoors and how to get back out there."

The Minnesota Travel Guide for Persons with Disabilities
A Web site with information about numerous accessible recreation and travel destinations throughout Minnesota.

Rochester Area Disabled Athletics and Recreation (RADAR)
A nonprofit organization since 1985, RADAR promotes recreation and athletics for individuals with a disability who live in the Rochester and Southeastern Minnesota area.

United Federation of Disabled Archers (UFFDA)
Based in Glenwood, Minnesota, this organization provide bowhunting opportunities in Minnesota and other states.

Voyageur Outward Bound School
Outward Bound has 8- and 15-day canoeing expeditions for groups of people with disabilities and those who are able-bodied. Outward Bound courses in general are designed to help people explore their personal limits and realize they can do more physically and psychologically than they thought they could do.

Wilderness Inquiry
Wilderness Inquiry is a private, non-profit organization whose goal is "to provide active outdoor adventure opportunities that integrate people with and without disabilities in experiences that inspire personal growth, develop peer relationships, and enhance awareness of the natural environment." Since 1978 they have been organizing and leading a variety of wilderness trips both in and out of Minnesota. Their trips promote mutual understanding among people with and without recognized disabilities. The organization subscribes to the idea that sometimes your limits are simply what you decide them to be.