High Adventure Awards

High Adventure Award Guidelines

The Tidewater Council High Adventure Challenge is a unique opportunity for a troop/patrol/Crew to enjoy  an adventuresome experience that tests the limits of their camping knowledge and expands it. Careful preparation and education can pay off in a challenging, safe, and fun-filled successful trek.

The High Adventure Committee goal is having units develop their own high adventure program, while continuing to recognize units and participants that attend a high adventure base.

Guidelines for attending a Scouting America high adventure base:

Prior to conducting the challenge, the youth challenge leader, accompanied by the adult challenge leader, will gain approval by the High Adventure Committee of the activities involved in the challenge. Contact jeff Irving at Jeffreyirving@cox.net.

Before any Scout or Scouter can participate in the high adventure activity, the unit leader will ensure that the participating Scouts have knowledge of the skills required to conduct the challenge. 

Conduct an outdoor high adventure challenge for a five-day (minimum) period during a calendar year.

The troop/patrol will not have any off-challenge activity during the high adventure experience.

The troop/patrol/crew will conduct a minimum of two weekend work up sessions prior to doing the Challenge

Menu items must be prepared, and food purchased, by the youth. (Not required if the challenge is conducted at a BSA high adventure base where you do not prepare your meals). 

The Challenge will follow the Guide to Safe Scouting.

Practice Leave-No-Trace during any high adventure challenge. Follow the BSA Outdoor Code.

A Tidewater Council High Adventure Challenge patch is available to purchase from the Scout Service Center for all Scouts and leaders who successfully complete the high adventure experience.

Examples of High Adventure treks. 50-mile canoe trek, 50-mile AT trail hike., Sail Chesapeake Bay stopping at ports of call for 5 days. C and O Canal trail 50-mile bike trek, attend one of BSAs High Adventure camps, Florida Sea Base trek during spring break. (NOTE: There is a 50-miler award given by the BSA. If you wish to earn both the 50-miler award and the High Adventure Challenge, your trek must also be conducted by the BSA 50-miler award rules.).

The award for completing this challenge is the Tidewater Council High Adventure Patch along with a silver pin representing the type of challenge (boot sole-hiking, canoe – canoe, sailboat – water challenge, winter boot –cold weather camping). The pin can be affixed to the HA challenge patch. For subsequent HA challenges, the award is a silver pin.

Guidelines for conducting a unit high adventure trip.

Prior to conducting the challenge, the youth challenge leader, accompanied by the adult challenge leader, will gain approval by the High Adventure Committee of the activities involved in the challenge. Contact jeff Irving at Jeffreyirving@cox.net.

The youth leader, along with the adult leader will have the crew choose type of trek and area (i.e., canoeing, hiking, biking, etc.) they will conduct. The areas chosen must be back or near back country areas that will challenge the participants to engage in activities that develop the participants’ outdoor skills level well about weekend camping. (i.e., Appalachian Trail, C & O Canal Trail, False Cape, James River, etc.)

Before any Scout or Scouter can participate in the high adventure activity, the unit leader will ensure that the participating Scouts have knowledge of the skills required to conduct the challenge. The participants will study the chosen area by reading books, videos, discussing the area with people knowledgeable about the area.

The troop/patrol/crew will conduct a minimum of two weekend work-up sessions prior to doing the Challenge

Conduct an outdoor high adventure challenge for a five-day (minimum) period during a calendar year.

The troop/patrol will not have any off-challenge activity during the high adventure experience.

The Challenge will follow the Guide to Safe Scouting.

Menu items must be developed and food purchased by the youth.

Practice Leave-No-Trace during any high adventure challenge. Follow the BSA Outdoor Code.

The award for completing this challenge is the Tidewater Council High Adventure Patch along with a gold pin representing the type of challenge (boot sole-hiking, canoe – canoe, sailboat – water challenge, winter boot – cold weather camping). The pin can be affixed to the HA challenge patch.

For subsequent HA challenges, the award is a gold pin.

Examples of high Adventure treks. 50-mile canoe trek, 50-mile AT trail hike., Sail Chesapeake Bay stopping at ports of call for 5 days. C and O Canal trail 50-mile bike trek, attend one of BSAs High Adventure camps, Florida Sea Base trek during spring break. (NOTE: There is a 50-miler award given by the BSA. If you wish to earn both the 50-miler award and the High Adventure Challenge,  your trek must also be conducted by the BSA 50-miler award rules.).

Revision Date: June 2026