Recreational Activities

American Camping Association

Long-time camp professionals formed this association to share their knowledge about the quality of camp programs and to serve as an accreditation group. So far they have evaluated more than 2,400 camps for health, safety, and quality and put the results out on the Web. Parents looking for a summer camp for their kids will find the Find a Camp link quite helpful.

American Trails

http://www.americantrails.org

Members of American Trails work diligently to protect our nation’s trails and greenways by coordinating a full range of activities and promoting the conservation of trails.

Association of Outdoor Recreation and Education

http://www.aore.org

Established in 1993, AORE is a grassroots group created for outdoor recreation professionals and students. Their mission is to exchange information and address the major issues faced by non-profit outdoor recreation and education programs.

Boundary Waters Canoe Areas Wilderness Home Page

http://www.bwcaw.org/

Camping

http://gorp.away.com/gorp/activity/camp.htm

Canadian Heritage Rivers System

http://www.chrs.ca/

Colorado Outdoor Recreation and Travel Guide

http://www.coloradoguide.com/

Land Trust Alliance

http://www.lta.org

Mountain Biking

http://www.imba.com/resources/index.html

National 4-H Council

http://www.fourhcouncil.edu

National Association of Recreation Resource Planners

http://www.narrp.org

This national organization is comprised of outdoor recreation professionals whose mission is to enhance the recreational opportunities for all Americans.

National Association of State Park Directors: State Park Information

http://www.naspd.org

Organized in 1962, NASPD membership consists of only 50 State Park Directors. Their site, however, has some excellent information on state parks, employment opportunities and the wonders of America’s state parks.

National Outdoor Leadership School

http://www.nols.edu

Paul Petzoldt, a legendary mountaineer, founded this school in 1965 to teach people how to become leaders in outdoor survival. The school’s philosophy is that people should spend at least several weeks in the wilderness and be taught survival skills. They, in turn, can train others to become outdoor leaders.

Outdoor Industry Association

http://www.outdoorindustry.org

Project Adventure

http://www.pa.org/

Project Adventure is an innovative teaching organization that trains people for leadership roles in adventure-based programming.

Rafting/Canoeing/Kayaking

http://gorp.away.com/gorp/activity/paddle.htm

Rock Climbing

http://www.climbing.com/

Student Conservation Association

http://www.thesca.org

High school and college students will learn about volunteering in the conservation and environment fields. Volunteers may serve anywhere in the U.S. and can be assigned to a variety of jobs. For example, they may be sent to build hiking trails, or patrol in the backcountry.

Wilderness Education Association

http://www.weainfo.org/welcome

This non-profit’s primary purpose is to educate the public and outdoor leaders on how to protect and properly care for our wild lands and protected areas. Students can sign up for various courses that will teach them leadership skills.