Faith-based Outdoor Experiences
True North Adventure
41.2266° N, 75.2676° W
Our new program for the 2025-2026 academic year
Three-day outdoor experiences for learners of all ages!
Online registration will be available soon. In the meantime, please call us to make your True North Adventure reservation:
800-822-7505 x 151.
What is True North Adventure?
True North Adventure is a three-day, faith-based outdoor experience for students of all ages.
From among multiple options, your group can select the activities most important to you. Then, freely go along at your own pace; if you want to linger on some exciting or curious thing, take all the time you want!
Each morning after breakfast, you’ll gather with other schools or groups for devotions before heading out to your group’s chosen self-guided activities. In the evening, you’ll rejoin the others for uplifting worship and an inspiring message.
Each group leader receives a Guidebook for self-directing their chosen activities. Each activity also includes a faith-based debriefing section to connect what you’ve learned with your students’ walk with God.
Lodging for True North participants will be on our Youth Campus. Visit our Youth Campus Lodging page for details.
True North courses include:
- Pond Ecosystem
- Slingshots
- Archery
- Basic Compass
- Challenge Initiatives
- Fire-building
- Geocaching
- Hikes (Waterfall, Swamp, Creek)
Adventure Programming options include:
- Laser Tag
- Zipline
- Climbing Wall (included in cost for each participant)
- Challenge Course
- High Ropes Course
SAMPLE Curriculum – Hike:
Using the maps and Guidebook we provide, make your way along one of our marked trails. As you go along the trail, you’ll find colorful placards which correspond to material in your Guidebook. The Guidebook is full of information on the flora, fauna, and special features of each hike.
SAMPLE Schedule – full day:
- Breakfast with all participants
- Devotions and announcements
- Activity Block and/or Adventure Programming
- Free time
- Lunch
- Group Meeting
- Two Activity Blocks and/or Adventure Programs
- Dinner
- Evening worship together
- Large group recreation
Does True North replace Spruce Lake Outdoor School?
Yes, True North Adventure will replace our former, long-standing Spruce Lake Outdoor School program beginning in the fall of the 2025-26 academic year.
Spruce Lake Ministries leadership and the board of directors made the decision to sunset the outdoor education program in its original format.
What is the reason for this transition?
The model of True North Adventure promises to be a win-win for our guests and for Spruce Lake.
The original Outdoor Education program served our private school community for 37 years by hosting school groups on campus to participate in nature-based curriculum and adventure programming. However, as time went on, it became clear that to support all the components Outdoor Education adequately, a prohibitively high fee structure would be needed.
True North revitalizes outdoor education by offering similar options that are cost-effective for groups, condenses the resources needed for programming, and enables reaching more youth in a shorter time.
Is True North just for schools?
Varieties of groups can experience the learning adventures of True North: schools, homeschool associations and families, youth groups, church groups.
Where will we stay?
True North participants will stay at our Youth Campus with lodging that ranges from bunkhouses and a chalet with AC to comfortable new cabins with private bathrooms, showers, heating and AC.
For lodging details, visit our Youth Campus Lodging page.
Meals are included, right?
Absolutely! Your three-day schedule will include meals from the evening of Day One through lunch on Day Three. Meals will be served in the Pavilion on our Youth Campus.
What will our schedule look like?
Within the framework that all participating groups will follow, there is plenty of freedom to choose your own courses and adventure activities.
The daily framework for everyone goes like this: all meals together, as well as group devotions, announcements, evening worship and large group recreation.
During the times established for Activity Blocks, each individual group participates in the courses and adventure programming they have selected.
Who leads the Activity Blocks for our group?
In the new format, each group has the freedom to go along at their own pace, faster or slower, with time to linger on things that catch your attention. Your group leader/s will be given a Guidebook for selected activities so they can guide participants through them. Each activity block includes a faith-based debriefing section to connect what you’ve learned with your walk with God.
Adventure programming options require Spruce Lake staff to adhere to safety and procedural protocols.
What should we bring with us?
Just bring whatever you’ll need for being outdoors, based on the weather forecast for Canadensis, PA, plus your overnight sleeping gear and favorite pillow. See our packing list in the resource section.
What does True North cost?
True North rates for 2025-26 are:
- Standard cabin (up to 14 people), $2,335
- Accessible cabin (up to 6 people), $1,066
- Additional participants, $166/person
Laser tag and the new high ropes course are optional add-on activities. Details are on the 2025-26 rate sheet in the resource section.
Please call us with any questions you have: 570-595-7505, extension 151.
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