Wilderness Tours and Courses
Experiential learning and self-empowerment are the cornerstones of each wilderness experience. Each course and tour is custom created and implemented with flexibility in order to meet the needs and personal goals of each individual and group. Abel’s goal is for people to have an unforgettable experience in the wilderness while learning new skills, to help stretch each person’s horizons to show them what they are capable of, and to have them leave with a deeper understanding of the natural realm.
The Headwaters Wilderness of Northern Wisconsin is the largest of Wisconsin’s untouched wilderness, where wolves and bears scout the shorelines along with beaver, muskrat, and otter. Expanses of marsh grass, wild rice, and cattails blanket the shallows, while golden water lilies dapple the surface of the deeper waters. The Headwaters is characterized by forested swamps and muskeg, bog lowlands, hardwood ridges, and the largest and oldest trees of the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest.
The Pine and Popple Rivers run through the heart of this region and are among Wisconsin’s more wild and remote river systems. The Pine River is 89-miles long and the Popple River is just short of that at 62 miles. Access is limited to hiking and paddle canoes.
In 1965, the Wisconsin legislature designated the Pine and Popple Rivers wild rivers to protect them from development. Canoeing on the Pine River is a wild experience for any nature enthusiast that holds many opportunities to see the natural inhabitants up close.