Powder Horn 2024

High Adventure Resource Training

April 5-7 at Heard Scout Pueblo

Step up to Adventure with Powder Horn!

Want to rappel South Mountain?  Load and fire a black powder muzzleloading rifle?  Try SCUBA in the pool?  

Powder Horn is a resource and experience course designed to introduce Scouting’s adult and youth leaders to the exciting high-adventure possibilities to produce a quality outdoor program that will keep Scouts engaged.  

Powder Horn is designed to:

Expose participants to high adventure activities for older youth in troops, crews, and ships.

Provide an introduction to the resources and consultants available to successfully lead Scouting units through a program of high adventure.

Help adult and young adult leaders feel comfortable offering challenging outdoor activities while balancing fun with safety, health, and responsibility.

Participants “learn by doing” as you try each activity with expert consultants.  By sampling the activities yourself, you’ll have fun while learning how to arrange equipment, facilities, guides, instructors, and other aspects of outdoor fun for your unit.  This is not, however, instructor certification training. 

What will I do at Powder Horn?

Powder Horn is organized around the BSA’s High Adventure elements, 10 of which are required to receive the Powder Horn medal. 

Sample Powder Horn topics may include:

Astronomy

Backpacking

Canoeing

Caving

Climbing / Rappelling

Conservation

COPE Course

Cycling / Mountain Biking

Emergency Preparedness

Equestrian

Expedition Planning

Fly Fishing

Geocaching

Hunting

Kodiak

Kayaking

Leave No Trace

Orienteering

Outdoor Ethics

Outdoor Living History

Plants and Wildlife / Ecology

SCUBA and/or Snorkeling

Search & Rescue

Shooting Sports

Wilderness First Aid

Wilderness Survival

Note: Powder Horn is “challenge by choice”; this means no one has to participate in any activity which he or she may feel uncomfortable doing.

Who Should Attend?

Youth leaders - aged 14 or older

New adult leaders - that may lack experience in high adventure

Experienced adult leaders - that feel their unit is in a rut

Cub Scout leaders - looking for ideas for their Pack or getting ready to transition to a Troop

Other registered adults - that may want to get off the sidelines and step up to adventure!

Course Details:

April 5-7, 2024 (Friday, Saturday, Sunday)  

Check in between 8:00 - 9:00am on Friday

Thursday night arrival options available by signing up for a campsite here!

Registration Fee Includes:

Meals

T-shirt if registered before deadline (Coming Soon)

Powder Horn Award (dangle) to all who complete the course.

Participant Qualifications:

Must be a registered member of the BSA.

Adult participants must be fully trained for their program and position, including Youth Protection Training certificate which covers the course dates. 

The following Program Safety courses within my.scouting are encouraged:  Hazardous Weather Training, Safety Afloat, Safe Swim Defense, and Climb on Safely

Youth participants must be 14 years of age or older. 

Youth are encouraged to have completed the required leadership training his/her unit’s version of leadership training (ie. ILST, ILSC, ILSS, NYLT).

We highly encourage youth participants to attend with a parent or adult leader from their unit.

Must meet BSA physical requirements. Bring a current BSA Annual Health and Medical Record (parts A, B, C). Medical forms are only current for one year and must cover the course dates.  

Frequently Asked Questions:

You'll need to bring your own tent. I recommend bringing a camping chair, and other campsite amenities that you would enjoy on a campout. 

Meals will be provided. Dietary needs conveyed will be accommodated. 

The course is limited to 48 participants and runs a FULL three days. 

Participants may register as an individual or with members of their unit. If a unit wants to remain together as a crew during the Powder Horn course, the group must supply two-deep adult leadership as required by Youth Protection guidelines. The maximum crew size of eight still holds, whether it is made up of a group of individuals or a unit team.

Don’t miss this opportunity to find your next steps to adventure!