MADISON, Wis. – The Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin (NRF) has just announced 280 outdoor adventures available during its 2026 Field Trip season.

In celebration of its 40th anniversary, NRF is offering a wide variety of hands-on, expert-led nature experiences for adults and families all over the state. NRF has been protecting Wisconsin’s lands, waters and wildlife and connecting all people with nature since 1986, and has been leading field trips since 1993.

Each year, NRF members eagerly await the announcement of the year’s trips and begin planning which ones they’d like to attend. NRF field trips are available to all NRF members and proceeds from trips support conservation.

Trip registration is first-come, first-served, and opens at noon on April 8. People who are interested in NRF field trips are encouraged to renew their NRF memberships well in advance of the busy registration date.

Find The Perfect Trips

NRF provides an interactive online map tool to easily sort field trips by physical demand, family-friendliness, topics, date range or keyword.

Folks who’d love a challenging hike can sign up for a trip exploring parts of the Wisconsin Dells that aren’t normally accessible to the public, alongside retired DNR biologists. Those who want to get out on the water can see the Mississippi or Milwaukee River on a boat tour or grab a kayak and join a guide to paddle a clear, scenic stream up north. From biking to bird banding, from fishing to forest bathing, there’s something for everyone.

Trips include those that are physically challenging, wheelchair-accessible and more, and the 2026 Field Trip Guidebook includes more details about lengths of hikes, trail surfaces, paddle distances and amount of standing so that people of all abilities can find a trip that suits them. Participants are also encouraged to reach out to NRF with any questions about the physical demand level or accommodations for a specific trip.

Many trips are unique, hands-on wildlife experiences, like searching for frogs and salamanders or identifying native turtles. Thirty-three trips include chances to get involved in community science, such as helping biologists search ponds for fairy shrimp or tag monarch butterflies.

Trips take place from the Northwoods to the Driftless Area, from the Mississippi to the Lake Michigan coast and everywhere in between. Some field trips take participants to familiar favorites like Devil’s Lake, Door County and the Apostle Islands, and others are in more off the beaten path locations.

One Field Trip participant in 2025 noted, “I have thoroughly loved finding new hidden natural gems on NRF field trips that I can later return to with family and friends.”

To learn more about NRF, visit WisConservation.org.