Whether you're fresh on the scene of outdoor adventure and wilderness exploration or a veteran, there are many skills you need to hone and maintain to ensure you stay safe, enjoy the experience, and pass these skills and lessons on to those around you. It is of the utmost importance to the guides at Homeplace Adventure Guides that you respect and appreciate the places that you explore. Because a single false move can spell disaster for you or your team.

We offer skill-based  workshops on proper leave-no-trace principles, wild plant & wildlife identification, wilderness survival & medicine, backpacking and camping competently, and so much more. We are committed to making sure you have the skills and knowledge you need to meet every challenge.

CHILDREN: All children under the age of 12 registering with an adult receives free admission

2018 Workshops

Wild Mushroom ID Hike
Frankfort, KY: Cove Spring Park
$10 per person

Kentucky has a deep and rich tradition of mushroom collection and cultivation. But there are thousands of species of mushrooms and some can kill you within minutes of eating them. YIKES! We will take you on an introductory hike to identify some mushrooms and discuss how to educate yourself on how to properly identify mushrooms, as well as distinguish between important characteristics of local mushroom varieties.

Wild Flower ID Hike
Frankfort, KY: Cove Spring Park
$10 per person

Kentucky in the Spring is a breathtaking sight. We are home to breathtaking wildflowers of every hue and color. Also, some of these plants may be edible and could save your butt if you ever get lost in the wilderness! Parts of Kentucky are considered global biodiversity hotspots, with hundreds of species of flowering plants and trees.

​ACCESSIBILITY: This hike will be on mostly gently sloping paved and gravel trail, so it accessible to most but not all physical ability levels.

Tree ID Hike
Frankfort, KY: Cove Spring Park
$10 per person

There are over 60 species of trees native to Kentucky. In this workshop, you will have an opportunity to get to know some of those species a little better, paying close attention to those that produce edible nuts or syrup.  First, we'll spend a little bit of time reviewing our tree knowledge together. Then we'll hike through the beautiful Cove Springs Park, where we will have the opportunity to practice our identification skills, and get up close and personal with some Kentucky trees. 

Orienteering Skills Workshop
Frankfort, KY: Cove Spring Park
$10 per person

Ever think about getting lost in the wilderness? It can be a pretty terrifying thing to contemplate. Especially if you think about not having any signal or charger for your phone. Orienteering, the use of map and compass to find locations and plan a journey, has been a vital skill for humans for thousands of years. Orienteering is also a recognized sport at the Olympic Games, and thousands of people participate in the sport each year in local clubs and competitions. In addition to being fun, and could also save your life if you ever find yourself lost in the backcountry. Come learn basic navigation skills using map and compass to find your way. In this workshop, you'll learn the parts of a compass, how to read a topographic map and how to use them together to find your way in this wild world.

Camp Cooking for Families
Lexington, KY: Castlewood Park
​$15 per person

Good food can make or break any camping trip, especially when you've got picky eaters or kids with allergies. Well no fear! Homeplace Adventure will make sure you are a master chef of the campfire. This hands-on workshop will teach you the critical skill of starting and maintaining a fire, using camp stoves, and teach you some of our favorite and easiest backcountry meals. We'll pay particular attention to how to plan healthy, sustainable, and affordable meals for any family outing. And after we're done, you'll be able to enjoy a delicious meal.

Gourmet Cooking in the Backcountry
​Lexington, KY: Castlewood Park
​$25 per person

Making sure you stay nourished and well fed in the backcountry can literally be the difference between life or death. A little dramatic? Maybe. But being able to prepare a delicious meal after a demanding day will make you the hero of any adventure. This hands-on workshop will teach you the critical skill of starting and maintaining a fire, using camp stoves, and teach you some of our favorite and most decadent backcountry meals. And after we're done, you'll be able to enjoy a delicious dinner and, if you're lucky, campfire peach cobbler.

First-Aid for Families
Lexington, KY: Castlewood Park
$75 per person

Taking your family out into the wilderness can be a very rewarding experience and it's important to be prepared in case of emergencies. This one day workshop is perfect for those who want to lead their families safely on short adventures. We'll cover the basics of emotional support, first-aid, environmental hazards, and wound treatment. We'll also discuss the differences in first-aid for adult and first-aid for children. Expect a full, but fulfilling day that will leave you with the skills you need to adventure safely and confidently with the fam. 

First-Aid in a Wilderness Setting
Red River Gorge
$195 per person

​Prepare for the unexpected with this fun, hands-on introduction to wilderness medicine taught over 2 days while camping in the beautiful Red River Gorge. If you like to take short trips into the wilderness, work at summer camps, enjoy weekend family outdoor activities, or just want to know how to help with minor medical emergencies, this course is for you. This course is great for people of all experience levels. You'll learn how to provide effective first aid treatments for injuries and illnesses common in the outdoors, make due with what you have, and how to make appropriate evacuation decisions. This course will cover skills like splinting broken arms, evacuating people with twisted ankles, cleaning wounds, emotionally supporting the patient, and most importantly, how to avoid injuries from ever happening.

Backpacking Skills Workshop
Lexington, KY: Pivot Brewing
$10 per person

Backpacking can seem like a very intimidating undertaking for many people. The idea of leaving all the normality of your life, going into strange and unknown places, while carrying all of your possessions on your back for days, weeks, or even months at a time can be intense. But if done properly, backpacking can be one of the most exhilarating experiences of your life. This workshop will take all the mystery out backpacking and give you all the skills you'll need to handle everything the trail has to throw at you.

Pivot Brewing is Kentucky's only cider brewery and they buy all their apples locally, supporting local farmers. They are also strong supporters of the community, so they offer a community room for activities and meetings. If you don't drink or have children, no worries! The community room at Pivot is separate from the brewery and children of all ages are welcome in the space. If you would like to purchase a beverage from the brewery, you certainly can do so.

​ACCESSIBILITY: This facility is ADA compliant.

Wilderness Survival 101 
Red River Gorge Geological Area
​​$245 ​per person

You are alone in the middle of a vast wilderness.  What brought you here does not matter – all that matters is that you . . . survive!  What is the first thing you would do?  What are the necessities needed to ensure you make it out alive?  Survival 101 will help you answer these questions.  You will learn about positive mental attitude, wilderness first aid, shelter, fire craft, signaling, water, and food.  Survival 101 will take you through these priorities over the course of three days and two nights.  In the end, after “rescue,” you will know how to cope with the psychological stresses, treat injuries, tie knots and lashings, improvise shelters, start and maintain a fire, effectively communicate to rescuers, find and purify water, and understand how to feed yourself under the most dire of conditions.