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

2019 Workshops and Trainings

Leave No Trace Camping Workshop
Pivot Brewing - Lexington, KY
$12 per person (w/ taxes and fees included)

Leave No Trace is the central ethics of folks who enjoy spending their time outdoors. We know that the beautiful and wild places that we are visiting are finite. The more care we take while visiting those spaces, the longer they will be around for people to enjoy.
Leave No Trace has Seven Principles.
  • Plan Ahead and Prepare
  • Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces
  • Dispose of Waste Properly
  • Leave What You Find
  • Minimize Campfire Impacts
  • Respect Wildlife
  • Be Considerate of Other Visitors
This workshop is designed to help you internalize those principles and to help you apply them to your adventuring.

​ACCESSIBILITY: This facility is ADA compliant.

Cooking on a Campfire Workshop
Pivot Brewing - Lexington, KY
$17 per person (w/ taxes and fees included)

Fire building is one of humanities most primitive arts. The ability to start a fire has been the difference between life or death for countless of our ancestors. Now you too can master this ancient skill. 
Our workshop is designed to lead you through the basics of fire building. We'll gather materials, build a fire, then get it lit. We'll talk about and practice starting fires with primitive tools, and in adverse conditions. Once we've had time to practice with our fires, we'll cook some tasty treats over our campfire. 

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.

Backpacking 101 Workshop
Pivot Brewing - Lexington, KY
$12 per person (w/ taxes and fees included)

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.

Backpacking 201 Workshop
Pivot Brewing - Lexington, KY
$12 per person (w/ taxes and fees included)

This workshop is ideal for Backpacking 101 graduates and others with existing knowledge experience. This workshop provides the opportunity to take your backpacking to the next level by developing the special skills needed to plan and have a successful long-distance backpacking adventure.  We will cover equipment selection and use, route planning, food planning, improving safety and comfort, managing the unexpected, and how to protect our fragile backcountry environment while enjoying yourself.

​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.

Wildflower & Mushroom ID Hike
Cove Spring Park - Frankfort, KY
$17 per person (w/ taxes and fees included)

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.

Spring is also when mushroom season starts. 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 wild flowers mushrooms and discuss how to educate yourself on how to properly identification, as well as distinguish between important characteristics of local mushroom varieties.

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

Basic First-Aid in the Outdoors
Pivot Brewing - Lexington, KY
$12 per person (w/ taxes and fees included)

The outdoors can be a dangerous place. Often you are far from help. Some basic first aid can help keep you safe and make you more confident in your adventures. This is a quick workshop intended to teach you the basics on approaching and dealing with small emergencies in the wilderness. This is not a comprehensive course. We'll cover cuts/bruises, common ailments, tool improvisation, and some general strategies on staying safe in the outdoors.\

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.

​Orienteering Skills Workshop
Cove Spring Park - Frankfort, KY
$12 per person (w/ taxes and fees included)

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.

ACCESSIBILITY: This hike will be on mostly gently sloping trails and grassy areas, so it accessible to most but not all physical ability levels.

Fall Tree and Mushroom ID Hike
Cove Spring Park - Frankfort, KY
$17 per person (w/ taxes and fees included)

Kentucky has a truly wonderful Fall. The oaks and maples start to change colors and lose their leaves. The ironweed and goldenrod burst with color, and for those looking closely, some delicious edible mushrooms emerge. 

In this workshop, you will learn how to identify some of Kentucky's common native trees and fall mushrooms. We will take you on an introductory hike to identify some wild flowers mushrooms and discuss how to educate yourself on how to properly identification, as well as distinguish between important characteristics of local mushroom varieties. We'll also discuss Kentucky's tree history, and you'll leave the workshop with a greater understanding of Kentucky's wild spaces.

ACCESSIBILITY: This hike will be on mostly gently sloping trails and grassy areas, so it accessible to most but not all physical ability levels.