Packrafting & Outdoor Access for All
LGBTQ+ Communities Find Access Through A Transformative Packrafting Trip
Story and Photos by: Justin Bickley
In July of 2024, the Alaska Packraft School and LGBT+ Outdoors joined forces for a transformative packrafting trip in Alaska. This collaboration aimed to connect LGBTQ+ individuals with one another and with nature through the unique sport of packrafting. At its core, the trip was about “access.”
“Access” holds deep significance for both the packrafting and LGBTQ+ communities. For packrafters, it’s about breaking barriers to remote wild spaces. For LGBTQ+ individuals, it’s about gaining equal opportunities, rights, and acceptance. This trip explored these parallels while fostering skills, confidence, and connection.
Packrafting itself was born in Alaska with the purpose of lowering barriers to adventure. With a packable inflatable boat, paddle, and determination, adventurers can explore remote landscapes that would otherwise be unreachable. As Jule Harle of the Alaska Packraft School explains, “Packrafting makes something intimidating feel more available. It welcomes a broader community because the bar is lowered, allowing more people to explore without years of training or an extensive time commitment.”
Despite its accessibility, packrafting requires teamwork and trust. On the water, paddlers must balance independence with interdependence, leaning on one another to navigate challenges. This mirrors the ways we navigate life’s obstacles—choosing who to trust and how to move forward together.
The concept of “access” in outdoor spaces goes beyond physical ability or opportunity. Justin Yoder, founder of LGBT+ Outdoors, explains the broader meaning of access for LGBTQ+ individuals:
“At a 10,000-foot view, most people think of access as simply the ability to acquire or use something. But when you’re part of a minority community—when you identify as LGBTQ+—access takes on a deeper meaning. Does the queer community have physical access to public lands, National Parks, and the outdoors? Yes. But do they feel safe, welcome, and valued in those spaces? Not always. At LGBT+ Outdoors, we believe true access means creating an environment where everyone can explore the outdoors with confidence and joy, knowing they belong. That’s the change we’re here to make!”
This reflection underscores the heart of the trip: breaking down barriers to create spaces where everyone feels they belong. By providing skills, knowledge, and encouragement, the collaboration empowered participants to step into the outdoors on their own terms.
Through this journey, participants gained not only practical skills but also a deeper connection to themselves and the natural world. For many, nature offers a sense of authenticity and belonging that’s hard to find elsewhere—a refuge where one can reconnect with an unfiltered version of themselves. Moments like wading through icy rivers, wandering through forests, and spending the night off-grid offer raw, grounding experiences that resonate deeply.
For me, after twenty years of trying to find myself out of state, returning to Alaska reignited that wonder. It created an opportunity to reclaim my connection to nature and my identity through releasing my inner child. Through this trip, I hoped to share that same sense of discovery with others. By learning to navigate the obstacles of rivers, participants embraced the challenge of finding their place in a larger community while building confidence and resilience through the lessons packrafting inherently teaches.
On the river, participants practiced “eddying out”—identifying calmer water in the river and maneuvering their boat into it for a moment to regroup and plan their next moves. This skill, much like finding moments of reflection and support in life, underscored the idea that with the right tools and a supportive community, even intimidating spaces can feel welcoming and accessible.
Ultimately, this trip was about empowering participants to explore wild spaces on their own terms, carrying new skills and a developed sense of belonging into all areas of their lives. This collaboration was more than just a trip—it was a step toward greater inclusion and connection in outdoor recreation. By teaching packrafting skills, the Alaska Packraft School and LGBT+ Outdoors opened doors to future adventures and deeper connections with nature.
Outdoor spaces thrive on diversity, and bringing together the LGBTQ+ and packrafting communities enriches the culture for everyone. As we prepare for the next LGBT+ Outdoors Packrafting Trip, we hope to inspire even more people to embrace the wilderness, overcome challenges, and discover their place in its beauty.
Access—whether to wild spaces or inclusive communities—is a powerful force for connection and transformation. By creating opportunities for LGBTQ+ individuals to experience the outdoors, we can foster resilient communities and deepen our collective connection to the natural world.
This trip would not have been possible without the generous support of our sponsors. Thank you to Alpacka Raft, Ibex Wool, and the Alaska Huts Association for helping us create opportunities for adventure, inclusion, and connection.
To learn more about LGBT+ Outdoors or the Alaska Packrafting School, please visit their websites at lgbtoutdoors.com and alaskapackraft.com.
Want to know more?
Learn more about this trip and find out how you can join. Watch the short clip below. Also, check out more information here about the 2025 trip. It is presently full, but Justin is accepting spots on the waitlist.