National Medal for Outdoor Achievement

National Medal for Outdoor Achievement

These were the requirements from 2019 until the revisions made in 2022.

To see the CURRENT requirements, Click here.

The National Medal for Outdoor Achievement is the highest recognition that a Scout, Sea Scout, or Venturer can earn for exemplary achievement, experience, and skill in multiple areas of outdoor endeavor. As is the case for the National Outdoor badges, outdoor activities completed as part of an approved Cub Scouting, Scouts BSA, Sea Scouting, Venturing, or Exploring program may be used it they meet the requirements. In order for a youth to earn the National Medal for Outdoor Achievement, the youth must complete the following requirements:

  1. Earn the Scouts BSA First Class rank or Sea Scout Apprentice rank, or complete Venturing Ranger Award requirements 1 through 6 and hold the Venturing Discovery Award.
  2. Earn the National Outdoor Badge for Camping with a silver device.
  3. Earn any two additional National Outdoor Badges, each with two gold devices.
  4. Complete the requirements for all of the following:
  5. Complete a 16-hour course in Wilderness First Aid from the American Red Cross, Wilderness Medical Institute, or other recognized provider.
  6. Become a Leave No Trace Trainer by completing the 16-hour training course from a recognized Leave No Trace Master Educator.
  7. Plan and lead, with the approval of your unit leader, an outing for your troop, team, ship, crew, patrol, or squad in two of the following activity areas: hiking and backpacking, aquatic activities, or riding. Include in each outing a service element addressing recreational impacts resulting from that type of activity. With the approval of your unit leader, you may plan and lead the outings for another Cub Scout pack, Scout troop, Sea Scout ship, or Venturing crew.
  8. Complete at least one of the following:
    1. Plan and lead, with the approval of your unit leader, an adventure activity identified in the National Outdoor Badge for Adventure for your troop, team, ship, crew, patrol, or squad.
    2. Successfully complete a season on a council summer camp staff in an outdoor area, such as aquatics, Scoutcraft, nature/environment, climbing, or COPE.

Click here for the application form used for this medal (and for the National Outdoor Badges).

Source: Boy Scout Requirements 2019

Page updated on: May 26, 2022

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