College Outdoors
New Student Trips
What is the purpose of these trips?
New Student Trips are designed to help students transition to life at Lewis & Clark—whether they are coming from high school or another college. Students have a great opportunity to form a core group of friends before they head into the fast-paced experience of moving into the residence halls and starting classes. First and foremost, we want participants to have FUN on these trips! We incorporate programs designed to enhance decision making skills, inspire group communication, and spark discussions on issues facing college students. These trips seek to build community, increase an individual’s confidence, and give participants an appreciation for people with diverse backgrounds. Time has shown that these trips truly enrich students’ Lewis & Clark experience starting from day one! Plus, the usual excitement and uncertainty associated with arriving at a new place is much easier to manage after spending some time with a group of new students who may become your best friends!
No Experience Needed!
Every trip we offer is suitable for people with no background in the outdoors or service, in the case of our service projects. The outdoor adventures are led by competent and experienced outdoor leaders and the service projects by strong leaders in those fields. Our backpacking trips are the most physically demanding, and while no prior experience is needed, backpacking necessitates good physical fitness.
These trips fill up fast, so register as soon as possible!
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Where to Start:
Read about the trips on our brochure (Coming soon!)
Fill out the New Student Trip Reservation Form (live on May 5)
Fill out the online Medical Form (live on May 5)
Please note: your registration is not considered complete until you have filled out both an online reservation form and a medical form (links above).
The trip fee covers transportation, food, leaders, and all equipment.
| Trip Name | Departure Date | Return Date | Trip Cost |
| Backpack the Wallowa Mountains | Tues. 8/19 | Tue eve. 8/26 | $975* |
| Raft the Deschutes River | Tues. 8/19 | Tue eve. 8/26 | $1350* |
| Hike & Kayak Waldo Lake | Weds. 8/20 | Tue eve. 8/26 | $1050* |
| Backpack the Mt. Adams Wilderness | Weds. 8/20 | Tue eve. 8/26 | $850* |
| Backpack Oregon’s Cascade Mountains | Thurs. 8/21 | Weds. 8/27 | $750* |
| Hike and Stand Up Paddleboard the Columbia Gorge | Thurs. 8/21 | Weds. 8/27 | $690* |
| Surf & Hike the Oregon Coast | Fri. 8/22 | Weds. 8/27 | $690* |
| Explore the Temperate Rainforest | Fri. 8/22 | Weds. 8/27 | $690* |
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Beyond Portlandia: Economic Justice |
Thurs. 8/21 | Tue eve. 8/26 | $350* |
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Beyond Portlandia: Environmental Action |
Thurs. 8/21 | Tue eve. 8/26 | $350* |
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*This price reflects the full cost of the trip. If you submitted a FAFSA, you may be eligible for discounts on the price listed. Simply check the box regarding financial aid on the New Student Trip Reservation Form. Your financial award will be included in the email with your trip placement. Plan to add $5/day for vegan, gluten-free, or other specialized diet requests (a vegetarian option is included at no extra charge), medical dietary restrictions exempt. |
Summer Schedule:
Registration Opens: Monday, May 5th @ 9 AM PST
Registration is rolling - be sure to get yours in as soon as possible! Last year many trips were fully booked soon after the registration opened.
Trip placements assigned by:
Two weeks after receiving your application
After this point, please refer to your individual trip pages for any and all trip information and subsequent due dates.
Trip balance due by: Monday, June 9th
Unless you are waiting to be notified about financial aid, the balance of your trip is due by 5pm.
Required Forms due by: Friday, June 27th
Your individual trip page will have access to the 3 forms that are required by this date.
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Cancellations and Refunds
While we rarely have to cancel a trip, should it be necessary, we will provide the earliest possible notice and give you a choice of a full refund or an alternate trip.
If you cancel a reservation, the following schedule applies:
On or before June 9th: Full refund.
After June 9th: We can refund the full amount less a $50 cancellation fee if we can fill your spot from the waitlist. If we cannot fill your spot, you may forfeit your payment.
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Can’t make a trip? Don’t worry!
College Outdoors offers a veritable plethora of activities all year round, from rafting to backpacking and cross-country skiing to sea kayaking. We also offer a very popular Wilderness First Responder course during LC’s winter break. Student Leadership & Service also runs alternative fall and spring break service trips along with many smaller weekend trips. So don’t worry! If you can’t make it on one of the NSTs there are plenty more opportunities to get outdoors each semester. Look for more information in September, or come by our office and say hello!
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Do you have any other questions?
Contact us:
Monday – Friday: 9am – 5pm
244 Templeton Campus Center
503.768.7116
outdoors@lclark.edu