New Student Trips

College Outdoors and Student Leadership & Service (SLS) send you greetings from beautiful Portland, Oregon! Every year we offer new students (both first-years and transfers) an opportunity to launch their Lewis & Clark collegiate career in a fun and adventurous way. The Pacific Northwest has a lot to offer and we love sharing what we are lucky enough to call our backyard! New Student Trips (NSTs) happen just before the college-wide New Student Orientation (NSO).

New Student Trips are designed to help students transition to life at Lewis & Clark. 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 also 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!

Every trip we offer is suitable for people with no background in the outdoors or service projects. All of our trips are led by competent and experienced outdoor leaders. Check out our trip list for a better idea of the rigor of each trip. Our backpacking trips are the most physically demanding, and while no prior experience is needed, backpacking necessitates good physical fitness.

Trip costs vary based on the length of the trip and the type of activities. The listed price reflects the full cost of the trip before financial aid. If you submitted a FAFSA, the cost to you will be calculated on a need-based sliding scale. Simply check the box regarding financial aid when you fill out the New Student Trip Reservation Form. Your financial award will be included in the email with your trip placement. Once you receive your trip placement and financial aid award, you are, of course, welcome to decline if you decide to do that.

These trips tend to fill up fast, so please register as soon as possible!

1. Check out our 2021 Trip Descriptions

2. Complete the Online Registration (Link is not active until registration opens):

   Registration opens at 9 AM Pacific Time, Monday, May 10, 2021. Registrations received in the first 24 hours will be included in the first round of trip placements. If space is limited in 2021 due to covid-19 restrictions, and more registrations are received than there are spaces available, placements will be based on a lottery. If you register after Tuesday, May 11th at 9am, trip placements will be base on remaining availability.

3. Fill out the online Health and Diet Questionnaire (Link is not active until May 10)

   Please note: your registration is not considered complete until you have filled out a health and diet questionnaire. For this reason, the questionnaire is due within 24 hours of submitting your trip reservation to hold your place.
4. You will receive an email with your trip placement and a link to pay within 2 weeks after submitting your application. If you indicate on your trip registration that you would like financial aid, and your FAFSA qualifies you for need-based financial aid, your trip cost will be reduced proportionally to the amount of financial aid you qualify for. Additional trip scholarships are available for members of underrepresented groups, contact us for more information. Once you are offered a trip placement, you can always decline the offer if something has come up on your schedule.

May 10 (Monday): Registration opens at 9 AM Pacific Time

Registration for New Student Trips (NSTs) opens online at 9:00am (PT) on Monday, May 10. All registrations received within the first 24 hours will be given equal weight for trip-preference based on a lottery system. We cannot guarantee your first choice trip, but completing the Online Registration and Health & Diet Questionnaire by 9am on Tuesday, May 11th will give you the best chance of being placed on one of your top choices.

After 9am on May 11th, registration is rolling and trip placements will be assigned on a first-come, first-served basis. No matter which trip you go on, you’ll make great friends and learn a lot about the Pacific Northwest!

We will send you an email confirming that we have received your registration within 1-2 business days. Payment is not due at the time of registration — payment info will be provided when you receive your trip placement.

May 11th (Tuesday): Lottery system for trip placement closes.

After this date, trip placements are first-come, first served based on remaining availability. Registrations will be accepted throughout the summer until all trip spaces are filled.

Within 2 weeks of receiving your application: Trip placement assignments go out

Within two weeks of registering for a New Student Trip, we will send you an email about your trip placement and financial aid award. Please note that although the lottery system for trip placements closes one week after registration opens, it may be two weeks before you receive your trip placement.

We do not require payment until after you have been placed on a trip and know your financial aid situation. After this point, please refer to your individual trip pages for specific trip information.

June 7th (Monday): Trip Balance Due

Unless you are waiting to be notified about your trip placement and financial aid award, the balance of your trip is due by 5pm on Monday, June 7th. For later registrations, your due date will be sent with your trip assignment. Online payments can be submitted using the link that will be provided to you in your pre-trip email. Payments are also accepted by mail.

June 23rd (Wednesday): Required Forms Due

Your individual New Student Trip page will have access to the three forms that are required by this date. Those forms are the equipment you would like to borrow, your travel information, and the release of liability. There is no additional charge for any equipment you would like to borrow for your New Student Trip. If you do not have travel plans finalized prior to June 23rd due to extenuating circumstances, please contact us; we can extend the deadline.

If your New Student Trip is cancelled by us: we will provide the earliest possible notice and give you a choice of a full refund or an alternate trip (if alternate trips are available).

If you cancel a reservation, the following schedule applies:

On or before June 7th: Full refund.

After June 7th: No refunds are available, with the exception of documented emergencies, illness, injury, or other extenuating circumstances which can be evaluated depending on each individual case.

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 one to two very popular Wilderness First Responder courses 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 New Student Trips, there are other opportunities to get outdoors, or to volunteer with service projects, each semester. Look for more information for our fall trips schedule once you get to campus, on this website in late August, or come by our office in Templeton 244 and say hello!