About College Outdoors

Trip Registration Hours

College Outdoors is located in room 239 in the Fowler building, at the base of the stairs right outside the Bon. You can add your name to a sign-up sheet any time the building is open. Our registration desk is staffed to answer questions and take trip payments during the hours listed below:

Mondays	9:00am - 5:00pm
Tuesdays	9:00am - 5:00pm
Wednesdays	9:00am - 5:00pm
Thursdays	9:00am - 5:00pm
Fridays	9:00am- 2:30pm
Saturdays	Closed
Sundays	Closed

About

College Outdoors originally started as a student Climbing Club in the mid 1900’s. In 1978, it became part of the Student Activities Department under the name “Student Activities and College Outdoors.” In the early 1990’s, College Outdoors separated from Student Activities and became its own department. The goal of getting students outside and exploring the greater Pacific Northwest still drives our program today nearly fifty years later.

We provide the Lewis & Clark College community with access to the spectacular outdoor environments of the Pacific Northwest through a variety of activities including cross-country skiing, backpacking, whitewater rafting, sea kayaking, and hiking. Today we offer day and weekend trips both semesters, Fall Break trips, Spring Break trips, and New Student Trips for incoming first-year students. Through our trips, participants find themselves exploring the mountains, rivers, deserts, and coasts that span across Oregon, California, and Washington. College Outdoors’ trips are open to Lewis & Clark undergraduates, graduate students, law students, faculty, and staff. Trips promise friendly people, fresh air, and fantastic scenery!

Besides providing outdoor trips, College Outdoors offers practical leadership opportunities that benefit students beyond their four years at Lewis & Clark. Our trips are entirely student led, with leadership teams consisting of Trip Leaders, Assistant Leaders, and Student Coordinators. All of our student leaders start by working as Student Coordinators on trips. Here they begin to learn the basics of College Outdoors’ systems through a mentorship style model with Assistant and Trip Leaders. As students move through our Leader Ladder, they learn valuable outdoor skills from knot tying to conflict resolution. Students are encouraged to be involved in the program beyond leading trips as office staff, gear warehouse workers, or serving on the student steering committee, Roundtable.

Equity, Inclusion, & Accessibility

College Outdoors is committed to promoting equity, inclusion, and accessibility in outdoor recreation. Our goal is to reduce barriers and have all students feel welcome, valued, supported, and seen in the outdoors. We value time outdoors, as it has been shown to be relaxing, empowering, build community, and improve mental health and well-being. 

Our Essential Eligibility Criteria outlines the minimum physical and emotional requirements that must be met by each participant on College Outdoors trips. While we aim to accommodate all students, if the Essential Eligibility Criteria are not met, your safety and overall success may be compromised.

For more information visit the Office of Equity & Inclusion.

Mission Statement

Click here to view the College Outdoors Mission Statement. 

Policies & Procedures

Click here for a copy of our Policies & Procedures brochure. 

National Forest Non-Discrimination Policy

Lewis & Clark College is a permittee of the Mt. Hood National Forest.  In accordance with Federal law and U.S. Department of Agriculture policy, Lewis & Clark is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of ancestry, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability.  To file a complaint, write, USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-9410 or call (202) 720-5964 (voice and TDD).  USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.