Excursions
Scroll down for Fall 2024 Excursions List
*sign-ups open Sept. 25th at 5pm*
What are OC Excursions?
Excursions offer a fun, accessible, and affordable way for WWU students to get outside and connect with themselves and others. Emphasis is placed on group involvement, developing and refining skills, responsible environmental practices, fostering diversity, enriching the academic experience, and promoting life-long learning.
All excursions are created and led by student trip leaders who are certified and educated in safe + smart outdoor recreation practices. This also means that we love to provide a variety of trips based on what our trip leaders are passionate about passing on to students! No two quarters will be the same!
Want to see us lead a specific trip (or have another excursions-related question)? Email our Excursions Coordinators, Noa and Dieder, with your suggestion!
On our excursions, we attempt to engage all of our participants in fun and absorbing activities based on their comfort and ability levels. This will mean checking in with everyone to see what they want out of the trip and checking in multiple times during the trip to assess how the trip can best fit the groups' needs. We believe that there is a way to balance the excitement level of an activity and the perceived risk/exertion for each of our participants so that everyone can leave our program having learned something and enjoyed themselves.
Scholarships and Trip Costs
The Outdoor Center recognizes that the cost of Trips will be a barrier to some students who are interested in participating in our trips and events. To try and reduce those barriers, 3 spots on each trip will be reserved for students who are experiencing financial insecurity. This scholarship is intended for, but not limited to students who are: Pell eligible, first gen, experiencing financial difficulties, of the Global Majority or experience marginalization in another form that leads to financial difficulty. To receive a spot please email VOR Program Coordinator atcrandab2@wwu.edu with your name, phone number, address and desired trip. No other information is required, and we trust your experience is valid. Spots will be reserved the first 2 weeks of the quarter and then opened to the general student body if not used.
Fall 2024 Excursions
Our Fall 2024 Excursions will open on Sept. 25th at 5pm HERE!
Scroll to see the great variety of trips we're leading this quarter... we've got some new adventures AND some well-loved classics!
Watermelon and Watercolors
- Wednesday, October 2nd, 3-6 PM
- Spend the evening eating watermelon and experimenting with nature-inspired art, including an optional watercolor mountain scene walkthrough. Some art materials will be provided but feel free to bring your own supplies as well - no artistic experience necessary, and all forms of art are welcome! We will either relax outside or get cozy indoors depending on the weather.
- Essential Eligibility: N/A
- Difficulty Level: Beginner
Kite Flying at Zuanich Park
- Wednesday, October 9th, 3-6 PM
- Are you new to Bellingham and need to find places to relax? Or are you an old Bellinghamster who wants to rekindle your excitement with the outdoors? Come fly a kite with us one afternoon at Zuanich Park! No previous kite flying experience required but is very much welcomed.
- Essential Eligibility: Ability to stand for several hours, and potentially run or walk with a kite in hand.
- Difficulty Level: Beginner
Watersports and Hot Cocoa at Lakewood
- Wednesday, October 16th, 3-6 PM
- Come have a blast with us on Lake Whatcom, and then relax by the fireside afterwards with hot cocoa in the Lakewood Lodge! No experience necessary. Basic swimming skills are required, and life jackets will be provided.
- Essential Eligibility: ability to swim, comfort with watersports
- Difficulty Level: Beginner
Intro to Mountain Biking
- Wednesday, October 23rd, 3-6 PM
- Want to get into mountain biking? Join us for an introduction to mountain biking at Bellingham's own Galbraith Mountain! We will explore several beginner trails to get acquainted with the mountain and comfortable on mountain bikes.
- Essential Eligibility: Ability to ride a bike including some climbing and riding downhill on uneven terrain.
- Difficulty Level: Beginner
Interurban Halloween Costume Bike
- Wednesday, October 30th, 3-6 PM
- Happy Halloween! Come dressed up in your best costume and show it off as we ride down the Interurban trail!
- Essential Eligibility: Ability to ride a bike on a mostly flat trail
- Difficulty Level: Beginner
Pedal-Powered Pastry Pursuit
- Wednesday, November 6th, 3-6 PM
- Come on a city bike ride out to Whatcom Falls Park and celebrate with a pit stop at Bellingham's iconic (and only) donut shop: La Feens!
- Essential Eligibility: Ability to ride a bike and comfortability with biking on a busy roadway
- Difficulty Level: Intermediate
Oyster Dome Hike
- Wednesday, November 13th, 3-6 PM
- Come join us on a quintessential Bellingham hike, Oyster Dome! Come see the beauty of the forest as we hike up to the top, where we will enjoy a beautiful view of the sun setting over the San Juan Islands.
- Essential Eligibility: Ability to walk on uneven terrain with elevation variation for about 5 miles
- Difficulty Level: Beginner
Stimpson Nature Reserve Stroll
- Wednesday, November 20th, 3-6 PM
- Come take a break from school and stroll through the old growth forest and wetlands of the Stimpson Nature Reserve. We also may see some beavers and some different types of mushrooms!
- Essential Eligibility: ability to walk on mostly flat, but uneven, terrain for about 3 miles
- Difficulty Level: Beginner
Women and Non-Binary Affinity Hike
- Saturday, November 2nd
- Required Pre-Trip Meeting: Outdoor Center (Viking Union 150) Tuesday, October 29 from 5:00 - 7:00 PM
- Come explore the beautiful North Cascades and challenge yourself in a supportive environment surrounded by fellow women and non-binary hikers. We will hike to Cougar Divide, pick wild blueberries, and see gorgeous views of Mt Baker along the way.
- Essential Eligibility: Ability to hike while carrying 10-15 pounds on your back with elevation gain on uneven terrain for about 6 miles
- Difficulty Level: Intermediate
Intermediate/Advanced Mountain Biking
- Sunday, November 17th
- Required Pre-Trip Meeting: Outdoor Center (Viking Union 150) Tuesday, November 12 from 5:00 - 7:00 PM
- Have a desire to challenge yourself on the famous Galbraith? Look no further! Join us for an afternoon of mountain biking with our awesome trip leaders!
- Essential Eligibility: Confidence riding a bike, including climbing and riding downhill on uneven terrain.
- Difficulty Level: Intermediate
Horseshoe Bend Hike
- Sunday, December 8th
- Required Pre-Trip Meeting: Outdoor Center (Viking Union 150) Tuesday, December 3 from 5:00 - 7:00 PM
- Join us for a hike right by the Nooksack River! The picturesque Horseshoe Bend trail right off Mt. Baker Highway will take you through fir, hemlock, and cedar trees all while having views of the beautiful river.
- Essential Eligibility: Ability to hike while carrying 10-15 pounds on your back for about 3 miles.
- Difficulty Level: Beginner
North Cascades Backpacking
- Saturday October 12th – Sunday October 13th
- Required Pre-Trip Meeting: Outdoor Center (Viking Union 150) Tuesday, October 8 from 5:00 - 7:00 PM
- Join us for a weekend backpacking trip in the North Cascades, where we will be backpacking the Ptarmigan Ridge Trail! This route goes from the mossy corridor of HWY 542 to above the tree line with stunning views of the surrounding peaks and glaciers.
- Essential Eligibility: Ability to carry a 20-40 lb backpack with moderate elevation incline on uneven terrain for about 4 miles per day
- Difficulty Level: Intermediate
- Food included
Lummi Island Sea Kayaking and Camping
- Saturday, October 26th – Sunday, October 27th
- Required Pre-Trip Meeting: Outdoor Center (Viking Union 150) Tuesday, October 22 from 5:00 - 7:00 PM
- If navigating the waters around Lummi Island and camping under the stars is for you, look no further! Join us for a weekend full of paddling, exploring, and fun!
- Essential Eligibility: Ability to swim and sit comfortably in a kayak and paddle moderate distances.
- Difficulty Level: Intermediate
- Food included
Pine and Cedar Lakes Backpacking
- Saturday, November 23rd – Sunday, November 24th
- Required Pre-Trip Meeting: Outdoor Center (Viking Union 150) Tuesday, November 19 from 5:00 - 7:00 PM
- Come spend the weekend backpacking through our own backyard: the Chuckanut mountains! We will hike surrounded by ferns and trees, and camp next to one of the lakes!
- Essential Eligibility: Ability to carry a 20-40 lb backpack with some elevation incline for about 3 miles per day on uneven terrain and camping in potentially cold weather
- Difficulty Level: Beginner
- Food included
Intro to Rock Climbing at Vantage
- Saturday, November 9th – Monday, November 11th
- Required Pre-Trip Meeting: Outdoor Center (Viking Union 150) Tuesday, November 5th from 5:00 - 7:00 PM
- Want to learn outdoor rock-climbing skills and gain more confidence with climbing gear? Come spend the long weekend with us in Vantage, WA learning how to climb!
- Essential Eligibility: Participants should be able to climb comfortably with the support of knowledgeable staff, no previous experience needed!
- Difficulty Level: Beginner
- Food included
For disability accommodations, questions, or requests please email our Outdoor Center Excursions Co-Coordinators, Noa and Dieder, or call 360-650-7677 at least two weeks before the trip.
Difficulty Ratings
Informed consent is critical, and we want you to be aware of the activity you are signing up for. Each trip has a difficulty level listed in the description: Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced. Below you will find a detailed description of what that entails. Please reach out to your student Excursions Coordinators, Noa and Dieder with any questions.
Beginner Excursions cater to those individuals who are interested in trying something new! Generally, these introductory experiences are designed to be more laid back and not too strenuous. Most importantly they are created for those who do not have prior experience in the activity. Activities may range from educational experiences to artistic activities and anything in between. These excursions are great if you are looking to learn new skills, gain exposure to new activities, foster community, and have a great time outside!
Intermediate Excursions are a great option for those who would like to explore new challenges and build upon past skills. If you are looking to explore more difficult trails or embark on longer, more strenuous adventures, this activity category is for you! These Excursions are designed to safely instruct participants on more technical skills, and to dive deeper into the activity at hand. Outings often include less introductory material, but still ensure that participants are fully informed on the activity at hand! These are a great option if you are looking to step outside of your comfort zone, continue to explore these awesome activities, and meet new people!
Advanced Excursions are designed to build upon prior experience and solidify technical skills in outdoor recreation. Participants must have experience in the associated activity and feel competent, but still open to growth in their individual skill sets. Designed to explore more challenging recreational activities, expect a higher level of potential difficulty on these Excursions. These are great if you are looking to build upon past experiences and use old skills in new ways. Come explore new aspects of your favorite activities, and of course have a great (and safe) time!
FAQs
1 full-day/weekend/3-day trip per quarter! We have limited number of spots available on each trip and hope to serve as many students as possible.
You may sign up for as many Adventure Break trips as you would like!
Once a trip is full you may register for our waitlist, which can be found at the trip sign-up link. If a spot becomes available on a trip you will receive a text from the Outdoor Center.
You will receive a text from the Outdoor Center if a trip becomes available. You must respond to that text within 1 hour to confirm your spot and come into the Outdoor Center to complete trip registration.
Nope! Please have your friend sign up individually.
Cancelations are in person ONLY in the Outdoor Center (Viking Union 150).
If you have already been on an Excursion through the Outdoor Center, consider giving other folks the opportunity for the same experience that you had.
All excursions are created and led by our student trip leaders, so the trip list will change every quarter! Sometimes this will depend on the season (ex: more skiing and snowshoeing in the winter), and some of it depends on what our trip leaders are interested in leading. We tend to repeat trips that students are excited about and consistently attend, but we also try to mix things up and provide new activities/sports each quarter.
Partnerships
Are you an organization or on-campus club/program/department interested in creating a trip for your community? Fill out this form to get in touch so that we can work together to create an event that is best suited for your community!
Past Partnerships
WWU
- International Students Program
- Black Affinity Housing
- Honors College
- Native American Student Union
- Black Student Coalition
- WWU Transportation
- Multi-Cultural Center
- Counseling and Wellness Center
- Outdoor Wellness Peer Mentoring
- LGBTQ+ Western
- Western Success Scholars
Outside organizations
- Whatcom Mountain Bike Coalition (WMBC)
- Adaptive and Inclusive Recreation of Whatcom County (AIROW)
- Shifting Gears
Photo Gallery
Click the link above to look through pictures of WWU students and trip leaders in action!
