Excursions

Bellingham Bay Outrigger Paddling

• Tuesday, Sept. 30, 3-6PM
• Try out paddling a 6-person fiberglass Hawaiian outrigger canoe on Bellingham Bay, launching from the Community Boating Center in Fairhaven! Our course will be weather and wind dependent. We will either go south along the sandstone Chuckanut cliffs where the Cascade Mountains meet the Salish Sea, or north along the boardwalk to see Bellingham from the water. If it's a warm enough day, you can even jump out and swim for a few minutes. Paddles and PFDs provided. Participants must be able to sit in a canoe for at least 60 minutes and have basic swimming skills. Bring water shoes or any shoes you don't mind getting wet (boots will be hard to paddle in). Barefoot is fine too if you can handle the asphalt! Also remember your hat, sunglasses, sunblock, water bottle, and quick-dry athletic clothes (preferably no cotton). Depending on the weather, bring a light windbreaker or a thermal top that you can layer with.
• Essential Eligibility: Willingness to engage in outrigger canoeing by sitting in a canoe and paddling in open water for at least one hour (with breaks). Ability to swim with a PFD on. Ability to follow instructions and operate within safety guidelines.
• Difficulty level: Beginner

Let's Go Fly A Kite

• Wednesday, Oct. 1, 3-6PM
• Enjoy an afternoon outside soaking in all the joy of kite flying! You’ll learn different techniques to maximize the fun of flying various types of kites.
• Essential Eligibility: Ability to absorb instruction on kite flying and hold/guide a kite handle. Ability to move across even paved and grass surfaces.
• Difficulty Level: Beginner

Paddle Boarding at Lakewood

• Wednesday, Oct. 8, 3-6PM
• Come have a blast paddle boarding with us on Lake Whatcom! Whether it is your first time on a paddle board or you’re a seasoned paddler, we’ll have a great afternoon on the water. Paddle boards, PFDs, and other necessary equipment will be provided.
• Essential Eligibility: Ability to take instruction on paddle boarding. While participants are not required to get in the water, those that do should have basic swimming skills and the mobility to pull themselves onto a board and hold a paddle, as well as the willingness to try balancing on the board.
• Difficulty Level: Beginner

Salmon Viewing and Whatcom Falls Hike

• Wednesday, Oct. 15, 3-6PM
• Come take a stroll along Whatcom Creek and experience the beginning of the salmons’ upstream journey! Salmon viewing will be followed with a relaxed hike upstream in Whatcom Falls Park.
• Essential Eligibility: Mobility and ability to be mobile on a wide gravel path and dirt trail with some elevation gain and uneven surfaces.
• Difficulty level: Beginner

Land Navigation 101

• Wednesday, Oct. 22, 3-6PM
• This trip will introduce participants to the fundamentals of land navigation using map and compass skills in a real outdoor setting. Designed for beginners, this experience will cover reading topographic maps, using a compass for bearings, understanding scale and contour lines, and applying these tools to navigate varied terrain. Through hands-on activities and small group challenges, participants will gain confidence in route-finding and orienteering while building teamwork and outdoor awareness. Ideal for anyone looking to boost their backcountry skills or just get more comfortable exploring off-trail!
• Essential Eligibility: Ability to listen, learn, and absorb information, and willingness to practice land navigation techniques.
• Difficulty Level: Beginner

Basics of Fly Fishing

• Saturday, Oct. 25
• Required pre-trip meeting: Tuesday, Oct. 21, 5-7PM in VU 567
• This is an opportunity to engage in the basics of fly fishing and learn from our trip leaders in collaboration with the WWU fly fishing club. This is a Saturday for those who are not afraid to get wet, explore streams and rivers, and handle fish!
• Essential Eligibility: Ability to follow instruction and willingness to engage with fly fishing techniques, including holding a rod, managing line, and standing/walking on uneven terrain.
• Difficulty Level: Beginner

Learn to Climb at Mt. Erie

• Saturday, Oct. 4- Sunday, Oct. 5
• Required Pre-Trip Meeting: Tuesday, Sept. 30 from 5-7PM in the Outdoor Center
• Learn top rope basics and make new friends on this fun, local overnight trip. Mt. Erie is a classic climbing destination perfect for beginners, overlooking some of the best views of the San Juan Islands and Olympic Mountains.
• Essential Eligibility: Ability to follow instruction, operate within safety guidelines, and willingness to engage in rock climbing through supporting your body on rock with the use of your limbs. Willingness to sleep on a pad on the ground while camping overnight.
• Difficulty Level: Beginner

Lummi Island Sea Kayaking

• Saturday, Oct. 11- Sunday, Oct. 12
• Required pre-trip meeting: Tuesday, Oct. 7 from 5-7PM
• Paddle to scenic Lummi Island on this beginner-friendly overnight sea kayaking trip. We’ll explore our beautiful marine ecosystems, camp on the island (bring a hammock if you want!), and learn the basics of kayak technique and navigation. Participants must be able to swim and sit in a kayak for extended periods. PFDs and kayaks will be provided.
• Essential Eligibility: Basic swimming abilities and the ability to sit in a kayak for extended periods of time while paddling across open water. Ability to follow instruction and operate within safety guidelines.

North Cascades Overnight Backpacking

• Saturday, Oct. 18-Sunday, Oct. 19
• Required pre-trip meeting: Tuesday, Oct. 14, 5-7PM
• Join us for a weekend backpacking trip in the North Cascades, where we will be backpacking the Bridge Creek Trail! We will camp at Dagger Lake Campground, with the option to continue on to Twisp Pass to see some beautiful fall colors. Gear provided!
• Essential Eligibility: Ability to travel multiple miles with a 20+lb pack over an uneven and (at times) steep dirt trail. Willingness to follow instruction and engage in good group backcountry camping practices, involving sleeping on a pad on the ground.

Backpacking Wellness Retreat

• Friday, Oct. 3- Sunday, Oct. 5
• Required Pre-Trip Meeting: Tuesday, Sept. 30 from 5-7PM in VU 567
• In this two-night backpacking trip, you'll work on building a grounding relationship with the outdoors, yourself, and others. We had to change the itinerary and now we'll be hiking to Barclay Lake in the Cascades, swimming in the lakes and exploring the beautiful forest. This trip is intended to be a mental health break from school, work, and screens, and we'll talk about strategies to feel safe outdoors, have solo time, and connect with ourselves. There will be opportunities for guided meditations, journaling, intentional conversations, and relaxing games. No experience backpacking required!
• Essential Eligibility: Ability to walk 3-4 miles a day on uneven ground with elevation gain and while wearing a backpack. Willingness to backcountry camp, including sleeping on a pad on the ground. Camping gear will be provided.
• Difficulty Level: Beginner

Is the trip you want to join full already? Keep an eye out for when we post our waitlist sign-up!

Intro to Fire Craft @ Lakewood

• Wednesday, Oct. 29, 3-6PM
• This hands-on course will introduce you to the art of fire craft, from the three essentials for fire to thrive to more advanced skills like making bow drills and starting a primitive friction fire. We’ll also explore survival fire-making methods and how all-natural wild harvested tenders and fungus can take your fires to the next level. This beginner-friendly course will teach you everything you need to know to light your first coal and build a thriving fire! There will be some short hiking through the forested property surrounding the Lakewood Boathouse to identify trees and collect materials.
• Essential Eligibility: Ability to follow safety instructions, learn, and absorb information, and willingness to engage in fire craft techniques. To collect materials, participants will need the ability to be mobile on uneven surfaces and select materials from the ground.
• Difficulty Level: Beginner

Watermelon and Watercolors

• Wednesday, Nov. 5, 3-6PM
• Spend the evening eating watermelon and experimenting with nature-inspired art, including an optional watercolor mountain scene walk-through. Some art materials will be provided, but feel free to bring your own supplies as well. No previous artistic experience is necessary and all forms of art are welcome! We will either relax outside or get cozy indoors depending on the weather.
• Essential Eligibility: Willingness to engage in watercolor crafts and share a positive space with others.
• Difficulty Level: Beginner

Thru-Hiking Clinic (FREE AND DROP-INS WELCOME)

• Wednesday, Nov. 12, 3-6PM
• Come learn the ins and outs of the world of thru-hiking — the backpacking of long-distance trails — from our experienced trip leaders! Whether you are interested in lengthening your weekend backpacking trips, are planning a thru-hike of the Pacific Crest Trail, or are just curious about what exactly thru-hiking is, this clinic will set you up with the knowledge you need to make your hiking dreams become reality! We’ll talk about resupply strategy, staying safe on the trail, and gear choices, among many other topics.
• Essential Eligibility: Ability to listen, learn, and engage with thru hiking information.
• Difficulty Level: Beginner

Racehorse Falls Hike

• Saturday, Nov. 8
• Required pre-trip meeting Tuesday, Nov. 4 from 5-7PM in VU 567.
• Want an excuse to embrace the rainy late-fall weather? Come join us to hike around Racehorse Falls! We will also scramble down to the riverbed to explore the abundance of fossils in the area.
• Essential Eligibility: Ability to be mobile on an uneven and steep dirt trail. Willingness to engage in the environment and listen to the guidance of trip leaders.
• Difficulty Level: Beginner

Lummi Island Art and Nature Retreat

• Saturday, Nov. 15
• Required pre-trip meeting Monday, Nov. 10 from 5-7PM in VU 567.
• Come join us for a day on Lummi Island at WWU's Sculpture Woods. We will focus on connecting to nature through the medium of art, explore Lummi Island by bike, and build community with other Western students. We will use the cozy Sculpture Woods guest house. This trip is designed for the complete beginner — whether you are new to the outdoors or new to expressing yourself through art, all are welcome.
• Essential Eligibility: Must be able to travel in a car and ride a short ferry to Lummi Island. (Exploring the island by bike is optional, so you do not need to be able to ride a bike).
• Difficulty Level: Beginner

Snowshoeing at Artist Point

• Saturday, Nov. 22
• Required pre-trip meeting Tuesday, Nov. 18 from 5-7PM in VU 460
• Come up to Artist Point on the slopes of Mt. Baker and experience the early dustings of snow on our Cascade Mountains! No previous experience snowshoeing is required. This is a great opportunity to explore the Baker backcountry during the quieter shoulder season.
• Essential Eligibility: Ability to wear snowshoes and use them to be mobile over approximately four miles of hiking with 1,000 feet of elevation gain. Willingness to learn and engage in the practice of snowshoeing.
• Difficulty level: Beginner

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 bottom of 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. You will then need to come into the Outdoor Center to complete trip registration.

Nope! Please have your friend sign up individually.

You can cancel from a trip via the Outdoor Center Front Desk (VU 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.