This webpage was updated on July 25, 2023, 11:00am PDT.
Adventure Trips are opportunities for first year students to explore the great outdoors with the guidance of trained and experienced students from our outdoor/wilderness student organization Into the Wild.
Early Move-In to Campus
For all students with confirmed spots by Friday, August 4, they are eligible to move in early into the residence halls on Monday, September 11.
Students do not need to contact the Housing Office to request early move-in as we will do this on their behalf.
However, here are important notes for students who either change their status or confirm spots after Friday, August 4:
- Any students who are on the early move-in list due to the Housing Office on August 4 but who decide after that date that they no longer can go on their trip will forfeit the opportunity to move in early and they instead will move in on the regular date of September 15 with the majority of the incoming Class of 2027.
- Any students who confirm their spots after August 4 will need to find and pay for their own alternate housing (off campus such as at a local hotel) for September 11-14 as they will not be eligible for early move-in and must instead move in on the regular date of September 15 with the majority of the incoming Class of 2027.
- Any waitlisted students who are able to get a vacated spot after August 4 will need to find and pay for their own alternate housing (off campus such as at a local hotel) for September 11-14 as they will not be eligible for early move-in and must instead move in on the regular date of September 15 with the majority of the incoming Class of 2027.
Online Sign-Ups
Sign-Up & Lottery Links
All sign-up and lottery links for trips are now closed for the 2023 Adventure Trips.
Types of Trip Spots
- So that there are more opportunities for students to get a spot, half of the spots will be "first come, first serve" while the other half of the spots will be by lottery.
- The "first come, first serve" spots go quickly, typically within the first few minutes!
- If you do not get one of the "first come, first serve" spots, then click the web link to enter the lottery for the other spots.
- The lottery link (see previous section) will remain open until July 21, 5:00pm PDT.
- Into the Wild will do a random drawing shortly after this deadline to see which students on the lottery list get the remaining spots.
Dates to Keep in Mind
- Online Sign-Ups Begin: July 10
- Lottery Sign-Ups End: July 21
- Early Move-In: September 11
- Trips Start Date: September 12
- Trips End Date: September 14
- Regular Move-In: September 15
- Welcome Weekend: September 16-17
Additional Notes
- Each trip is FREE!
- However, you are responsible for arranging and paying for your own travel to get to campus for early move-in.
- If you arrange travel to participate in these trips prior to online sign-ups going live, but later find out that you did not get a confirmed spot, then you are responsible for paying any and all expenses you incur such as changes in airfare, lodging, etc. SCU will not reimburse you for any incurred costs.
- Students in the LEAD Program are not eligible to participate due to LEAD Week occurring during the same time period as Adventure Trips.
- These trips are for first year students. In the event that any spots go unfilled, we will open these spots up to new transfer students who are interested. New transfer students may fill out the online form for the Lottery Link.
Learning Outcomes
Click to expand the content box below to view the learning outcomes of the Adventure Trips program.
By participating in Adventure Trips, first year students will have the opportunity to:
- Meet classmates and form friendships before classes begin
- Explore California and local states to learn about their natural history
- Learn about sustainability, leadership, nature, and discernment
- Have a facilitated transition into college from Orientation to Welcome Weekend to the start of fall classes
- Learn about the college experience from current students
- Gain backpacking, hiking, camping, and/or other skills
2023 Trips
Our outdoor/wilderness student organization Into the Wild will be offering 5 trips. Keep the following in mind for all trips:
- All trips generally depart from campus on the morning of Tuesday, September 12 and return to campus by the evening of Thursday, September 14.
- Exact times and other trip details will be emailed to confirmed trip participants in late July and August.
- Confirmed trip participants will be eligible to move in early into the residence halls on Monday, September 11 while all other new students (not participating in trips) will move in during the morning of Friday, September 15.
- All new students are encouraged to engage in the many events and activities scheduled in the afternoon and evening of September 15 and during Welcome Weekend (September 16-17).
Click on each trip name listed below to expand the content box for more trip details.
Howdy wildlings!! We are so so stoked for you to come on your first adventure at Santa Clara!! Come join Quin, Dylan, and Orion on an epic trip to Crater Lake with all your newest best friends! We will be leaving campus Tuesday September 12th at 8am and head straight to our campsite, before getting a quick hike in. Wednesday we will be going on a 6-mile hike before a second 1 mile walk to Crater Lake for swimming and a lake day. Thursday we will be making one last sunrise hike for some iconic views of Wizard’s Island and panoramic views of the lake before heading back to campus. We are a beginner trip so no experience is required. We can't wait for the epic time we have ahead of us and meeting all of you!
If you have any questions feel free to reach out!!
Quin, qdoughty@scu.edu
Dylan, dbear@scu.edu
Orion, ocook@scu.edu
Spots Available: 10 total (5 via the ticket site, 5 via lottery)
Welcome to Santa Clara!! We’re so excited to meet YOU!! Come join Delaney and Caroline on an epic and wavy backpacking trip to kick off the year with other adventurous first years! We’re going to spend 3 glorious days and 2 nights camping in Point Reyes National Seashore. This trip is beginner level, so no prior backpacking experience is necessary but hiking experience is preferred. We will leave campus on Tuesday, September 12th at 8:30 am and will return Thursday the 14th by 2 pm. On the first day, we will arrive at the parking lot around 11 am and hike 5.5 miles with 1165 ft elevation gain to our campsite. On the second day, we will make breakfast and hike 8.1 miles with 1220 ft elevation gain to our second campsite. On the last day, we will pack up camp and head back to the car with a 6.3 mile hike with 1000 ft elevation gain. Full of beautiful coastal views, we will hike, chill, and stargaze all while making unforgettable memories with future classmates! We cannot wait to show you around the beautiful place you’ll be calling home for the next 4 years!
Feel free to reach out with any questions.
Your fearless leaders,
Caroline, catkeson@scu.edu
Delaney, dmcmillan@scu.edu
Spots Available: 11 total (5 via the ticket site, 6 via lottery)
Greetings to our newest Broncos and wildlings!! Are you looking to meet some of the coolest and most adventurous strangers (and soon to be best friends) at Santa Clara? Good news! You can join Jules, Izzy, and Sally for a three-day, two-night backpacking trip to Channel Islands!!!! We will leave campus on Tuesday September 12th early in the morning and drive way down south till we hit Emma Wood State Beach Campground. We’ll spend the night here before catching a ferry to Santa Cruz Island in the Channel Islands to embark on our backpacking journey. We have a 5-mile hike Wednesday, followed by 3 miles out on Thursday. Total elevation is around 1,800 ft. We’ll make some fun stops on our drive back to campus. All throughout we will get to trek through the island with beautiful ocean views, munch all the trail snacks, and become the bestest of friends. This trip is rated as intermediate because of the elevation and intensity of the itinerary. We strongly recommend being well-conditioned and having previous hiking and/or backpacking experience, and you must have hiking boots/trail runners. We can’t wait to meet you all so soon!!
Don’t hesitate to reach out before the trip!
Jules, jholland@scu.edu
Izzy, ipink@scu.edu
Sally, swalsh@scu.edu
Spots Available: 9 total (5 via the ticket site, 4 via lottery)
Hoyaaaa!! We’re going to Sequoia! Are you a first-year adventure seeker who is looking to start college off with trails, good views, and new friends? Come join three Into the Wild leaders, Cooper, Daniel, Andre, on this three-day, two-night intermediate backpacking expedition to Alta peak in Sequoia National Park. We will be departing on Tuesday, September 12th, and returning Thursday, September 14th. On this thrilling adventure among the redwoods, we will be hiking a total of 14 miles with 4000 feet in elevation gain. If we’re feeling wild, we will embark on a summit of Alta peak that stands at a towering and majestic 11,200 feet. This trip is an intermediate backpacking trip and you should be prepared to carry all of your own gear, as well as some group gear, so make sure to have some backpacking experience. While we will be doing some strenuous hiking, there will be plenty of time for relaxing at camp and getting to know all of our new friends. Your leaders will take care of the logistics––food, tents, supplies––all you need to bring is your personal gear (sleeping bags, sleeping pads, headlamps, backpacks available to rent) and a whole lot of enthusiasm! We hope you all can join us, and can’t wait to meet all of you first-year wildlings!
If you have any questions email any of us!
Cooper (Coopdawg), cpmccarthy@scu.edu
Andre (FriskyBrisky), abrisk@scu.edu
Daniel (DannyBoy), dlouie@scu.edu
Spots Available: 10 total (5 via the ticket site, 5 via lottery)
Yo yo YOOOOO incoming Broncos!!!
Do you want to start your first year meeting some of the coolest people that could be your new best friends!? Well we have some great news for you! Come join leaders Francis and Emil on a super awesome 3 day, 2 night backpacking trip through the stunning Trinity Alps in Northern California. We will leave SCU early on Tuesday, September 12th, to drive up to the trailhead to begin the Four Lakes Loop Trail. The same day we will backpack around 7 miles and ~4,000 ft of elevation to our lakeside campsite. The next day (9/13), we will hike 6 miles around the loop with spectacular views of the surrounding wilderness. We will also get the opportunity to swim in the chilly but refreshing lakes. On Thursday 9/14, we will pack up camp and backpack down to the trailhead and head back to campus. If you love frolicking in alpine meadows, cold plunging in crystal clear water, eating more trail mix than you can imagine, and having a blast in the wilderness surrounded by multi-colored granite peaks, this trip is perfect for you! This tour of four stunning alpine lakes would total at around 6,300ft of elevation gain and 22 miles making it an ADVANCED trip. This is not for the faint of heart and it requires previous backpacking experience and high levels of physical fitness.
Get ready for the trip of a lifetime! We’re soo stoked to welcome you and get WILD with you :)
If you have any questions, concerns, or jokes, please don’t hesitate to reach out us!
Francis, fbrooke@scu.edu
Emil, echaia@scu.edu
Spots Available: 10 total (5 via the ticket site, 5 via lottery)
Information
All trips generally depart from campus on the morning of Tuesday, September 12 and return to campus on either the evening of Thursday, September 14. Exact times will be emailed to confirmed trip participants in August.
Early move-in into the residence halls is Monday, September 11.
IMPORTANT:
- Exact times and other trip details will be emailed to confirmed trip participants in late July and August.
- Confirmed trip participants will be eligible to move in early into the residence halls on Monday, September 11 while all other new students (not participating in trips) will move in during the morning of Friday, September 15.
- All new students are encouraged to engage in the many events and activities scheduled in the afternoon and evening of September 15 and during Welcome Weekend (September 16-17).
It is highly recommended that you do not arrange for travel to campus in September until you know for certain that you have a confirmed spot on one of our trips.
IMPORTANT: If you arrange travel to participate in these trips prior to online sign-ups going live, but later find out that you did not get a confirmed spot, then you are responsible for paying any and all expenses you incur such as changes in airfare, lodging, etc. SCU will not reimburse you for any incurred costs.
Students who participate in Adventure Trips will be able to move in early into the residence halls on Monday, September 11. More information about early move-in will be shared with those students who sign up and are confirmed for the trips.
Student trip leaders from Into the Wild will provide a pre-trip meeting on the evening of Monday, September 11. The pre-trip meeting will be a chance for all participants and trip leaders to meet each other. Trip leaders will also review trip basics, answer questions, and help participants pack for the trips.
Into the Wild will provide all of the group gear needed for the trip. Backpacks, headlamps, sleeping bags, and sleeping pads are available to rent through Into the Wild's gear rental system. If you have your own gear, you are encouraged to bring it! Student trip leaders will contact all confirmed trip participants later in August and/or September with details about required equipment for each trip.
Sponsors
Adventure Trips are sponsored by the Center for Student Involvement and Into the Wild. The Center for Student Involvement organizes and hosts Orientation for all new students. Into the Wild is our outdoor wilderness group and is one of our 9 chartered student organizations (CSOs).