Advice??

I want to go to college for applied ecology and general environmental science. I have a fantastic academic and extracurricular record and live near central Texas. I’ve been looking at UT Austin because it’s close to home and has a good biology program, but I’ve also looked at Colorado State at Fort Collins and University of California at Berkeley. Has anyone attended one of these universities or knows anything about the programs there? And does anyone know of some good applied ecology/environmental science programs out there? Nothing too specific like SUNY ESF.

I’m looking for an area where I can be close to the outdoors, especially through backpacking, and a college with lots of hands-on experience with knowledgeable professors and outstanding academics.