What would you say are the most outdoorsy colleges in the US? I love the outdoors, love biking, backpacking, hiking, skiing , rock climbing, canoeing, etc. and would love to be at a college that fosters that passion and that has lots of outdoor opportunities. On my list right now is: Univ of Utah, Cal Poly SLO, Bates, UVM, Oregon State, Pitzer, Santa Clara, Whitman, College of the atlantic, and lewis and clark. how outdoorsy are those schools and what are other outdoorsy options?
Sewanee (University of the South) and Appalachian State?
Add App State, it’s in the middle of the mountains and Boone is known for hiking (also very affordable lol). Check out this list:
https://www.collegechoice.net/best-colleges-and-universities-for-outdoors/
You can also find good info on the colleges you listed by looking up “what kind of student shouldn’t go to (college name)” (CC won’t let me post link)
Colby, Whitman, St. Lawrence, Colorado College, Hobart William Smith?
I think I’m leaning slightly more towards schools in the west. I’ve been in the northeast for a while but grew up in California and Washington state and would love to go back .
In the West
Colorado College
UColorado–Boulder
UDenver
Prescott
Montana State
UMontana
Lewis & Clark
UOregon
U Puget Sound
Whitman
UWashington
Not in the West
Bates
Bowdoin
Colby
Dartmouth
Middlebury
University of Vermont
Hamilton
St. Lawrence
Warren Wilson
Montana State is another very outdoorsy flagship. WWU? Boise State? Maybe consider some Canadian schools like UBC?
Not sure how Santa Clara makes the outdoorsy list - it has nice weather, but it’s very suburban. You can get to the coast but UCSC would be much more outdoorsy in that respect; you can get to the mountains but it’s a long drive - for proximity you’d be better off at UNR or UC Merced. Overall, the list of schools that are as close to outdoor recreation as Santa Clara is would be a very long one. (The positive spin on that same statement is that there are lots and lots of schools with good outing clubs and outdoor activities, even if they’re not extremely nature-adjacent.)
Pitzer is very very environmentally conscious but also in a very suburban setting. It takes some effort to achieve escape velocity from the suburban sprawl, other than the one road that goes up Mt. Baldy.
In the West, add University of New Mexico.
Skiing(30 minutes from campus), world class rock climbing, trail running, road cycling, mountain biking, white water rafting on the upper Rio Grande. ABQ is surrounded by National Monument and National Forest lands on 3 sides.
Come to CU-Boulder! Biking, backpacking, hiking, skiing, rock climbing, and canoeing are all easily accessible from campus. You can even take public transportation to the local ski hill. Boulder’s quality of life is pretty amazing.
Any of the western schools are going to have large groups of students who love the outdoors and have hiking/skiing/kayaking/runing clubs, mountain bikes for rent, great rec centers. You need to decide if you want mountains or ocean, a huge campus or a smaller LAC, majors you are interested in, amount you can afford. UC Boulder is going to cost you about twice the amount Wyoming will.
With respect to a school on your original list that has yet to be affirmed, College of the Atlantic suits your thread title.
Yes Utah is incredibly outdoorsy (and cheap because you can get instate tuition rates after the first year), and I think the variety of easily accessible options is potentially greater than at any of the other schools you mention. It has the best skiing in the country 30 mins from campus and half a dozen national parks within 4-5 hours drive in basically any direction. And a great outdoor rec center that will rent any skiing or camping gear you need for a trip very cheaply.
Just last semester my D had a rafting weekend, a national park hiking and camping weekend and a fall break climbing trip (all self organized with 3-6 friends), and after thanksgiving 6 days of skiing at 4 different resorts, including a weekend trip to Mammoth (why not drive 8 hours each way when you are in college and have an Ikon Pass to ski for free?). At spring break they hope to drive to Banff for another ski trip.
Last year they had multiple weekend trips to Capitol Reef, Arches, Canyonlands, Grand Teton, Bryce, the Escalante slot canyons, etc. and plenty of skiing as well. Many students have cars so its easy to go to Bryce to watch the sun rise if you feel like it (just to take one example of a trip they did to celebrate the end of finals). And a typical spring or fall Sunday afternoon involves a hike to the hot springs to swim or a quick hike up the mountain behind campus to see the sun setting over the Great Salt Lake.
@highschoolsen20r - If UVM is on your radar, check out a nearby school with a comprehensive outdoor orientation - St. Michael’s College. You can’t beat Burlington, VT for a college town - on Lake Champlain and between the Green and Adirondack mountains.
https://www.smcvt.edu/experience/adventure-sports-center.asp
https://www.smcvt.edu/athletics/ski-and-ride-pass.aspx
Coloradomama does a good job of comparing University of Utah to CU-Boulder. Lots of helpful information here: http://talk.qa.collegeconfidential.com/university-colorado-boulder/1956788-colorado-vs-university-of-utah.html
On the East Coast, SUNY-Plattsburgh. Foothills of the Adirondacks 1 hour from Montreal and 1 hour Burlington Vt. They even have a several Environmental majors. And guess what…an Expeditonary Studies Major!
https://www.plattsburgh.edu/programs/expeditionary-studies-major.html
Are you a current senior, looking at colleges for Fall 2020? If so, have you applied to any of these schools yet? Some application deadlines may be quickly approaching or already passed.
University of Victoria on Vancouver Island is also very outdoorsy.
I know a young woman at Western Colorado in Gunnison. She is minoring in Outdoor Environmental Education and spends a LOT of time on the slopes.
One way to approach this would be to choose a location first (at least a region if not a state.) But good outdoorsy schools are scattered throughout the USA.
A lot depends on what you want. Climbing? Sailing? Skiing? Plus your academic qualifications and ambitions.
Look into Ft Lewis College in Durango Co
It is in the SW corner of CO, served by a local airport which connects to Phoenix and Denver so, you its a one stop flight from just about anywhere in CA. The town is on the Animas river which is a great place to kayak, fly fish, raft or whatever, there are hundred miles of trails for biking/hiking/snowshoeing you can access without a car from the dorms. Students have near free access to virtually any kind of outdoor gear you might want, there’s even a small ski lift on campus - and a much larger resort (Purgatory) just out of town. The school sits on a mesa just above town and is boarded by forest. - Anywhere you look, the views are stunning, its not uncommon to see deer, bears, coyotes etc on and around campus
They are a WUE school so, fairly cost effective for CA applicants - and they aren’t terribly selective. There are about 3500 students and 18000 Durango residents., You can find anything you need in town at Walmart, or a more local retailer. It is billed as a Liberal Arts with school small class sizes, faculty that know your name. The school is best known for its mountain bike team (many time national champs).
My son is a Jr mountain biker from CA and now a Psych major he LOVES it there. It is really stunning and worth a trip whether you love the school or not.
Saw your post and immediately thought of Bates.
If that is really important to you, I’d add U of Oregon in Eugene. Can’t get more outdoorsy than that.
I don’t think Colorado State was mentioned - my daughter sounds similar to you - her first choice is U of CO Boulder but it’s so pricey - Colorado State is also now on the list.