Graphic titled 'Mapping Miles' featuring a stylized map of Texas with various marked locations and routes, set against a black background with wavy white lines. The bottom of the image includes a representation of a road.

Mapping the Miles:

From backcountry to scenic waterfronts, Outdoor Adventures explored across Texas with day trips, weekend & extended expeditions

Graphic titled 'Mapping Miles' featuring a stylized map of Texas with various marked locations and routes, set against a black background with wavy white lines. The bottom of the image includes a representation of a road.

1. “Backpacking can be physically grueling, especially when you’re gaining about 3,000 feet of elevation in a day, but also immensely gratifying. Our group had the opportunity to spend a night in the backcountry, backpacking at Guadalupe Mountains National Park. This was my highlight of the trip, with getting to summit the tallest peak in Texas and seeing the most beautiful sunrise.” Georgia Harryman ’25

2. “Venture camp and our program’s Outdoor Leadership Practical are my favorite trips because it gives you time to get to know our participants on a deeper level while also traveling to some really cool and remote places like Buffalo river and the Lower Canyons of the Rio Grande.” Mark Fluker ’25

3. On Friday, Apr. 11, students set out into enemy territory, Austin. After practicing at the indoor climbing facility in the Student Rec Center, participants of all skill levels took on the Barton Creek Greenbelt and its natural climbing routes—getting hands-on experience in outdoor climbing.

4. Just a few minutes north of Bryan sits Lake Bryan, home to two of Outdoor Adventures’ Day Trips this semester. Participants of the Wednesday, Feb. 12 trip paddled under a full moon, while participants of the Wednesday, Apr. 30 trip got to enjoy a sunrise paddle—an ideal start to finals week in Aggieland.

5. Outdoor Adventures hosted three free “Coffee Rides” during the semester, making it the most frequent out of all of the Day Trips and Weekend & Extended Trips. The casual morning bike rides began at the Outdoor Adventures Rental Center, paused for a morning beverage stop, and wrapped up on campus in time for afternoon classes.

6. The furthest day trip Outdoor Adventures took this semester was to the Colorado River, almost three hours away. The first paddling trip, held on Saturday, Mar. 22, gave participants the opportunity to see all the sights that you can’t see from shore, occasionally stopping off to take a swim. The second day trip to the Colorado River on Saturday, Apr. 19 offered the same with a fun twist—stand up paddling.

Written by Claire Frazier