Adventure Trips
Get Out of College Park and Explore the Outdoors
Trips hosted by the Adventure Program are a great opportunity to learn new outdoor skills, travel, and meet new people. Unless otherwise stated, all trips are designed as introductory experiences and no previous experience is required. Trained trip leaders will teach you the basics of what you need to know in order to recreate outdoors.
The Adventure Program offers a variety of adventure trips that are open to current UMD students. Find your adventure through one of the following activities:
- Hiking & Backpacking
- Road & Mountain Biking
- Coastal Kayaking & Canoeing
- Rock Climbing
- Caving
Registration and information on each trip can be found using the buttons above.
Trip registration includes transportation, equipment rental, camping fees, park entrance fees, instruction, and trained trip leaders! On trips of three days length or longer, backcountry meals are also included!
Terrapin Expeditions for New & Transfer Students (T.E.N.T.S.)
Jump start your college experience with a T.E.N.T.S. program! The Summer 2026 Schedule will be available May 2026.
The Terrapin Expeditions for New and Transfer Students (T.E.N.T.S.) program assists students as they transition to the college experience. This adventure is designed exclusively for new UMD students and is a great way for students to build relationships with one another before the semester begins. Spend the days exploring the great outdoors together with your peers and take time in the evening to relax around the campfire and create space to discuss your college transition.
This program is centered around three core principles, community building, reflection, and empowerment.
- Community Building: Participate in team building activities and other challenges to create a sense of belonging and identity among the group. Create a community that individuals can lean on for support moving forward.
- Reflection: Participate in group discussions that grow deeper as the trip goes on. Through these discussions, reflect on past transitional experiences, fears around the college transition, unique challenges each person faces, things individuals are excited about, and resources available for support through the college transition.
- Empowerment: Get active and outside while trying something new! Get out of your comfort zone and show yourself what you are capable of. Individuals will build confidence through learning and applying outdoor, camping, and adventure skills.
To register, create an account and sign up on activeterp.umd.edu, under “Adventure Trips & Clinics” or click here. You can either make a new account to register, or use your assigned UMD CAS (Central Authentication System) login, if you have received it.
The Adventure Program can create and lead a custom trip just for you and your group! We offer custom trips ranging in length from one to two days for UMD-affiliated groups of 6-20 people. Trip activities include:
- Hiking & Backpacking
- Road & Mountain Biking
- Coastal Kayaking & Canoeing
- Rock Climbing
- Caving
Please review the custom trip options and cost document above for trip activity and location options. Our schedule fills up quickly, so we recommend completing the custom trip request form a semester in advance of your desired trip date.
If you are in need of financial assistance in order to participate on an adventure trip, you can apply for funding from the Adventure Program Access and Enrichment Fund. The fund was created to cover full or partial adventure trip registrations for students who need financial assistance. Our hope is to provide more Terps with the opportunity to get outside and experience the wellness benefits of physical activity and spending time in nature. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
Pre-trip meetings are mandatory to participate in adventure trips. If you miss the mandatory pre-trip meeting for any reason other than an excused absence, or if you fail to notify the trip leaders in advance, then your spot on the trip is forfeit and you will not receive a refund.
During the pre-trip meeting, you will meet other people going on the trip, review important trip logistics and safety information, practice important outdoor skills, and check out any necessary equipment for your adventure.
Note: T.E.N.T.S. trips do not have pre-trip meetings. Instead, you will receive an email with all of the necessary information a few weeks prior to the trip.
Email Sam Shrestha at sshres07@umd.edu if you have any questions.
If an adventure trip is full and you are interested in being placed on the waitlist for the trip, add yourself through the trip registration page. We will contact you if a space becomes available, after which you will be asked to pay and complete registration.
If University Recreation & Wellness (RecWell) cancels the trip due to weather, lack of participants, or other circumstances, the participant will receive a full refund.
For a one or two day trip: if the participant cancels their registration eight business days (defined as Monday - Friday when classes are in session) or more prior to the first day of the trip, a refund will be given, less a $10.00 processing fee. Cancellations made within 7 business days prior to the first day of the trip will result in no refund.
For extended trips of 3 days length or longer: if the participant cancels their registration 13 business days or more prior to the first day of the trip a refund will be given, less a $10.00 processing fee. Cancellations made within 12 business days prior to the first day of the trip will result in no refund.
All cancellations and refunds must be submitted through the RecWell Adventure Program Trip Cancellation & Refund Request Form. The timestamp generated from the completion of this form will act as the official time of your cancellation / refund request.
The RecWell Adventure Program values inclusion and is committed to making programs accessible to as many individuals as possible. Adventure Program professional staff have designed these essential eligibility criteria based on industry best practices, benchmarking with other organizations, available equipment, and level of staff training within the RecWell Adventure Program.
Individual adventure trips can vary based on the specific activity and location. Trip descriptions may contain additional or more specific requirements. If you have questions or concerns about meeting certain criteria, please contact Meghan Loughry at mloughry@umd.edu or at 301-226-3078 to determine if it is possible to make programmatic or equipment accommodations to meet your needs.
Essential Eligibility Criteria
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