Beginning August 11, face coverings will be required in all Recreational Sports facilities regardless of vaccination status. Read more about our recent updates..
Updated last month
All membership and locker services are transitioning from in-person to online. Email recsportsmemberservices@umich.edu so one of our team members can assist you!
Adventure Leadership
Beginning August 11, face coverings will be required in all Recreational Sports facilities regardless of vaccination status. Read more about our recent updates..
Updated last month
Our trips can take you anywhere: dogsledding in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, spelunking in North Carolina, backpacking the Grand Canyon, paddling the Huron River, and more. Whether you want to take off for a couple of hours, a day or a week, let us handle the details—like food, transportation, logistics, trip leaders, and outdoor equipment—while you take in the great outdoors.
Join Adventure leadership for a bike ride to two very special U‑M locations: the Adventure Education Center and the Matthaei Botanical Gardens.
The ride is about 8 miles each way, almost all on-campus or bike paths. We will take about an hour to bike out to the AEC, stop there for a brief tour, snack and water break, then take a short ride to the Botanical Gardens where you can explore their trails or the conservatory. We will then gather for a leisurely ride back.
Bring your own bike or we have a limited number of bikes available for rental at $15 for the day.
The trip will start at the Adventure Education Trip Center in the Elbel Field Building, 336 Hill Street, the corner of Hill and Division.
Not currently available. Check back for future dates.
About
Is it a sport? An art? A balancing act? Let Adventure Leadership staff introduce you to slacklining – a fun and safely socially distant outdoor activity – while learning more about the program’s offerings and connecting with other outdoor enthusiasts. Adaptive slacklining location TBD. Stay tuned.
Not currently available. Check back for future dates.
About
Explore the beautiful Nichols Arboretum on a walk led by Rec Sports Adventure Leadership Staff through this great escape just minutes from your door! Catch the last of the fall colors while learning more about the Arb and it’s woods, fields, river, and paths. Meet us at the Peony Garden entrance (1610 Washington Heights, Ann Arbor, MI 48104) and please wear a mask.
Cost
Free!
Location
Peony Garden entrance @ 1610 Washington Heights, Ann Arbor, MI 48104
Not currently available. Check back for future dates.
About
See the sights of campus on two wheels! We’ll start and end at Adventure Leadership Rental Center located at 336 Hill St. Bring your own bike or use one of ours! Face coverings are required.
Not currently available. Check back for future dates.
About
Explore the beautiful Nichols Arboretum on a walk led by Recreational Sports Adventure Leadership Staff. Participants will learn more about local flora and fauna while engaging in fun and intentional activities to help foster community. Meet us at the Peony Garden entrance (1610 Washington Heights, Ann Arbor, MI 48104) and please wear a mask.
Not currently available. Check back for future dates.
About
The best times to take a night hike are during a FULL MOON, when the night world is bathed in ethereal, faint white and grey, or the NEW MOON, when stars are most visible. Join us for a unique walk in the woods and fields of the Adventure Education Center. Face coverings are required.
Cost
$10
Outdoor Skills for Groups
Do you have an employee group, department or organization that’s looking to get outside and learn a new skill? Whether you’re looking to relax around a campfire with s’mores or work up a sweat cross country skiing, we’re certain our unique activities will help you reconnect and engage together.
Outdoor skills activities are free to Student Life units at the University of Michigan.
Set Up Your Group
Email advleadtrips@umich.edu with the outdoor skill(s) you’re interested in, a preferred date, and your group size.
Is it a sport? An art? A balancing act? Let Adventure Leadership staff introduce your group to slacklining – a fun and safely socially distant outdoor activity! Become aware of your body and mind while trying something new, and discover a new way to hang around with friends outside.
Backpacking is the perfect way to immerse yourself in nature for a weekend or longer. Come join us for a hands-on session of the basics: tents and shelter, clothing, cooking, water treatment, navigating, first aid, Leave No Trace principles. Anywhere from one to three hours, depending on how deep and detailed you want to get.
Options include a bike tour around and through campus to the Nichols Arboretum, where we will hike down to the river then back to our bikes for the return ride. A perfect way to spend a couple hours away from screens, enjoying campus and nature.
For a longer ride we can start the day with a relaxed 45-minute bike ride through campus, past the hospital, along the Huron River and to the Matthaei Botanical Gardens. Almost the entire route is on car-free bike paths, with the final stretch on a newly paved award-winning nature trail. Once there we will enjoy a bag lunch and explore for about an hour with a hike through woods and fields, including trails along Fleming Creek. We will then re-mount our bikes and ride back.
Trip leaders and bikes are included, although you’re welcome to ride your own bike. Please bring a bike, helmet, bike lock (or use one of ours), weather-appropriate clothing, and a small daypack.
All bike tours start at the Adventure Leadership Rental Center.
What more do we need to say? We provide fire, graham crackers, chocolate, and marshmallows. You get to find sticks in the woods for roasting. Trip leaders will provide tips on how to create a perfect golden-brown marshmallow, or a completely burnt marshmallow, if you are into that sort of thing.
Cooking while camping ranges from minimalist to gourmet. We’ll teach you the basics, including how to use three different camp stoves, and then you’ll get to try your hand at preparing some food. Sessions at the AEC may include cooking over a fire.
If we have snow (at least 4”), we can ski! A basic lesson and try-out on Elbel Field at the Adventure Leadership Rental Center, or a few hours out at the Adventure Education Center (hot chocolate included!). Nothing beats the peacefulness of a snow-covered landscape, and nothing beats Seasonal Affective Disorder like outdoor exercise.
The best times to take a night hike are during a full moon, when the night world is bathed in ethereal, faint white and grey, or the new moon, when stars are most visible. Join us for a unique walk in the woods and fields of the Nichols Arboretum or the Adventure Education Center. Even if it’s cloudy, walking through the woods at night is a great experience. Headlamps provided. Time frame is generally between 8:30pm and 10:30pm.
Take your team building in a new direction by learning to navigate without a GPS unit or cell phones. Discover the parts of a compass, measure your pace, and try triangulation. Once you’ve gotten your bearings, complete a practice course to solidify your skills and work collaboratively with your team to solve a puzzle!
Engage all of your senses while connecting your body and mind with nature. Allow yourself to break away from daily distractions and pressures to live in the present moment. Join us for an opportunity to practice mindfulness and learn body regulation skills at our beautiful wooded facility at the Adventure Education Center, or any other quiet outdoor location of your group’s choice.
The most important aspect of survival is to be prepared – both with appropriate supplies and the ability to work with your environment in critical situations. Increase your knowledge of fire and shelter building, practice cooperation and team decision-making skills, and expand your capacity for resourcefulness in the outdoors.
Available Locations
Adventure Education Center
Available Locations for Outdoor Skills
Adventure Leadership Rental Center: Stationed near Elbel field, this location is ideal for a short commute to find a big adventure – and pick up all the gear you need for your excursion!
Nichols Arboretum: A prominent and notable campus feature within walking distance of most student housing and university office spaces.
Adventure Education Center: Our most remote and secluded-feeling location, within a short drive or moderate bike ride from campus.
Wilderness First Responder courses are designed specifically to meet the needs of wilderness guides, expedition leaders, and anyone traveling in the backcountry with friends or family. This is the industry standard for outdoor professionals and the course you want your friends to have taken before you travel with them. Using the Wilderness Medicine Training Center’s unique Hybrid Course, participants complete a course of study and tests online (Part 1) prior to the start of the practical on-site training (Part 2). This training is focused and thorough. The online portion requires serious study and the in-person portion requires commitment and effort. Refunds are generally not available for those who do not successfully complete the course. Call with questions or for more information at 734-764-3967.
Dates
Check back for dates in Summer 2022!
First Ascent
First-year and sophomore students are invited to register for these trips, from simple day trips around campus, to weekend outings to even longer adventures farther afield! Make friends with other first-year or sophomore students while participating in experiential, adventure-based activities. All programs are led by upper-level undergraduate or graduate students involved with the Adventure Leadership program. All gear is provided. Activities will include biking, kayaking, hiking, and more. No experience necessary! For questions, email advleadtrips@umich.edu or call (734) 764-3967.
This trip is specifically designed for first-year students. Come hike the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, one of the most beautiful places Michigan has to offer! The park was established for its outstanding natural features, including dunes, beaches, forests, and ancient glacial phenomena on the shores of Lake Michigan. We will spend most of our time on North Manitou Island which only gets a few of this National Park’s many visitors. The National Park Service describes our destination in this way: “Fifteen thousand acres of wilderness floating in the sparkling waters of Lake Michigan, North Manitou Island offers visitors a primitive experience emphasizing solitude, a feeling of self-reliance, and a sense of exploration. Visitors enjoy hiking the dune topography, playing in turquoise waves, spying island flora and fauna . . .”.
NOTE: Students registered for this trip will be able to move their belongings into their Residence Hall rooms in the morning of the first day of the trip. The trip then returns on August 26, one of the scheduled move-in days. COVID-19 vaccinations are required for travel.
Dates
August 22 – 26, 2021
Pre-trip Meeting required 2 weeks prior to the trip
Cost
$495
Included in the trip:
Transportation (including ferry to island)
Meals
Trip Leaders
All group gear including tents, stoves, water treatment, etc.
This trip is specifically designed for sophomore students. Come hike the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, one of the most beautiful places Michigan has to offer! The park was established for its outstanding natural features, including dunes, beaches, forests, and ancient glacial phenomena on the shores of Lake Michigan. We will spend most of our time on North Manitou Island which only gets a few of this National Park’s many visitors. The National Park Service describes our destination in this way: “Fifteen thousand acres of wilderness floating in the sparkling waters of Lake Michigan, North Manitou Island offers visitors a primitive experience emphasizing solitude, a feeling of self-reliance, and a sense of exploration. Visitors enjoy hiking the dune topography, playing in turquoise waves, spying island flora and fauna . . .”.
NOTE: Students registered for this trip will be able to move their belongings into their Residence Hall rooms in the morning of the first day of the trip. The trip then returns on August 26, one of the scheduled move-in days. COVID-19 vaccinations are required for travel.
Dates
August 22 – 26, 2021
Pre-trip Meeting required 2 weeks prior to the trip
Cost
$495
Included in the trip:
Transportation (including ferry to island)
Meals
Trip Leaders
All group gear including tents, stoves, water treatment, etc.
This First Ascent trip is only open to First Year students and Sophomores.
Join us for a bike tour of central campus and a hike in the Arboretum. We will meet at the Adventure Leadership Trip Center, 336 Hill St., bike through central campus to the Arb where we’ll park our bikes and hike through the fields and woods of Nichols Arboretum. After a stop at the Huron River we’ll return to our bikes and bike back to the Trip Center.
Bring your own bike or we have a limited number of bikes available for rental at $15 for the day.
The trip will start at the Adventure Education Trip Center in the Elbel Field Building, 336 Hill Street, the corner of Hill and Division.
Let us take your child’s summer to the next level! Adventure Leadership Camp is packed with opportunities for campers to cultivate wonder, build confidence and independence, and develop new relationships. Your camper will spend the week engaging in a variety of experiences—from climbing to kayaking—that will empower them and encourage exploration of the natural world around them. Our survival challenges, excursions, and high adventure activities (led by University of Michigan students participating in the Adventure Leadership Internship program) will inspire collaboration and creative problem solving, while allowing campers to practice resilience and enjoy all the outdoor excitement Ann Arbor has to offer.
Both day camp sessions take place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, at the Adventure Education Center at 1120 N. Dixboro Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48105. Drop-off will occur at 8:30 a.m. and pick-up will end at 4:30 p.m.
Open to lesbian, gay, bi, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex, and allied (LGBTQQIA+) teens ages 14-17. LGBTQQIA+ Adventure Leadership Exploration is packed with opportunities for teens to cultivate community, build confidence and independence, and explore their identity in a safe and nurturing environment for LGBTQQIA+ teens. Teens will spend the week engaging in a variety of experiences—from climbing to kayaking—that will empower them and encourage exploration of the natural world around them. Our survival challenges, excursions, and high adventure activities (led by University of Michigan Master of Social Work Students and supervised by a licensed Social Worker) will inspire collaboration and develop leadership skills to empower their community.
Space will be limited to the first 24 registered campers.
Cost: $295
There are currently no camp dates determined for Summer 2021.
Ignite your passion for adventure! The Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival World Tour will exhilarate you with amazing big-screen stories when it comes to the Michigan Theater, hosted by Adventure Leadership. Journey to exotic locations, paddle the wildest waters and climb the highest peaks.
Adventure Leadership is an outdoor, activity-based, experiential learning and leadership development program. You will facilitate team building programs and can choose to guide trips, providing participants opportunities to explore leadership, organizational behavior, group development, and the environment using adventure education practices and outdoor recreation principles. As an intern, you will learn to design and deliver custom experiential programs for students, educators, corporate groups, nonprofit organizations, and beyond using experiential tools which can include ground initiatives, low ropes course elements, high ropes course elements, and a climbing tower. Interested interns can also learn how to create community by leading day, weekend, or week-long trips. Past trips have included dog sledding in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, backpacking along Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, and paddling the Huron River. Upon acceptance of the internship, training will be provided. In addition to hands-on experiences, you will design and complete a project of your own that takes into account your unique strengths, passions, and ambitions. No matter what your career aspirations may be, the skills and experience gained during this internship will be powerful and highly valued in all areas of your life, personal or professional.
Winter 2021 internship hiring, training and employment timeline will be posted at the end of Fall 2020.
Each trip follows a different set of policies and guidelines. We typically cover this information in our mandatory pre-trip meetings. These meetings are held a few days before your trip; if you have questions at any time, contact us.