The central Oregon Coast is a spectacular landscape of beaches, sand dunes, transition forest, and lakes. On this trip you’ll alternate between days of hiking coastal trails or playing on giant sand dunes, with days Stand-Up Paddleboarding (SUPing) in the calm coastal lakes. You’ll stay at a camp-type facility, with beds in rustic cabins, bathrooms, and a dining hall where you work together to prepare meals. You’ll spend time bonding with your small group, and also meet other new students whose trip is based at this location. Come see why the Oregon Coast is a premiere destination for outdoor enthusiasts!
The Oregon Coast has some of the most spectacular scenery in North America. Temperate rainforests house
millions of species of flora and fauna, and ancient, towering dunes line the coast of the Pacific Ocean. The salt spray hangs in the air and you can actually smell the marine environment here. Groves of ancient forests, surviving the loggers who arrived from Europe, still command a cathedral-like presence and offer every possible shade of green. The Oregon coast is known for its numerous offshore rocks and islands that are designated as wildlife refuges as well as its seemingly endless expanses of sand dunes. The rich coastal
forests and waterways are the traditional lands of the Chinook, Willapa, Lower Chinook, Clatsup, Kathlamet, and Nahalem tribes. Keep an eye out for colorful starfish, tufted puffin, dinosaur-like cormorants, elusive seals, enormous sea-lions, curious otter, and Roosevelt elk.
Each day we’ll alternate between stand-up paddle boarding on a lake and hiking along the Pacific coast in ancient
forests, on beaches, and across the dunes. The trails we’ll be hiking are rated moderate, with more strenuous trails and longer mileage as options for people who’d like the challenge. The group expects to hike about 4 to 8 miles a day wearing daypacks.
If you have never paddle-boarded before, you’ll find that the calm lake water is the perfect place to learn, and we’ll teach you everything you need to know.
Break in your boots: Since we’ll be day-hiking remember that new boots can cause painful blisters. It is very important to break in your boots by wearing them with appropriate socks for extended periods prior to your trip. If you borrow hiking boots from College Outdoors, our boots are synthetic leather, fairly lightweight, and tend not to cause many blisters.
Get moving: Although this trip is designed for beginners and rated as moderate physical rigor, it’s a great idea to walk or run this summer to get yourself into shape.
We eat well on this trip! Some examples of typical meals include: pizza, burritos, and mac & cheese, and we love delicious snacks! This trip can accommodate any dietary restrictions and allergies, as long as you let us know about them ahead of time. For vegan and other non-medical specialty diets, there is an additional $5/day meal charge. There is no extra cost for vegetarian diets or medical allergy restrictions.
Cost: $995. Financial aid is applied for high-need students who qualify. Vegan and non-medical specialty diets have an additional $35 charge. Vegetarian diets and food allergies do not have an additional fee.
These forms can be completed only after you have received a trip placement email, and are due by Tuesday, June 25th. You will need to log into your L&C Portal to complete these forms.
