The TCU Campus Recreation Outdoor Program offers students a new way to experience Fort Worth. Throughout the semester, there are a variety of adventures and trips that offer students the opportunity to enjoy the outdoors.

The Outdoor Program  offers day or weekend trips for students. White water rafting, mountain biking, rock climbing and camping are some of the trips being offered this semester, Steve Campbell, assistant director of Campus Recreation Outdoor Programs, said.

No experience is needed for any of the trips and the Outdoor Program will supply all equipment and transportation needed, he said.

“It is just kind of a fun way to be able to have an organization plan everything for you,” Ashton Hooker, a junior environmental science major, said. “It’s an easy and inexpensive way for you to get involved in the outdoors.”

Most of the trips accept a maximum of nine students.

“We like to keep the groups rather small because it provides a more intimate connection and experience,” Campbell said.

Three or four student leaders for the Outdoor Program accompany students on all trips, Campbell said.

Day trips usually cost $15-$20, and weekend trips are $75. Students can use their send home accounts for all trip expenses.

Trips are open to all students, faculty and staff. Individuals are also allowed to bring one sponsored guest each, Campbell said.

Students can also rent equipment through the Outdoor Program. Kayaks, canoes, camping gear, and cooking tools are all available for students to use, Mackenzie Wilson, a junior anthropology major and Outdoor Program leader, said.

Students usually rent kayaks on Fridays and go to the Trinity River or a local lake with their friends, Hooker said.

The best part about participating in the Outdoor Program is the sense of community that the program has and the people that she can meet, Hooker said.

“[There are] a lot of people with similar interests, a lot of people who have never been camping and a lot of people who have done it before,” she said. “It is a great way to learn different things in a comfortable environment.”

Wilson, who is beginning her third year as a leader in the Outdoor Program, said the program taught her how to step out of her comfort zone.

Campbell’s goal for the past two years has been to improve the trips and adventures offered, he said.

Due to his hard work, the Outdoor Program now has more equipment than ever before and the trips are exciting, Wilson said.

The next trip the program offers is the Full Moon Paddle. The Full Moon Paddle is a 3-4 hour trip for students to canoe or kayak on the Trinity River at night during a full moon, Campbell said.

The trip is 4 ½ miles, and participants will begin at the west fork of the river and paddle towards downtown Fort Worth, Campbell said.

“Its beautiful, you turn the corner right when it is dusk and see the full moon over the city,” Wilson said. 

The event will take place on Thursday, but has reached it’s maximum and is closed to any more participants. The next Full Moon Paddle will be held Oct. 12.

Full Moon Paddle
When: 6:30-9:00 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 12
Where: Trinity River. Students can sign up in the front office of the Campus Recreation Center
Cost: $10