Recreation and Outdoor Programs
Outdoor Adventures
Situated at the base of the world's largest flat-topped mountain and surrounded by hills, canyons, and mountains, Grand Junction provides unmatched scenic beauty to go along with the fantastic weather. But don't worry if you're a fan of skiing! Just a short drive away takes you to our local ski resort atop the Grand Mesa. The surrounding area provides easy access to rafting, ice climbing, golfing, rock climbing, spelunking, fishing and so much more!
Trips and activities include ice climbing, natural hot springs, kayak pool sessions, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing, whitewater rafting, kayaking, rappelling, mountaineering, rock climbing, skydiving, and more! Many require no previous understanding and involve low to moderate physical activity. As you progress, so do the opportunities for more extreme adventure.
Looking for a vicarious experience?
Check out the weekly Wednesday Night Wanderings, a free, interesting, diverse, educational slideshow and workshop series offered every Wednesday at 7:30 p.m
Need gear? We've got ya covered.
With the Outdoor Program Pass you can check out equipment for all your weekend excursions. Plan your trip on Monday, make equipments reservations on Tuesday, pick up your gear on Friday and return it on Monday. Rinse. Repeat. It's that simple!
Looking for the trip of a lifetime? The Outdoor Program offers winter and summer international trips between the semesters to help students get a better understanding about the world we live in, developing connections and insights to other cultures and environments around the world. Hike the Inca trail, explore the Amazon jungle, traverse the deserts, ride the rivers and swim in the oceans. This is not just a vacation, it's an adventure.
This summer's adventure will take students from the ancient pyramids of Egypt to the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul, where they will climb to the top of Mt. Sinai, dive in the Red Sea, explore the ruins of Petra and the Old City of Damascus, and marvel at the architectural wonder of the Aya Sofya, one of the world's most glorious buildings.
These trips are designed as adventures in personal transformation and making world travel a reality and not just a dream. Group typically consists of 7-12 cohort members of students, faculty, alumni and the Outdoor Program Coordinator. The trips focus on student involvement and the group's collaborative effort to shape the itinerary and events of the trip. Trip plans allowing for the possibility of intuitive interaction to shape and change the orientation of the trip. In this way students learn how to travel and accept change on a continual basis, building understanding and tolerance towards other cultures and ways of living. Quite often it is the unplanned events on trips that become the most memorable memories.
Students handle their own expenses so that they learn how to budget for a trip and that overspending in one area will mean consequences in another area. Each student is responsible for buying their own plane ticket, food, in country transportation and any other expenses while in country. The intent is to get away from the typical two week "package" deal where you spend three to four times more than you should and have everything handed to you on a silver platter. These trips are not designed to be vacations, but rather real world experiences that make the individuals actually think about their actions.
Participants spend an average of six weeks preparing for the trip, meeting regularly to discuss geography, politics, culture and travel techniques used for the regions we will be traveling. Read literature about the region. Study a foreign languages prior to your trip and then have the opportunity to use your language skills in practical situations.
Argentina (Winter 2008-2009)
Nepal, Tibet & China (Summer 2007)
La Ruta Maya (Winter 2006 -2007)
East Africa (Summer 2006)
Baja Seakayaking (Winter 2006)
India Himalayas (Summer 2005)
Patagonia (Winter 2004-2005)
South-East Asia (Summer 2004)
Peru, Bolivia & Chile (Summer 2003)
In This Section
Looking for the Trip of a Lifetime?
Rock climbing in the nearby Colorado National Monument is just one of numerous activities sponsored by Mesa State's Outdoor Program. The region is home to nearly unlimited possibilities for outdoor recreation -- from leisurely bike rides to extreme ice climbing.