Outdoor Adventures

Outdoor Adventures (OA) serves the USD community with opportunities to experience outdoor activities that aim to promote personal growth, leadership development, relationship building and environmental responsibility. We offer a variety of local, regional and international outings that includes Pre-Orientation Adventure, overnight trips, outdoor recreation classes and day trips around San Diego. We also operate a rental shop and resource center for individuals that choose to venture on their own excursions and need some equipment or guidance.

@usd_outdooradventures on Instagram

Is it Friday yet? We can’t wait to do a little bit of hiking in Zion this weekend!
Had a fun time canoeing with families on San Diego Bay this weekend. Thanks @gelatoparadiso for an amazing post paddle treat! #usdhomecoming
We love helping families and alumni adventure around San Diego. It’s a bit grey today, but the wind and waves are ideal for a morning paddle in La Jolla. DYK that the marine park contains four marine ecosystems? Many thanks to the awesome staff at @lajollaseacavekayaks for an informative and exciting outing.
@eastongriffin works magic with his hands at San Onofre State Beach. We had a great time near the ocean surfing, yoga-info & reflecting on the impact of plastic and how important it is to reduce our waste.
Surf. Yoga. Sunset. Sunrise. San Onofre. 🏄🏼‍♀️🧘‍♂️🏕🏖🌅📷: @lesliegobel
Have you considered how your relationship with your phone hinders your ability to be fully present? During our Nature Unplugged mindfulness trip in Joshua Tree, the group stapled their phones into paper bags for the weekend. When was the last time you unplugged from your phone?
Happy October.
Experience the story behind the scenery. These tunnels along the shore of Lake Mead were created for water, not by water. Trains moved huge pipes through these tunnels during the construction of the Hoover Dam. Walking through them provided us with a sense of scale. Now, San Diego would not be the same without the water passing through these pipes along the Colorado River.
Being an OA guide is not just about leading peers on a trip. Pre-trip planning and preparation is key to our success. These guides are debriefing last weekend’s trip. Did we do what we planned to do? Were we the guides we wanted to be? How can we run a better trip and how can we be a better leader? These are some of the questions discussed post trip.
“All my life, people have asked the question, directly or indirectly, "Why the hell do you climb mountains?" I can't explain this to other people. I love the physical exertion. I love the wind, I love the storms: I love the fresh air. I love the companionship in the outdoors. I love the reality. I love the change. I love the oneness with nature: I'm hungry; I enjoy clear water. I enjoy being warm at night when its cold outside. All those simple things are extremely enjoyable because, gosh, you're feeling them, you're living them, you're senses are really feeling, I can't explain it." -Paul Petzoldt.