No! Anyone can sign up for our trips or rent our gear. Although students pay a lower price for trips and rentals, we welcome non-students, community members, NIU faculty and staff, and anyone else to join us. Our goal is to get as many people outside and enjoying nature as possible, and that includes you!

We are not a club! Outdoor Adventures is an organization functioning with NIU Recreation under the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics. We are more akin to a service than a club, although we do hope you find a sense of belonging with us. Our services include providing fully planned and led trips off-campus, hosting events and workshops on campus, teambuilding and custom trips/events, and outdoor equipment rental. Check out the rest of this website for more information!

Although unfortunately we cannot make everything free, our equipment and services are much cheaper than if you were to go anywhere else or purchase your own gear. By having a rental system, we allow you to only pay for the gear you need, when you need it. That way you don't have to worry about investing money into something you will only use once! Our trip prices include all transportation, equipment, leadership, and meals. Check out our Rental Center for more information on what you can rent, for how long, and at what price. In addition, we offer student pricing and scholarship opportunities, so if there is a trip you'd like to go on but can't afford, you can apply and have up to 50% of the cost removed. For more detail on scholarships, pricing, rentals, and more please visit: go.niu.edu/playoutside

Although each trip is slightly different depending on its type and length, a few things you can expect the cost to cover are: Leadership Transportation Equipment and any gear specific to the trip (tents, sleeping bags, kayaks, rock climbing equipment, etc.) Food (OA will provide all meals on longer 1+ day trips, though participants on each trip will receive further description of what we will provide) Fun! What Outdoor Adventures will not provide: Participant clothing and toiletries (though we do have some rain gear on hand) Participant medication Water bottles (unless absolutely necessary) Any extra snacks not mentioned on the individual trip’s included food list

Nope! We at Outdoor Adventures are huge advocates for beginnership, and we love to teach people new skills. Please do not worry about your level of experience, and if you have any questions you are always welcome to call, email, or come in and ask our staff!

We are located on the west side of the Recreation Center. You can either come in by turning right after you pass the Rec's main desk (near the raquetball courts), or visit via our entrance on the west side of the building. If you look for a bunch of canoes and kayaks, you'll find us tucked away back there!

You can register for all our events on our main website: Outdoor Adventures Click on the event you are interested in, and there should be a registration link in the event details. If not, registration is either not set up yet or is not required.

Arrange all teambuilding/custom events HERE.

Yes! You can either come on a day when we have staff at the lagoon, or swing by the Adventure Center when we are open and we will give you the keys to unlock the boat, PFDs (lifejackets), and paddles. The East lagoon is a great place to paddle on campus, and perfect for beginners. Just watch out for those fountains!

Our current hours are 3–6 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. If you need to rent something and are not available to come in during those hours, email outdooradventure@niu.edu to set up an appointment.

We are more than happy to work with participants with dietary restrictions to figure out safe alternatives. Trip registration for any excursion that includes meals will have a mandatory medical form, so make sure to specify any allergies or dietary restrictions there. If you have a severe allergy, please reach out to us in advance so we can make a plan!