Adventure Bound

Hosted by Campus Recreation • lucy [dot] puentesgwu [dot] edu

Adventure Bound is GW's outdoor co-curricular, pre-semester experience for new, incoming first-year students. Meet fellow students, learn more about life at GW, and build lasting memories in the great outdoors. Each Adventure Bound is led by experienced student guides to help you transition to GW and college life.

of students agreed that they made a new friend on their Adventure Bound trip

of students agreed they gained skills that will help them be successful in college

of people can apply the Leave No Trace skills learned in AB to a future outdoor activity

COST

Program fees are dependent on the trips. All program fees are paid at the time of registration. All trips include a welcome dinner on Friday evening, outdoor/program activities, use of shared outdoor gear, transportation, and meals on the trip.

We do not want program fees to be a barrier to participation. Fee waivers are available for those who express financial need. If you have questions about fee waivers, please reach out to lucy [dot] puentesgwu [dot] edu

PROGRAM DATES AND SCHEDULE

Registration will open on May 26th.

The program will run from August 19th–21st

Students can choose from one of the following trip options:

Whitewater Rafting: Raft down the Lower Yough river rapids and make a splash on this high energy trip.

Cost: $350

Camping and Hiking: Come sleep under the stars and hike some beautiful trails in Shenandoah National Park!

Cost: $275

Backpacking: Go backpacking through Shenandoah National Park or South Mountain! An exciting challenge for all experience levels!

Cost $ $200

REGISTRATION

The application for Adventure Bound 2025 will open May 26th.

Please note that you can only participate in one pre-semester program. SEAS students, Women's Leadership Program (WLP), Civic House Scholars, and others with required programming on these program dates are not eligible to participate in Adventure Bound.

OUTDOOR GEAR

Adventure Bound participants will have the opportunity to borrow gear from GW's outdoor gear program. After registering for Adventure Bound participants will be sent a survey that will collect potential gear needs. We will try and match everyone with the gear needed, however, we may not be able to meet all needs. Students may borrow a sleeping bag, sleeping pad, and/or an internal frame backpack. We will send out a detailed packing list for each trip later in the summer.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

If you have any additional questions, please email lucy [dot] puentesgwu [dot] edu.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who organizes and leads Adventure Bound?: Adventure Bound is planned by Campus Recreation in the Division for Student Affairs with assistance from our GW TRAiLS student coordinators. We have over 30 trained Trails Guides who lead each trip. Each trip will have guides certified in Wilderness First Aid, CPR, and AED.
Are there any professional outfitters used for Adventure Bound?: Yes, for activities such as kayaking, whitewater rafting, and surfing we use professional outfitters.
How will I be contacted and updated throughout the spring and summer?: You will be contacted through your GW email account. Please check this account periodically. Not only will we email you, but additional information for your upcoming year will be sent to you throughout the summer.
What if I'm concerned about financing the trip.: If you believe you may be in need of financial assistance to participate in Adventure Bound, we may have fee waivers available to students. If you have questions about fee waivers, please reach out to fit4lifegwu [dot] edu (fit4life[at]gwu[dot]edu).