Your Year-Long Outdoor Recreation Itinerary
The team at Outdoor UW, headquartered here at the Wisconsin Union, is your go-to hub for year-round outdoor adventures.
We’ve mapped out a full-year outdoor recreation itinerary for you. Try a new experience. Hone existing skills. Meet new people. And get out here, get some fresh air, and have an adventure!
Fall
As leaves shift and the air grows colder, fall is the perfect time for a full-moon lakeside hike or to rent a sleeping bag or hiking poles from Outdoor UW for a cozy fall camping night or cool hike. Fall’s also a great time to learn about outdoor recreation to prepare for all of your outdoor adventures. We’ve previously offered events that taught map-reading, van camping, fire-building, wilderness first-responder training, and knot tying.
Winter
Winter doesn’t mean we need to hibernate. Outdoor UW has snowshoes, ice skates, an ice skating rink (when the weather lets us), and winter-camping gear for rent! Bundle up, and join in on an event, like a snowshoe trek, or rent your gear, and find some winter fun. Go live your best Hallmark movie life!
- Winter hikes
- Ice skating on Lake Mendota
- Ice skate rentals
- Annual winter-themed event series, Winter Carnival
- Annual Hoofer Ski and Snowboard Resale
- Snowshoe rentals
- Camping, climbing, and hiking rentals
- Outdoor skill-building events
Spring
As winter finally loosens its grip, it’s time to stash the ice skates, lace up the sneakers, and come rent the camping and hiking gear you need for spring adventures. Hit the trails early, before visitors from across the country show up to soak in Wisconsin’s great outdoors.
Summer
When those long summer days finally arrive, we’re all very ready to get out of the house and hit the water and trails. Outdoor UW has paddlecraft rentals, including canoes, kayaks, stand-up paddleboards. Just imagine floating along Lake Mendota with a sunset painting everything pink and orange, and the music of a free concert at the nearby Memorial Union Terrace beckoning you to shore and to a cold beverage to take you into the night. The team’s equipment-rental hub has everything you need for summertime land and water adventures.
- Paddling rentals: kayaks, canoes, and stand-up paddleboards
- Camping, climbing, and hiking rentals
- Summer hikes
- Guided paddling excursions
- Family-friendly paddling events
- Outdoor skill-building events
All Year
No matter the season, Outdoor UW is your outlet to the outdoors. With private group experiences, learning opportunities, clubs, and year-round equipment rentals, you can stay active and connected to the outdoors all year long. Check out some of what we offer in all seasons:
- Private group experiences
- Outdoor skill-building events
- Canoe and kayak storage: Have your own kayak? Outdoor UW can help with annual, summer, or winter storage.
- Join a Wisconsin Hoofers outdoors club! Open to anyone 18 and older. No University affiliation required.
