"The Clark University Outing Club is an organization for students to experience and integrate nature into their lives at Clark. We strive to make the outdoors accessible to all students through a wide spectrum of outings and activities regardless of past experience or ability level, and to promote outdoor education, skill sharing, and networking among our members. We value the contribution of time spent in the outdoors to one's physical and mental well-being and as a complement to academics."

What we do

We get outdoors, explore nature, and have lots of fun! Whether we're hiking, camping, climbing, backpacking, snowshoeing, cross-country or alpine skiing, snow tubing, canoeing, kayaking, whitewater rafting, zip lining, trail riding, navigating ropes courses, stargazing, picking apples and pumpkins, or wading into the sea, our assortment of trips offers something for everyone.

Outing Club trips happen virtually every weekend of Clark's academic year. They include our highly popular Clark Nature Connection hikes. These short duration trips typically span just a few hours and offer newcomers and seasoned members alike easy access to the region's green spaces through guided hikes of easy to moderate difficulty.

Some of our nearby hikes each year are on conservation land protected by the Greater Worcester Land Trust (GWLT), an organization with which the Outing Club has a strong relationship through internships, LEEP projects, and volunteer service work, including restoration of a rustic cabin where we now host events.

Here on campus, the Outing Club celebrates the beginning and end of each year by roasting marshmallows 'round a fire, sponsors occasional workshops and wilderness first aid courses, enjoys slacklining on the Green, works with other clubs to host activities such as wilderness-themed film festivals, outdoor service projects, and even a petting zoo which we recently brought to campus for de-stressing before finals.

What makes it special

Our outings bring together Clark students from across the spectrum for truly memorable shared experiences in beautiful places. Most trips are kept to 12 or fewer participants, creating an intimate, small group atmosphere where we all get to know each other along the way and where the group experience is enriched by each of us simply by being a part of it. The trip leader, who is usually an Outing Club e-board member, kicks things off with a round of introductions and engages the whole group in trip-related decisions so everyone knows the plan and is comfortable with it. Invariably, our time together in the outdoors leaves its mark, and we arrive back at Clark in a refreshed state of mind, often exchanging contact info with newfound friends before wandering our separate ways.

How to join us

Our mailing list is open to the entire Clark community. To subscribe, drop us a note at outingclub@clarku.edu. During the academic year, you'll receive our weekly email newsletter with announcements of upcoming trips, recaps of past events, meeting notices, and more.

We are an undergraduate club funded through Clark's undergraduate student activities fee. Extra spaces on club trips may be available to others in the Clark community. Please read our trip participation policy for details.

Get more involved

We're always on the lookout for aspiring new trip leaders and potential e-board recruits, and for new ideas of places to go or things to do. If you enjoy outings and want to help make them happen, why not consider the next step? Our team-focused approach provides plenty of guidance and support, and the satisfaction of making Outing Club trips happen is tough to beat!