Go to the Sitemap Page
Quick Links
Fitness
Join Us
Become a Member Your Benefits
Group‑X
Buy a Pass Class Schedule
Personal Training
Sign Up
Specialized Group Training
Programs Offered
Competition
Intramural Sports
Sign Up Sports Offered
Esports
Get Involved
Club Sports
Sports Offered
Adventure
Adventure Leadership
Sign Up Trips
Adventure Leadership
Inquire
Adventure Leadership
Reserve Equipment
Stay up to date
Search

Say hello to Michigan Recreation! Beginning fall 2025 we will be changing our name from Recreational Sports to Michigan Recreation. Click here to get the whole story.

Adventure Leadership

Our trips can take you anywhere: dogsledding in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, spelunking in North Carolina, backpacking the Grand Canyon, paddling the Huron River, and more. Whether you want to take off for a couple of hours, a day or a week, let us handle the details—like food, transportation, logistics, trip leaders, and outdoor equipment—while you take in the great outdoors.

There are 0 trips. Expand all into a list.

Find Your Trip

Embark on a journey of self-discovery and adventure with Adventure Leadership at the University of Michigan! Our expertly guided trips offer students the chance to explore the State of Michigan, build lifelong friendships, and develop essential leadership skills. Join us to push your boundaries, connect with nature, and create unforgettable experiences. Discover your next adventure and find your trip with Adventure Leadership today!

Questions: Call 734-764-3967 or email us at [email protected]

There are 3 trips. Expand all into a list.

Hocking Hills State Park
June 5-8, 2025

Register Here!

Explore the stunning beauty of Hocking Hills State Park in Ohio for an unforgettable outdoor adventure! Canoe the lovely Hocking River and zipline over rolling hills! This four-day getaway promises a perfect blend of engaging adrenaline-pumping activities and exploring the area through serene nature hikes. Visit Old Man’s Cave, and then return to our campsite each night to sleep under the stars. No outdoor experience required!

Cost: $565

Questions: Call 734-764-3967 or email us at [email protected]

Manistee River & North Country Trail
June 12-14, 2025

Register Here!

Escape your studies for three days of canoeing down the Manistee River and hiking along the North Country Trail! You get to take in the incredible views of the famous North Country Trail, ranging from pine to deciduous trees to cedar swamps. Enjoy the most beautiful month of northern Michigan weather and a wide variety of native wildlife. Get ready to immerse yourself in a peaceful weekend of paddling, rustic camping, and backcountry skill development – the Manistee will take your breath away!

Cost: $360

Questions: Call 734-764-3967 or email us at [email protected]

Mackinac Island & Sleeping Bear Dunes
August 9-15, 2025

Register Here!

Ever been confused by a Michigander pointing to a spot on their hand to say where they’re from? Wonder no more! Join Adventure Leadership on a journey around Michigan’s lower peninsula. We’ll head west from Ann Arbor and trace the outline of the state, starting on Lake Michigan’s coast with Ludington and famous Sleeping Bear Dunes, then spending a day at the iconic Mackinac Island, traveling through some lesser known gems in Rockport, and spending our last day at a true Michigan gem in “the thumb”: Caseville’s Cheeseburger festival. We’ll even drive through Lansing and Detroit to get a full sense of the state! Each night will be a new camping spot, filled with cozy campfires, sparkling stars, and the company of a new group of Michiganders

Cost: $750

Questions: Call 734-764-3967 or email us at [email protected]

Michigan Outdoor Leadership Education Series (MOLES)

Register Here!

Get ready for an adventure to discover Michigan’s breathtaking landscapes with Adventure Leadership as your guide! If you find the great outdoors to be a bit overwhelming, let us introduce you to the Michigan Outdoor Leadership Education Series (MOLES).

MOLES is designed to empower you with the skills and confidence required for your outdoor journey. Our experienced workshop leaders will serve as your companions, leading you through immersive experiences that not only fuel your passion for exploration but also unveil the authentic stories of the public lands we cherish.

Forget about the gear – we’ve got that covered. All you need to do is show up, eager to participate. No prior outdoor experience is necessary; whether you’re a complete beginner or looking to enhance existing skills, we welcome you. Each workshop will delve into essential outdoor competencies, including navigation, backpack packing, campsite cooking, and embracing Leave No Trace principles. Your Michigan adventure begins here – join us on the path to outdoor discovery!

Questions: Call 734-764-3967 or email us at [email protected]

There are 0 items. Expand all into a list.

Outdoor Skills for Groups

Do you have an employee group, department or organization that’s looking to get outside and learn a new skill?  Whether you’re looking to relax around a campfire with s’mores or work up a sweat cross country skiing, we’re certain our unique activities will help you reconnect and engage together.

Set Up Your Group

Email [email protected] with the outdoor skill(s) you’re interested in, a preferred date, and your group size.

There are 11 items. Expand all into a list.

Adaptive Slacklining

Is it a sport? An art? A balancing act? Let Adventure Leadership staff introduce your group to slacklining –  a fun and safely socially distant outdoor activity! Become aware of your body and mind while trying something new, and discover a new way to hang around with friends outside.

Available Locations

  • Grove outside of the CCRB
  • An alternative wooded location
Backpacking Basics

Backpacking is the perfect way to immerse yourself in nature for a weekend or longer. Come join us for a hands-on session of the basics: tents and shelter, clothing, cooking, water treatment, navigating, first aid, Leave No Trace principles. Anywhere from one to three hours, depending on how deep and detailed you want to get.

Available Location

  • Adventure Leadership Rental Center
Bike Tours

Options include a bike tour around and through campus to the Nichols Arboretum, where we will hike down to the river then back to our bikes for the return ride. A perfect way to spend a couple hours away from screens, enjoying campus and nature.

For a longer ride we can start the day with a relaxed 45-minute bike ride through campus, past the hospital, along the Huron River and to the Matthaei Botanical Gardens. Almost the entire route is on car-free bike paths, with the final stretch on a newly paved award-winning nature trail. Once there we will enjoy a bag lunch and explore for about an hour with a hike through woods and fields, including trails along Fleming Creek. We will then re-mount our bikes and ride back.

Trip leaders and bikes are included, although you’re welcome to ride your own bike. Please bring a bike, helmet, bike lock (or use one of ours), weather-appropriate clothing, and a small daypack.

All bike tours start at the Adventure Leadership Rental Center.

Bonfire & S’mores

What more do we need to say? We provide fire, graham crackers, chocolate, and marshmallows. You get to find sticks in the woods for roasting. Trip leaders will provide tips on how to create a perfect golden-brown marshmallow, or a completely burnt marshmallow, if you are into that sort of thing.

Available Location

  • Adventure Education Center
Camp Cuisine Exploration

Cooking while camping ranges from minimalist to gourmet. We’ll teach you the basics, including how to use three different camp stoves, and then you’ll get to try your hand at preparing some food. Sessions at the AEC may include cooking over a fire.

Available Locations

  • Adventure Leadership Rental Center
  • Adventure Education Center
Cross Country Ski

If we have snow (at least 4”), we can ski! A basic lesson and try-out on Elbel Field at the Adventure Leadership Rental Center, or a few hours out at the Adventure Education Center (hot chocolate included!). Nothing beats the peacefulness of a snow-covered landscape, and nothing beats Seasonal Affective Disorder like outdoor exercise.

Available Locations

  • Adventure Leadership Rental Center
  • Adventure Education Center
Interpretive Hikes

Let nature tell you a story! Learn about the plants, animals, and other ecological features that make up the Great Lakes region.

Available Locations

  • Adventure Education Center
  • Nichols Arboretum
  • Or an alternative location!
Night Hikes

The best times to take a night hike are during a full moon, when the night world is bathed in ethereal, faint white and grey, or the new moon, when stars are most visible. Join us for a unique walk in the woods and fields of the Nichols Arboretum or the Adventure Education Center. Even if it’s cloudy, walking through the woods at night is a great experience. Headlamps provided. Time frame is generally between 8:30pm and 10:30pm.

Available Locations

  • Adventure Education Center
  • Nichols Arboretum
Orienteering

Take your team building in a new direction by learning to navigate without a GPS unit or cell phones. Discover the parts of a compass, measure your pace, and try triangulation. Once you’ve gotten your bearings, complete a practice course to solidify your skills and work collaboratively with your team to solve a puzzle!

Available Locations

  • Adventure Education Center
  • Nichols Arboretum
Wellness Walks

Engage all of your senses while connecting your body and mind with nature. Allow yourself to break away from daily distractions and pressures to live in the present moment. Join us for an opportunity to practice mindfulness and learn body regulation skills at our beautiful wooded facility at the Adventure Education Center, or any other quiet outdoor location of your group’s choice.

Available Locations

  • Adventure Education Center
  • Nichols Arboretum
  • Or an alternative location!
Wilderness Survival 101

The most important aspect of survival is to be prepared – both with appropriate supplies and the ability to work with your environment in critical situations. Increase your knowledge of fire and shelter building, practice cooperation and team decision-making skills, and expand your capacity for resourcefulness in the outdoors.

Available Locations

  • Adventure Education Center

Available Locations for Outdoor Skills

  • Adventure Leadership Rental Center: Stationed near Elbel field, this location is ideal for a short commute to find a big adventure – and pick up all the gear you need for your excursion!
  • Nichols Arboretum: A prominent and notable campus feature within walking distance of most student housing and university office spaces.
  • Adventure Education Center: Our most remote and secluded-feeling location, within a short drive or moderate bike ride from campus.

Wilderness First Responder

Wilderness First Responder courses are designed specifically to meet the needs of wilderness guides, expedition leaders, and anyone traveling in the backcountry with friends or family. This is the industry standard for outdoor professionals and the course you want your friends to take before you travel with them. Using the Wilderness Medicine Training Center’s unique Hybrid Course, participants complete a course of study and tests online (Part 1) prior to the start of the practical on-site training (Part 2).

This training is focused and thorough. The online portion requires serious study and the in-person portion requires commitment and effort. Please allow between 30 and 60 hours to complete the required Part 1 study and testing.

Refunds are not available for those who do not successfully complete the course or to those that are unable to attend the in-person portion.

Please become more familiar with the WFR program expectations and preparation by looking through the this info sheet.

Dates

Registration deadline is May 1, 2025.
In-person May 7 – 11, 2025. Online study and testing must be completed ahead of time.

Price

$840 (Part 1 and Part 2)

Register Here!

Note: When you click on the register here link you will be taken to the Wilderness Medicine Training Center website to register for the course. From there, you will be redirected to the Adventure Leadership webpage to finish with payment.

For more information, visit https://www.wildmedcenter.com or email [email protected]

Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival

Purchase Tickets!

Ignite your passion for adventure! The Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival World Tour will exhilarate you with amazing big-screen stories when it comes to the Michigan Theater, hosted by Adventure Leadership.  Journey to exotic locations, paddle the wildest waters and climb the highest peaks. This local showing is sponsored by Bivouac.

Date

Sunday, April 6, 2025

Location

Michigan Theater @ 603 E Liberty Street, Ann Arbor

Price

In advance: $18 for adults, Student Tickets $14
Day of show: $20 for adults, Student tickets $16

There are 0 items. Expand all into a list.

Policies

Contact Adventure Leadership

Your adventure starts here.