Backpack Deschutes River Canyon
Open gallery
Upcoming Events
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Friday, April 24 until Saturday, April 25
Trip Registration Opens: Wednesday, April 1, 2026
Trip Fee: $75 / $37*
Escape spring rains and come explore the beautiful semi-arid landscape of the Deschutes River Canyon. The trail meanders along the rushing waters of the Deschutes River with views of rock formations and spring desert flowers in bloom. Poison oak, ticks, and rattle snakes sometimes show up in April, but we will teach you how to avoid with a little caution. Participants will need to be out of class on Friday by about 3pm, and you will return Saturday by late afternoon.
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*Scholarships are provided to all students with financial need as documented with the L&C financial aid office. You qualify if you have any Federal Work Study (Lewis & Clark work study does not qualify), Federally subsidized loans (unsubsidized loans do not qualify), Pell Grants, LC/UWC Grants, or International Student Grants. Merit scholarships do not count. If you aren’t sure whether or not you qualify, you can come into the office and we can take a look for you.
If you qualify, the trip fee is automatically cut in half thanks to scholarship funding from ASB. We accept cash, credit/debit cards, and apple/samsung/google pay.
How to Sign Up:
To register for a trip, stop by the College Outdoors office in Fowler 239. We’re open Mon - Thurs 9am-5pm, and Fridays 9am-3pm.
Registration is all first-paid, first-served.
Rigor level:
- Rigorous
No experience necessary! All of our trips are designed to teach you all the necessary skills required for this activity.
- Mellow: Outings designed for anyone who wants to get outdoors in a leisurely manner. Terrain or activity will be gentle and the energy will be more calm.
- Moderate: Trips with more physical effort and opportunities for “challenge by choice.” Build your confidence in the outdoors, pushing yourself in a supportive environment.
- Rigorous: High-energy trips, exploring varied landscapes through adventurous activities. While rigor level is high, still no experience is required!
Essential Eligibility Criteria (EEC)
This guide outlines the minimum physical and emotional requirements that must be met by each participant on College Outdoors trips. While we aim to accommodate all students, if the Essential Eligibility Criteria are not met, your safety and overall success may be compromised. Find out more (PDF). For any questions about accommodations, please contact us at outdoors@lclark.edu.
- ☐ Sleeping indoors
- ☑ Sleeping outdoors
- ☐ Electricity
- ☐ Wifi
- ☐ Cell phone service
- ☐ Heating
- ☐ Beds
- ☑ Bathrooms
- ☑ Gender-inclusive bathrooms
- ☐ Showers
- ☐ Wheelchair accessible
- ☑ Food for any Dietary Restrictions
College Outdoors trips have a Pre-Trip Meeting (PTM) prior to the trip to help you prepare, which takes place at the Sequoia warehouse on the Graduate Campus.
At this meeting you’ll meet the trip leaders and other participants, learn more about the trip activity, location, and schedule, and be given a packing list of everything you need for your trip. The trip leaders and Sequoia staff will then help you find and borrow anything on the packing list that you’d like to borrow. We have high-quality outdoor clothing and equipment, and it’s all free to use for your trip!
If you miss a Pre-Trip Meeting, check your email for important info you missed.
Sequoia is the College Outdoors warehouse, located on the Graduate Campus. Everything you’ll need is available for free when you come on a College Outdoors Trip. At Sequoia you will find:
- Clothing needed for your trip, including any relevant outerwear and specialty items needed for the activity. Sizes range from XS - XXL and come in gendered an non-gendered designs.
- Gear needed for your trip, such as sleeping bags, backpacks, water bottles, and much much more.
- Equipment such as tents, cookware, first-aid kits, and boats, which trip leaders will pack for each trip as needed.
- Gender-neutral bathrooms, which can also be used as changing rooms.
- Staff available to answer your questions.
All trip participants and leaders are expected to follow CO policies, which you can see here. This document includes info on healthy practices, water/swimming policies, environmental safety, community standards, and leader responsibilities.
College Outdoors is located in room 239 of Fowler Student Center on the Undergraduate Campus.
email outdoors@lclark.edu
voice 503-768-7116
Director Kori Campbell
College Outdoors
Lewis & Clark
615 S. Palatine Hill Road
Portland OR 97219