Experience of a lifetime.

Check out the 10 Things you Need to Know for Orientation

Fall Contact Sports Athletes

Incoming soccer and volleyball players need to register for the custom Fall Contact Sport Athletes’ Outdoor Orientation. This OO experience is designed to provide you with an opportunity to gain exposure to the north woods region while serving others before the start of pre-season. See the essential eligibility criteria.

Registration

After you’ve submitted your registration you’ll receive a confirmation in your Northland email (make sure to check your new email address) which will include information on what to expect, a letter from your leaders, and a suggested gear list. If you have any questions or concerns, don’t hesitate to call or email us!

Cost

Your OO experience is automatically added to your total student bill—you do not need to send any additional payment upon registering.

Structure

Northland’s OO is student led and student designed. Leaders have completed an outdoor skills and leadership course, are CPR certified, and every trip has at least one leader trained as a Wilderness First Responder.

There is no previous experiences necessary for your OO experience, but please keep physical demands and essential eligibility criteria in mind.

Food

Meals are managed by Northland College’s food service provider, Chartwells.  Breakfast and dinner will be served in small groups on campus.  Lunch will be packed by Chartwells professional staff for you to take into the field for each day’s activity.

Equipment

Outdoor equipment, such as climbing gear, boats, lifejackets, paddles, etc. will be provided by Northland. You should bring:

• a personal day pack
• two water bottles with at least 1 liter capacity
• sturdy closed-toe footwear
• adequate rain gear

Why Outdoor Orientation

Northland’s OO program started in 1975 and was one of the first such programs in the country. The outdoor education and environmental studies departments initiated the first orientation to use an outdoor experience as a metaphor for orienting students to Northland. And it’s a tradition we proudly carry on.

Leader Training

OO has become a central aspect of the overall Northland experience, and remains unique among college orientation programs in that it promotes student design on every level.

Under the direction of faculty and professional staff in the Sigurd Olson Environmental Institute, two student coordinators are hired to oversee the program planning and the hiring and training of student leaders.

Student leaders complete an Introduction to Outdoor Skills and Leadership training in order to lead an OO experience. Additional considerations include their personal trip log as well as interpersonal and technical skill proficiency. After being hired, they spend most of the winter and spring terms working to design and organize all the details of their OO experience.

OO leaders return to campus several days before each group ‘s arrival day to complete a field-based training refresher and to wrap up final details. These leaders have invested many hours of hard work and creativity by the time you arrive.

Safety

Safety is the main priority of OO. We are intentional about training our student leaders with the necessary skills to prevent, anticipate, and if needed, respond to emergencies in the field. Every trip has at least one certified Wilderness First Responder leader, this is an eighty-hour professional training course. All leaders have been trained in the activity specific to their trip (ie. canoeing, kayaking, backpacking, etc.) and all have detailed knowledge about where they are going, as well as who and how to contact someone in case of an emergency.

Leader Support

Northland’s  Sigurd Olson Environmental Institute professional staff and student coordinators are on call twenty-four-hours a day, and also have additional support staff on hand to assist with field calls of any nature. We encourage our leaders to contact us for assistance with anything.

Fall Sport Athletes Outdoor Orientation

Leaders: Sam, Liam, Kali, Teagan, & Lyn
Cost: $300
Physical Exertion Rating: Moderate
Essential Eligibility Criteria: Service
Theme: Work Hard, Play Hard
> Registration Closed

This unique introductory experience is provided for all of our incoming Northland College fall sport athletes. Join us for two days of service to your new community followed by one day of getting to know your new backyard by hiking, swimming, canoeing, or rock climbing. At Northland College we work hard and we play hard. We also pride ourselves in our service to each other and to our region. You and your fellow student athletes will have an opportunity to pitch in on several stewardship projects in service to our regional partners such as the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest, the Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center, Trout Unlimited, Bayfield Region Trails Coalition, Landmark Conservancy, the North Country Trail Association, and Northland’s Maxwell Property.

All fall sport athletes must sign up for this trip. Lodging will be in your own residence hall room and breakfast and dinner will be enjoyed in the Baldwin Commons cafeteria each day. This trip wraps up with a cookout with Northland College Athletics before you jump right into preseason the next day.

Stockton Island Backpacking Expedition

Leaders: Sam & Thyme
Cost: $500
Physical Exertion Rating: Moderate
Essential Eligibility Criteria: Backpacking
Theme: Exploring the Natural & Cultural History of the Apostle Islands
> Registration Closed

Part of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, just north of the Chequamegon Bay, we find ourselves free to explore a deeply rooted member of local history and ecological preservation. Together, we will be backpacking no more than seven miles per day and exploring all that we can find across the island; we’re flexible based on what you want to see. Whether you’re an experienced outdoorsy person or just want a little bit of “island life” before your summer is over, our exploration will feature plenty of forests, bogs, beaches, and creeks, as well as fun games along the way. Hope to see you out there!

Superior Hiking Trail Backpacking Expedition

Leaders: Liam & Cameron
Cost: $500
Physical Exertion Rating: Vigorous
Essential Eligibility Criteria: Backpacking
Theme: Hacky-sacking and back-packing through the woods of northern Minnesota!
> Registration Closed

Our trip will be a great mix of challenge and fun that is perfect for people of all skill levels. We’ll be hiking along the scenic Superior Hiking Trail, part of the greater North Country Trail—the longest National Scenic Trail is the US (twice as long as the AT or the PCT!). Come join us as we take in the breathtaking views of Lake Superior from the basalt cliffs of the Minnesota North Shore, enjoy backcountry meals, and share leisurely evenings around the campfire with friends you’ll likely keep for the rest of your college career.

Lake Gogebic Canoe Camping

Leaders: Kali & Jimmy
Cost: $500
Physical Exertion Rating: Mild
Essential Eligibility Criteria: Canoeing
Theme: Dude, Where’s my Canoe?
> Registration Closed

Dude, your canoe is on Lake Gogebic! Take a relaxing trip with Kali and Jimmy around the lake filled with fun in the sun! We’ll hit the water by day and hit the hammock by the evening. For five days we’ll be canoeing, fishing, swimming, making and eating good food, and just hangin’ out, dude.

Namekagon & St. Croix River Canoe Expedition

Leaders: Teagan & Annalee
Cost: $500
Physical Exertion Rating: Moderate
Essential Eligibility Criteria: Canoeing
Theme: Where the Trail Ends and the Paddling Begins.
> Registration Closed

If you noticed that the theme of this trip is quite similar to the title of one of Shel Silverstein’s book, then you’re in luck because it absolutely is! While we enjoy our paddle down the beautiful Namekagon River (one of the first eight National Wild and Scenic Rivers), we’ll also be listening to and discussing some of Silverstein’s most memorable poems. You’ll also have the opportunity to fish if you wish, as well as enjoy freshly prepared meals at our river-side campsites each night. Get to know your new backyard in style! Join us for five days of leisurely river paddling and camping as you prepare to begin your next adventure: getting to know your new home on our beautiful campus!

Rock Climbing on the North Shore of Lake Superior

Leaders: Lyn & Sean
Cost: $500
Physical Exertion Rating: Moderate
Essential Eligibility Criteria: Rock Climbing
Theme: The Fellowship of the Rope.
> Registration Closed

North Shore rock climbing will be an adventurous introduction to some of the upper Midwest’s best climbing. We will be rock climbing at Tettegouche State Park, Ely’s Peak, and Section 13. We will camp each evening and travel between climb sites by van, spending the week eating good food, chilling by evening campfires, and climbing some sick routes!

Superior Hiking Trail Backpacking Expedition

Leaders: Josh & Annalee
Cost: $300
Physical Exertion Rating: Vigorous
Essential Eligibility Criteria: Backpacking
Theme: Pacific Crest, but in the Midwest!
> Registration Closed

Come join us on the North Shore as we hike along the Superior Hiking Trail. This beginner level trip starts at the secluded Castle Danger trailhead and meanders its way to Gooseberry River, ending at the magnificent Gooseberry Falls State Park. We will spend part of the day hiking, with multiple scenic vistas along the way. We will learn about the history of the north woods landscape and connect with one another over great food at the end of the day.

North Country Trail Backpacking Expedition

Leaders: Elijah & Jimmy
Cost: $300
Physical Exertion Rating: Vigorous
Essential Eligibility Criteria: Backpacking
Theme: Nomadic Hacky Sackers.
> Registration Closed

The North Country Trail extends for 4,000 miles from Maine to North Dakota—twice as long as the Appalachian or Pacific Crest Trails! Join us as we hike a portion of the Chequamegon section of the NCT across the Penokee Mountains just south of campus. By day we’ll be enjoying the scenery along balsam lined paths, views from scenic ridgelines, cool bridges across river valleys, and the quiet of hidden lake lands; by night we’ll be enjoying the satisfaction of backcountry meals and conversations by the fire. Hacky sacking as we go.

Sylvania Wilderness Canoe Camping

Leaders: Marcos & Mary
Cost: $300
Physical Exertion Rating: Moderate
Essential Eligibility Criteria: Canoeing
Theme: M&M’s in Canoes!
> Registration Closed

Join us for three days of exploring Michigan’s Sylvania Wilderness by canoe—referred to by many as Michigan’s micro Boundary Waters Canoe Area. We’ll paddle from lake to lake each day, basking in the fresh air of the Upper Peninsula and reveling in the satisfaction of paddling and portaging. Each evening we’ll settle into our campsite under a blanket of stars and the echoing calls of loons.

Namekagon River Canoe Expedition

Leaders: Ellie & Sean
Cost: $300
Physical Exertion Rating: Moderate
Essential Eligibility Criteria: Canoeing
Theme: Paddling the Original Wild & Scenic River.
> Registration Closed

Join us for a fun three-day paddling adventure down the scenic Namekagon River in western Wisconsin. We will paddle approximately eighteen river miles, traveling at a leisurely pace downriver by canoe, stopping at established National Park Service campsite along the river each night. Delicious backcountry meals and memorable campfire conversations will be enjoyed as the river slowly meanders by.

Maxwell Field Campus Stewardship Camping

Leaders: Pearl & Thyme
Cost: $300
Physical Exertion Rating: Moderate
Essential Eligibility Criteria: Service
Theme: Think Globally, Act Locally.
> Registration Closed

Come experience what it’s like to be part of the Northland community: caring for each other and for the natural world. We’ll accomplish these things by way of clearing, maintaining, and creating more steadfast trail systems for students and the community to use at Northland College’s Maxwell property—our very own natural resources field research facility. We will also create a campsite together, take walks down to the river, conduct some rudimentary field ornithology, and maybe even learn how to safely fell a tree or two. Whether you’re new to camping altogether or want to test out some of your camp-crafty skills with new friends, this service trip’s for you.

Bayfield Trails Stewardship Camping

Leaders: Sebastian & C.J.
Cost: $300
Physical Exertion Rating: Moderate
Essential Eligibility Criteria: Service
Theme: A Path Shall Be There!
> Registration Closed

Bayfield, Wisconsin, is a breathtaking little town situated at the tip of the peninsula overlooking the Apostle Islands. We’ll camp in the area, spending our days clearing and improving existing Bayfield area nature trails and our evenings cooking tasty meals together under the stars. On our final day of the trip, we’ll visit key natural areas and enjoy guided hikes to bask in the beauty of this region you’ll call home. Join us in caring for and celebrating some of the natural areas that you’re sure to revisit time and time again during your time at Northland!

Forest Lodge Weekend Retreat

Leaders: Sam & Cameron
Cost: $300
Physical Exertion Rating: Mild
Essential Eligibility Criteria: Forest Lodge
Theme: Weekends are for Relaxing.
> Registration Closed

We welcome you to join us for a weekend of fun activities and a good time to make new friends! Join us for a relaxing weekend getaway at the historic and scenic Forest Lodge facility on Lake Namekagon. Get to know one of Northland College’s field campuses as we enjoy home-cooked meals, explore the property’s many trails, and paddle out onto the lake. Each evening is spent indoors, with hot showers at the ready! ‘Camping’ in style.

Campus-Based Outdoor Recreation Sampler

Leaders: Liam, Kali, Teagan, & Lyn
Cost: $300
Physical Exertion Rating: Mild
Essential Eligibility Criteria: Sampler
Theme: The Staycation—Getting to know your new backyard in style.
> Registration Closed

Join your trip leaders each day as they guide you to one of our many hidden gems for outdoor relaxation and play just off campus. You’ll spend the evenings in your residence hall rooms, eat breakfast and dinner in the campus Baldwin Commons cafeteria, and head out into the surrounding north woods each day to try out local canoeing, swimming, biking, hiking, or rock climbing opportunities! Each evening will be spent chilling with your newly found friends.

Sustainability is an important aspect of the Northland College community. Outdoor orientation staff and student leaders make sustainability a core value when planning and implementing our experiences. We continually strive to put Northland’s outdoor orientation on the front line of sustainability in wilderness travel.

Most OO experiences are held within ninety miles of the Northland campus, taking advantage of our amazing local natural resources and reducing our transportation-based carbon footprint. Those that travel beyond this radius incorporate intentional practices to reduce or offset the impact of the greater transportation.

All of the fresh fruits and vegetables eaten on the trips are grown in the Northland community garden or produced locally in the Chequamegon Bay area. As much as possible, we try to purchase other food products locally.

If you have any questions regarding Orientation activities, trips, or arrival dates, please email our Outdoor Orientation Coordinators or call 715-682-1846.