Program Name: Baja Mexico Sea-Kayaking Expedition 

Program Date: December 30th, 2026 – January 8th, 2027 

Spend your winter break with Outdoor Adventures exploring one of the world's most spectacular marine environments on our immersive sea kayaking expedition in Baja, Mexico. Over the course of five days, students will paddle along the pristine coastline of the Sea of Cortez, often called "the world's aquarium" for its extraordinary biodiversity and crystal-clear waters. Our sea-kayaking portion will be bookended by days exploring the beautiful city of Loreto and surrounding exploring the desert canyons. 

Traveling by sea kayak, participants will journey between remote beaches, uninhabited islands, and protected marine habitats while developing technical paddling skills, expedition camping techniques, and outdoor leadership abilities. Daily travel is balanced with opportunities to snorkel, observe marine wildlife, hike desert landscapes, and learn about the unique ecology and cultural history of the Baja Peninsula. 

Living and traveling as a self-supported expedition team, students will gain experience in coastal navigation, risk management, Leave No Trace principles, group decision-making, and environmental stewardship. Encounters with dolphins, sea lions, seabirds, and migrating whales are common highlights of the journey. 

Designed for adventurous students of all experience levels, this program combines physical challenge, cultural exploration, and personal growth in an unforgettable wilderness setting. Participants return with increased confidence, resilience, leadership skills, and a deeper appreciation for marine conservation and the natural world. 

Program Highlights 

• Multi-day sea-kayaking expedition exploring the coastline of the Sea of Cortez
• Camping on remote islands and coastal sites
• Wildlife viewing, snorkeling, and marine ecology exploration
• Outdoor leadership and expedition skills development
• Cross-cultural learning in Baja California Sur, Mexico
• Winter break format with no disruption to spring semester coursework
• This program is eligible to support those working towards attaining Utah residency 

Tentative Program Dates and Itinerary 

Winter 2026: December 29th - January 8th (dates are set due to flight availability). Spring Semester classes begin January 11th, 2027. 

December 29th - Trip Start  

Our adventure begins! The group travels from their winter break homes back to the U of U's campus where we will check personal gear, divvy up some group gear, and cover some initial lessons. Housing this night is not covered by the university, and students will need to arrange this night on their own. 

December 30th – Departure Day 

Our early morning flight departs at 7am, so our group will need to depart before dawn for the airport. We have a micro layover in Phoenix before continuing on to Loreto, Mexico. Our arrival is set to be around 11:30am MST. No jet lag here! Once we arrive, we will take a shuttle to Hacienda Suites, where we will check into our rooms. The afternoon will be spent resting, swimming in the pool, and exploring the town of Loreto for our first night on program. 

December 31st– Tabor Canyon, Exploring the City, and Preparing to Launch 

Today is our introducation to Loreto! To kick off the day, we will go on a guided hike to the nearby volcanic cliffs of Tabor Canyon. This hike will be led by a local guide who will give us an introduction to why Loreto has such a unique ecosystem and geology. Along the way, we will hopefully get to see the first of the maing wildlife that the Baja Penninsyla has to offer. Upon returning to Loreto, we will stop by the town's museum and historical disctrict to learn more about the past and current cultures of the town. This evening, we will meet our local, expert sea-kayaking guides from ROW Adventures to cover our expedition logistics and group goals. Final preparations will be made for our big launch-day tomorrow. 

January 1st - 5th – Multi-day Sea-Kayaking Expedition 

Launch Day! We drive 20 minutes south to Puerto Escondido where we will launch get our first glimpse of our vessels - tandem and single sea-kayaks! The group will learn how to properly load their kayaks with their gear, and we will have a brief refresher of the boat skills we learned during our pool session back on campus. Once the team is ready, we will launch towards our first night's camp. The following 4 days will be filled with roughly 20 miles of paddling the crystal blue waters of the Sea of Cortez, hiking the nearby islands to observe the spectacular wildlife, and bonding at camp with beach games and good food. Our campsites are determined by the National Park before we launch, but while our campsites are set, the miles we paddle are not. If the group is proficient at paddling, we can explore even more terrain by water if we like. On the 5th, we return to Puerto Escondido to de-issue our gear and check back into our hotel. 

January 6th – Whale Tour or Whale Shark Snorkeling Day Trip 

The adventure isn't over yet! Still reeling from our expedition, we will head back out onto the water for another activity day. This activity will be determined by several factors, but it could be whale watching, whale shark snorkeling, or sea-lion viewing! We will decide on this activity as a group with our local guides. 

January 7th – Mesquite Canyon Day Hike and Final Reflection 

Our final day will be filled with a longer hike to Mesquite Canyon, where our group will need to travel through several different types of terrain. This includes scaling the volcanic slopes, wading or swimming through pools of water, and traversing rocky peaks. What better way to end the trip than to complete a final hike as a team. This evening, we will have a longer discussion of our time in Loreto reflecting on the highs and lows of the trip, what we learned, and what we will be coming away with.  

January 8th – Final Morning and Travel Day 

One last morning in Loreto to purchase some souvenirs, send postcards home to family, and take it all in. Our flight home departs at 1:44pm. We will return to Salt Lake around 8:41pm with new insights, fun stories, and hopefully, an unforgettable experience. 

Please note that all dates, activities, and itinerary details are subject to change. Final schedules will be confirmed closer to the program start date and may be adjusted based on availability, weather, or institutional needs.
Apply at Global U

 

Program Name: Costa Rica Expedition 

Program Date: March 6th, 2027 - March 13th, 2027   

Join Outdoor Adventures on an unforgettable expedition to Costa Rica, one the most biodiverse countries in the world. Throughout this immersive international experience, students will explore vibrant cities, lush rainforests, breathtaking cloud forests, black sand beaches, and local farms while gaining firsthand exposure to Costa Rica’s culture and way of life.  

This multi-sport adventure offers opportunities for students of all experience levels to participate in canyoneering, white water rafting, surfing, and hiking. Along the way, students will develop outdoor leadership skills, practice risk management, and engage in environmental stewardship.  

A highlight of the program is a local farm stay, where students will learn about Costa Rican agriculture directly from local famers. Throughout the expedition, participants will be encouraged to communicate in Spanish, navigate unfamiliar environments, and embrace the cultural values of “Pura Vida”.  

Through hands-on experiences and group decisions, students will return with self-efficacy, communication skills, confidence in international travel, and a deeper appreciation for sustainability, conservation, and global citizenship.  

 Program Highlights: 

• Mult-sport international expedition: Canyoneering, Rafting, Surfing, Hiking 
• Diverse ecosystems: Rainforest, Cloud Forest, Tropical Coasts
• Wildlife viewing opportunities: Sloth, Capuchin, Toucan, Hummingbird, Tree Frog
• Immersion in Costa Rican culture and the Spanish language
• Spring Break format with no disruption to spring semester course work 

Registration TBD

Alaska Expedition in July 2026!  

Our adventure begins deep in Wrangell–St. Elias National Park, the vast, rugged kingdom of towering peaks, sprawling glaciers, and silence broken only by the crunch of your boots. For four days, we'll backpack through one of the largest protected wilderness areas on Earth. Expect big terrain, real backcountry immersion, and the chance to sharpen your alpine skills. One of these days will be spent roping up to explore glacier systems, learning ice-climbing fundamentals on ancient ice, and hiking across landscapes that most travelers would only ever see from the window of a bush plane. 

The second half of the expedition shifts dramatically as we trade mountains for ocean, hiking boots for paddle blades, and glaciers for the sleek backs of humpback whales. In Aialik Bay near Seward, we’ll sea kayak through a labyrinth of fjords carved by ice and patrolled by puffins, seals, and breaching whales. Paddle near towering tidewater glaciers, camp on remote beaches, and take side-day hikes into moss-draped forests and alpine ridges that overlook the Gulf of Alaska.  

 To cap it all off, on our last day, we will plunge into Alaska’s whitewater for a final surge of adrenaline before heading back to civilization with an unforgettable whitewater rafting trip.  

 This is not your typical Alaska sightseeing tour. It’s an expedition-style journey built for those who want to earn their views, live out of a backpack and drybag, and experience Alaska in its most elemental form, from the heights of ancient mountains to the rhythm of the ocean.  

This isn’t a vacation, it’s an expedition. Challenging, immersive, and wildly beautiful, this is the Alaska few ever get to know. A full immersion in Alaska’s rawest landscapes, powered by teamwork, grit, and the wild spirit of summer in the Far North.

For more information about this trip, email outdooradventure@crs.utah.edu.

Detailed Itinerary | July 6^th - 19^th

Day 1 – Anchorage Arrival & Expedition Launch: Touch down in Anchorage and meet the crew who will share the next two weeks of wilderness with you. We’ll settle into a cozy Airbnb for trip orientation, gear checks, and final prep. By evening, the group begins bonding over maps, stories, and the electric hum of anticipation. All flights must arrive by 6 p.m. because the expedition begins tonight.

Day 2 – Into the Wrangells: We hit the road early, heading deep into the vast frontier of Wrangell–St. Elias National Park, where mountains rise like ramparts and glaciers spill into wide valleys. After a long and scenic drive, we reach the tiny outpost of McCarthy, the gateway to the true Alaskan backcountry. Tonight, we sleep under Alaska’s endless summer light for our first night in the wild. 

Days 3–4 – Backpacking Across the Root Glacier: Our mountain journey begins with the shimmering, deeply crevassed Root Glacier stretched before us. We’ll learn glacier travel skills, strap on crampons, and cross its ancient, blue-veined surface as a team. On the far side, surrounded by towering peaks and sweeping valleys, we establish camp. Over the next day, we have the option to continue deeper into the backcountry or take a day hike to explore hidden ridgelines and quiet glacial valleys, a real wilderness few ever get to visit. 

Day 5 – A Day on Blue Ice: Today, we return to the glacier but this time vertically. With ropes, tools, and guidance from trained staff, you’ll learn the art of ice climbing on the sculpted walls of living ice. It’s a day of challenge and exhilaration as you ascend crystalline faces formed over centuries. 

Day 6 – From Mountains to Sea: We pack out of the backcountry and return to our vehicles, transitioning from alpine terrain to coastal landscapes. The road carries us to Valdez, flanked by waterfalls, glaciers, and towering mountains. We’ll explore town, resupply, and prepare for tomorrow’s ferry crossing into Prince William Sound. 

Day 7 – Ferry Across Prince William Sound: Today we board the ferry and take a full day gliding through fjords, watching for sea lions, porpoises, and maybe even orcas. The Sound’s granite walls and drifting icebergs remind us how the sea shapes this land. Upon reaching Whittier, we continue to Seward to make camp…and savor our first showers of the trip.

Day 8 – Rest & Coastal Exploration: A full rest day in the lively coastal town of Seward. Lounge at camp, wander the harbor, sip coffee at local cafés, or take on a classic Alaskan challenge with a day hike up to the Harding Icefield, one of the largest ice sheets in North America. Your body resets while your spirit recharges for the sea leg of the expedition. 

Day 9 – Launch into Aialik Bay: We meet our sea-kayaking outfitter, dial in our gear, and review paddling systems. Then a small ferry shuttles us down Resurrection Bay toward its sister, wild Aialik Bay, where we’re dropped at a remote shoreline, our first coastal backcountry camp. We review paddling procedures and finalize our float plan before slipping into expedition mode once again.

Days 10–11 – Wild Days on the Water: Two full days immersed in Alaska’s marine wilderness. Depending on tides and weather, we may paddle up to tidewater glaciers, glide through coves filled with puffins, drift quietly past rafts of sea otters, or watch humpbacks surface in the deep-blue expanse. Every campsite is a wild beach, every paddle stroke brings new wildlife and new perspective. 

Day 12 – Farewell to the Fjords: Our final day on the water gives us a last chance to listen to glaciers calving and waves echoing in narrow bays. By afternoon, we catch our shuttle back to Seward, de-issue our gear, and return to camp, grateful for our second shower and a flushing toilet. 

Day 13 – Whitewater Finale in Hope: We depart Seward and drive north along the rugged coastline to Hope, where glacier-fed Six-Mile Creek waits to deliver one final burst of adrenaline. This world-class whitewater run is the perfect crescendo to two weeks of mountain, ice, and ocean exploration. Tonight, we celebrate together including a final debrief and a well-earned dinner out. If we’re lucky, we may get to hear the echoes of a special Hope music show or enjoy an 11pm sunset on the mud flats of the Turnagain Arm for our final night of the trip. 

Day 14 – Homeward Through the Mountains: We savor our last camp breakfast, then follow the Seward Highway back toward Anchorage, mountains rising on one side and Turnagain Arm on the other. Flights must depart after 2 p.m. to give us a smooth journey back. We say our goodbyes to each other—and to the unforgettable wilderness that carried us from glacier peaks to ocean fjords.