Adventure Trips

Get outside with Puget Sound Outdoors!

Want to experience the outdoors, learn new skills, and meet new people? Look no further! PSO offers various types of trips throughout the year for you to get outside whether you want to explore nature local to Tacoma, play in the snow, or even travel to another state during spring break! Our trained leaders plan each trip and will teach you the basics of what you need to know.

Unless otherwise stated, our trips are designed to be introductory experiences. For some trips, we do recommend or require some prior experience. That information would be found in the trip description on the trips linked on this page.

Visit us at the Expy to sign up!
1408 N. Alder

 

Trip-related Information

Once a trip is open for registration, you may register at the Expeditionary in-person during our open hours. Payment for the trip is required to hold your spot on the trip. You must be present to sign up. You cannot sign up a friend for a trip nor can they sign you up.

Trip registration includes transportation, equipment rentals, instruction from trained leaders, and any entrance, reservation, or camping fees. Meals are also included on overnight trips.

If a trip is filled and you would like to be placed on the waitlist, you can be added by the Expeditionary staff. If a spot becomes available, everyone on the waitlist will be contacted and the spot will fill on a first-come-first-served basis.

Pre-trip meetings are mandatory in order to participate in PSO trips. They typically occur within the week leading up to the trip, but you will be given specific meeting information upon registering for your trip. Your trip leaders will also e-mail you a meeting reminder.

During this meeting, you will meet your trip leaders and other people going on the trip. Trip leaders will review important logistics and safety information with you. You may also practice some skills related to the trip and get fitted for and check out any necessary equipment for your participation. All equipment is included as part of your registration so you will not pay any additional rental fees for the trip.

You will also fill out a medical information card and liability forms. Please come prepared with your medical insurance information.

If Puget Sound Outdoors cancels the trip due to weather, lack of participants, or other circumstances, the participant will receive a refund.

For the following trip types, if the participant cancels their registration the indicated number of business days (defined as Monday-Friday when classes are in session) or more prior to the first day of the trip, a refund will be given. Cancellations made after those time frames will not be eligible for a refund. If you or Puget Sound Outdoors are able to find another individual to take your place on the trip 2 or more business days in advance for a 1-2 day trip or 5 or more business days in advance for a 3+ day trip, a refund will be given.

Trip Length Refund Eligible Refund Ineligible
1-2 Days 6 or more business days before the first day of the trip 5 or less business days before the first day of the trip
3+ Days 11 or more business days before the first day of the trip 10 or less business days before the first day of the trip

 

All cancellations and refund requests must be submitted through our Trip Cancellation and Refund Request Form. The timestamp generated from the completion of this form will act as the official time of your cancellation/refund request.

Trip Cancellation and Refund Request Form

Fall 2026 Trips

Check out all the trips we are offering this semester! Unless otherwise stated, trips are open to all experience levels.

Location: Tacoma, WA

Cost: $10

Pre Trip Meeting: Wednesday, September 8 - 5:30 pm at the Expeditionary

Start your semester off with a bang and join us for a tasty trip to pick some blueberries. A sweet day where you will get back to campus in the afternoon to get a head start on being an academic weapon.

 

Location: Shelton, WA

Cost: $40

Pre Trip Meeting: Wednesday, September 16, 2026, 6:00 PM

Estimated Departure: 9:00 AM

Estimated Return: 1:00 PM

Cant decide between a beach or a mountain getaway? Your in luck! Join us for cozy night of car camping on the hood canal where we'll explore tidepools and frolick through the Olypmpic mountians!

Location: North Bend, WA

Cost: $12

Pre Trip Meeting: Thursday, September 17, 2026, 7:30 PM

Estimated Departure: 7:30 AM

Estimated Return: 5:00 PM

Climb this mountain with AWESOME Anna and MAGNIFICENT Molly to see the fall colors in full effect and soaring mountain views of pointing peaks, including Mt. Rainier, in the distance. The views come at the price of a challenge 1000-feet-of-elevation-gain-per-mile for an 8.6mi roundtrip day. It's going to be lit! 

Location: Snoqualmie, WA

Cost: $37

Pre Trip Meeting: Wednesday, September 23, 2026, 5:00 PM

Estimated Departure: TBA

Estimated Return: TBA

Not one, but TWO lakes on this awesome out-and-back trip. 9.9 miles TOTAL. There is some steady elevation on the way up, but the views will be worth is and so will the water, yo.

Location: Leavenworth, WA

Cost: $60

Pre Trip Meeting: Wednesday, September 23, 2026, 6:00 PM

Estimated Departure: 6:30 AM

Estimated Return: 6:00 PM

Come climb outside in Leavenworth, WA with us for the weekend! We will be bouldering Saturday and Sunday and car camping Saturday night up Icicle Canyon. Beginners and new climbers are welcome and wanted! Let's go get on some granite :)

Location: Westport, WA

Cost: $65

Pre Trip Meeting: Wednesday, September 30, 2026, 6:00 PM

Estimated Departure: 7:00 AM

Estimated Return: 4:00 PM

EVER WISH YOU WERE CHICKEN JOE??? If you said yes, this trip is for you!!! Get hyped for a wet and wild surfing trip on the open coast of Washington. We'll get you a board and wetsuit but you need to bring the STOKE. This trip will fill up FAST, SIGN UP NOW :)

Location: Hoodsport, WA

Cost: $40

Pre Trip Meeting: Wednesday, October 7, 2026, 5:30 PM

Driving Time from Campus: 2:00

Estimated Departure: TBA

Estimated Return: TBA

Want to come on a super delicuous super cool GOURMET backpacking trip?! Open to anyone, you'll be catered to food tastier than you could ever imagine at the beautiful Lena Lake

Location: Tacoma, WA

Cost: $10

Pre Trip Meeting: Thursday, October 8, 2026, 7:00 PM

Estimated Departure: TBA

Estimated Return: TBA

Come for a fun, relaxing apple picking adventure right in University Place! We are excited to bake something yummy and come with any ideas of what you want to make!

More info coming soon!

Location: Tacoma, WA

Cost: $8

Pre Trip Meeting: Thursday, October 22, 2026, 6:00 PM

Estimated Departure: 10:00 AM

Estimated Return: 1:30 PM

Let's go whizzing through the trees, trail riding, on a fun mountain biking trip. Save a horse, ride a bike here at Swan Creek. Any experience level welcome! The best bang for your $8 EVER!

Location: Snoqualmie, WA

Cost: $15

Pre Trip Meeting: Tuesday, October 20, 2026, 6:30 PM

Estimated Departure: 8:00 AM

Estimated Return: 4:30 PM

Come hike to a weirdly named but stunning alpine lake with us! The trail takes us through many rivers and wetlands and has views of Whitehorse Mountain and Three Fingers on clear days! We will walk for 5.5 miles, possibly more and around 1,300 ft of elevation gain. 

Location: Bainbridge Island, WA

Cost: $12

Pre Trip Meeting: Wednesday, October 28, 2026, 5:00 PM

Estimated Departure: 9:00 AM

Estimated Return: 4:30 PM

Get off campus this Halloween and explore Bainbridge Island for a fun, festive fall hike!!

Location: Olympia, WA

Cost: $9

Pre Trip Meeting: Thursday, October 29, 2026, 4:45 PM

Estimated Departure: 9:00 AM

Estimated Return: 4:30 PM

Come look for and identify birds with us in a collaboration with the Puget Sound Museum of Natural History! This place is a birders dream, there is so much cool wildlife here and there are beautiful views of the sound as well!

Location: Gold Bar, WA

Cost: $16

Pre Trip Meeting: Wednesday, November 4, 2026, 6:00 PM

Estimated Departure: TBA

Estimated Return: TBA

Interested in bouldering outside? Come climb with us in Gold Bar, WA! Join us for a short hike into the Cascades to a beautiful outdoor crag with awesome bouldering. All experiences levels are welcome! 

Location: Tacoma, WA

Cost: $8

Pre Trip Meeting: Tuesday, November 3, 2026, 5:30 PM

Estimated Departure: TBA

Estimated Return: TBA

Let's go whizzing through the trees, trail riding, on a fun mountain biking trip. Save a horse, ride a bike here at Swan Creek. Any experience level welcome! The best bang for your $8 EVER!

Location: Seabeck, WA

Cost: $16

Pre Trip Meeting: Friday, November 13, 2026, 5:00 PM

Estimated Departure: 10:00 AM

Estimated Return: 3:00 PM

Bonjour! Hungry for some hiking? Come join us to have treats in the trees. This Saturday, we will embark on a gourmet outdoor adventure in Guillemot Cove. Even the name sounds fancy! 

Location: Gold Bar, WA

Cost: $13

Pre Trip Meeting: Thursday, November 19, 2026, 5:30 PM

Driving Time from Campus: 0:45

Estimated Departure: 8:00 AM

Estimated Return: 3:00 PM

Ready to fall in love with Wallace falls? Come join us for a chill 5.5 miler, with a background track of rushing water to decompress from the semester.

Spring 2026 Trips

Check out all the trips we are offering the rest of this semester!

We're going on a roadtrip! Join us for a 4 day 3 night moderate backpacking trip at Point Reyes National Seashore in Northern California. On our way to and from Point Reyes will make stops on the Oregon Coast and Redwoods National Park! It'll be a blast!

Cost: $350

Pre Trip Meeting: 3/4 (Reach out to pso@pugetsound.edu for post-meeting additions)

Driving Time from Campus: 14+ hrs

Estimated Departure: TBA

Estimated Return: TBA

2 spots left!

Yurt camping on the Oregon coast! A lovely warm camping trip complete with light houses, hiking and bonfires! The second half of spring break for a restful outdoor break from school!

Cost: $160

Pre Trip Meeting: 3/10

Driving Time from Campus: 4 hrs

Estimated Departure: TBA

Estimated Return: TBA

Waitlisting

Need a ride to the mountain? We'll take you there! Partial reimbursement for your lift ticket available. See Expy for details.

Cost: $14 (must purchase your own lift ticket)

Pre Trip Meeting: N/A

Driving Time from Campus: 1.5 hrs

Estimated Departure: 6:30AM

Estimated Return: 5:30PM

8 spots left!

Join us for a day hike to Twin Falls in North Bend! The Twin Falls Trail is a lovely hike, weaving through lush vegetation, eventually reaching a series of large waterfalls. This is an easy/moderate hike that is 2.5 mile roundtrip with about a 500ft elevation gain. Be prepared to be gone from around 8am to 1pm! 

Cost: $11

Pre Trip Meeting: 3/25

Driving Time from Campus: 1hr

Estimated Departure: 8:00AM

Estimated Return: 1:00PM

5 spots left!

Let's go whizzing through the trees, trail riding, on a fun mountain biking trip. Save a horse, ride a bike here at Swan Creek. Any experience level welcome! The best bang for your $7 EVER!

Cost: $7

Pre Trip Meeting: 4/2

Driving Time from Campus: 20 mins

Estimated Departure: 9:30AM

Estimated Return: 2:00PM

6 spots left!

Come for a lovely day hike to Otter falls! With a 9.5 mile trail up to a beautiful view over the falls, this is a great way to spend your day. 1000 feet of elevation is no joke so get hyped for a hike with lots of snacks. Spring is the best time to see the falls as the snow melts so come on an adventure with PSO!

Cost: $11

Pre Trip Meeting: 4/1

Driving Time from Campus: 1.5 hrs

Estimated Departure: 8:00AM

Estimated Return: 5:00PM

6 spots left!

Close your eyes and picture yourself in 1200 BCE. What do you see? I see LAKES, MOUNTAINS, BIRDS, YOU!! Come experience the ANCIENT LAKES by going on a backpacking trip! And you too can see the past in the present while having a grand ole time. Estimated departure 8:30 am Saturday, return to campus Sunday, 3:30/4 pm.

Cost: $36

Pre Trip Meeting: 4/7

Driving Time from Campus: 3 hrs

Estimated Departure: 8:00AM

Estimated Return: 4:00PM

2 spots left!

Wanna sign up for a  gnarly day of surfing some PNW waves! No surfing experience is necessary for this PSO adventure, this is beginner-friendly! However, you will need to pass a simple swim test to attend the trip. The registration fee will cover the surfboard and wetsuit rentals!🏄🤸‍♀️

Cost: $48

Pre Trip Meeting: 4/14

Driving Time from Campus: 2 hrs

Estimated Departure: TBA

Estimated Return: TBA

Waitlisting

Join us for a day hike on Mt. Si in North Bend! This is an 8 mile roundtrip hike with an elevation gain of 3150 ft. The trail rises through stands of old-growth trees with a viewpoint overlooking the Snoqualmie Valley at the top.

Cost: $11

Pre Trip Meeting: 4/23

Driving Time from Campus: 1 hr

Estimated Departure: 7:00AM

Estimated Return: 3:00PM

4 spots left!

Want to destress before finals? Join us in the beautiful Bavarian town of Leavenworth which is home to some of the best bouldering in the PNW! All climbing levels are welcome and we suggest climbing a few days in the school gym before hand. We will provide crash pads and shoes if needed! Come touch rocks!

Cost: $50

Pre Trip Meeting: 4/23

Driving Time from Campus: 2.75 hrs

Estimated Departure: TBA

Estimated Return: TBA

Waitlisting

Hosted at our very own climbing wall, enter for some friendly climbing competition! Reach out to climbing@pugetsound.edu for details.

Cost: $5

Time: 11:00AM

Competition Categories: V0-V3, V4-V6, V7+