The Great American Southwest Expedition

Friday January 9 6am departure, Sunday January 18 9pm return to campus
This trip is an opportunity to explore the American Southwest in a variety of fun ways! Camping, hiking, paddling, sand sledding, and a cave tour are all ways we’ll be exploring these beautiful desert landscapes. Expect to learn camping skills, hike trails with elevation, canoe for four hours, and do some stargazing—Big Bend is an International Dark Sky Park, offering some of the darkest skies in the country! Here is a rough itinerary of the trip:

Day 1: Full day drive (in UREC minivans) to Wichita, Kansas, stay in a hotel
Day 2: Full day drive to a campground by White Sands National Park
Day 3: Explore and go sand sledding in White Sands National Park, camp nearby
Day 4: 4hr drive to International UFO Research Museum and 2hr drive to camp by Guadalupe Mountains National Park
Day 5: Tour Carlsbad Caverns and hike in Guadalupe Mountains National Park, camp nearby
Day 6: 5hr drive to Big Bend National Park and explore, camp nearby
Day 7: Guided river canoeing experience on the Rio Grande, camp nearby
Day 8: Hike and camp in Big Bend National Park
Day 9: Full day drive to Oklahoma, stay in a hotel
Day 10: Full day drive back to UWM

The registration fee covers all lodging (campgrounds and hotels), group transportation, 9 days of breakfasts, lunches, and dinners, camping equipment, guided activities (caving, museum visit, canoeing), park entry fees, and trip compensation. Participants are responsible for 1 breakfast, lunch, and dinner while traveling, along with any extra snacks or souvenirs. Registration closes December 5th.

No previous camping experience is required to attend this trip. There will be two mandatory, 2hr pre-trip meetings with the trip leaders after you register to learn more about the itinerary, practice outdoor living skills, and meet the other participants.

There is a $200 deposit option at checkout. The remainder of the balance is due before the trip’s departure. Participants are encouraged to periodically stop by Outdoor Pursuits and make smaller payments towards their remaining balance.

For more information or to request accommodations, please email hmurphy@uwm.edu. Trip full? Complete this form to be added to the Trip Waitlist .