You found us! Welcome to Outdoor Pursuits, your one stop shop at UWM for outdoor trips, equipment rentals, and bike shop services located in the Klotsche Center. We are supported by students therefore our focus is on students! UWM students have full access to Outdoor Pursuits trips, equipment rentals, and bike shop services. Klotsche Center members have access to our equipment rentals and bike shop services.
Outdoor Trips: Our trip offerings cater to all, from thrilling local outings to unforgettable cross country road trips over academic breaks. Our trips include but are not limited to biking, camping, hiking, stand-up paddle boarding, cross country skiing, and more, all guided by our experienced student trip leaders. Each trip’s cost includes all transportation, lodging, meals, equipment, and instruction unless otherwise noted. For current offerings, visit the Trips Schedule.
Equipment Rentals: Why buy when you can rent? With over 1,500 pieces of equipment, we can outfit any adventure you have in mind including camping, water sports, winter sports and more.
Bike Shop Services: If cycling is your passion, our well-equipped bike shop is at your service, ready to provide basic to intermediate maintenance and repairs performed by our student bike mechanics.
Visit Us
Policies
Outdoor Pursuits Cancellations (Applies to 1-Day and Multi-Day Programs): Outdoor Pursuits may cancel programs due to various circumstances, including but not limited to low enrollment, inclement weather, staffing challenges, participant no-shows, or logistical complications.
- If a program is canceled by Outdoor Pursuits, participants will have the option to receive either a full refund or a credit placed on their UREC account towards future programs/ services. The choice of refund method will be up to the participant, with no additional fees applied.
Outdoor Pursuits 1-Day Programs Cancellation & Refund Policy: Programs include but are not limited to clinics as short as a single hour or trips that last up to 12 hours and everything in-between.
Participant Cancels:
To be eligible for a refund, participants must notify Outdoor Pursuits of their cancellation at least 48 hours prior to the program’s start time. Cancellations can be submitted via email to the Outdoor Pursuits Program Supervisor hmurphy@uwm.edu.
- Cancellations made less than 48 hours before the start of the program are not eligible for a refund. Refunds, credits, or transfers may be considered in rare cases at the discretion of the Outdoor Pursuits Program Supervisor.
- In the case of a family or medical emergency, participants may request a refund, credit, or transfer. Advanced notice is required when possible, and Outdoor Pursuits may request documentation, such as a doctor’s note.
Outdoor Pursuits Multi-Day Programs Cancellation & Refund Policy: Multi-day programs include but are not limited to overnight and weekend camping trips, Spring Break trips, and multi-day courses.
- Multi-day programs require a non-refundable deposit to secure a spot, unless otherwise noted.
Participant Cancels:
- If a participant registers and pays in full, the amount paid acts as the deposit and is non-refundable.
- To be eligible for a refund of any fees beyond the deposit, participants must notify Outdoor Pursuits at least 7 days prior to the program’s start time. Cancellations can be submitted via email to the Outdoor Pursuits Program Supervisor hmurphy@uwm.edu. University Recreation will retain the deposit.
- Cancellations made less than 7 days before the program’s start time are not eligible for a refund.
- In the case of a family or medical emergency, participants may request a refund, credit, or transfer. Advanced notice is required when possible, and Outdoor Pursuits may request documentation, such as a doctor’s note.
Late Policy: Outdoor Pursuits staff reserve the right to leave 15 minutes after the scheduled trip departure time. No refund will be granted to participants that arrive 15 minutes late.
Personal Deployable Medical Devices: If you have been prescribed a personal, deployable medication, you must bring it with you for the duration of this experience. This includes, but is not limited to, epinephrine (EpiPen is one brand), inhalers (of any kind), some allergy medications, and more. This includes medications that you have rarely, or never, used but are still prescribed in the case of distress or unusual circumstances. Please alert Outdoor Pursuits staff that you have one of these medications and in what situations you may need to deploy it.
Drug/ Alcohol Policy: The University of Wisconsin System and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee prohibit the unlawful possession, use, distribution, manufacture or dispensing of illicit drugs and alcohol by students and employees on university property or as part of university activities.
Violation of these provisions by a student may lead to the imposition of a disciplinary sanction, up to and including suspension or expulsion, under Ch. UWS 17, Wis. Adm. Code. (University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Standards of Conduct and University Sanction Concerning Illicit Drugs and Alcohol)
No Firearms or Dangerous Weapons in UWM Vehicles: No individual may possess firearms or any other dangerous weapons in UWM owned or operated vehicles, including in housing, parking, and other shuttles.
Smoking/ Tobacco Policy: To mitigate the established health risks associated with the use of tobacco products and exposure to secondhand smoke, UWM prohibits smoking and the use of tobacco on all campus property. Tobacco means any tobacco product, including those which are smokeless, chewable, spit, spitless, dissolvable, or inhaled. (Smoke and Tobacco-Free Campus Policy No.: SAAP 10-8)
Places to Play
Lake Michigan Beaches
- Bradford Beach: (1.6mi/2.6km from UWM) sand volleyball, swimming, concessions, free beach wheelchair rentals
- Atwater Park: (1.4mi/2.3km from UWM) swimming, ADA accessible path, playground
- Klode Park: (4mi/6.4km from UWM) swimming, ADA accessible path, tennis courts, playground
Paved Paths
- Milwaukee Interactive Bike Map: offers biking directions using only low stress streets
- Oak Leaf Trail: 135mi (217km) trail system, closest entrances to campus at Providence Ave and River Park
- Beerline Trail: 3.7mi (6km) trail, closest entrance to campus at Locust St
- Hank Aaron State Trail: 11mi (17km) trail, connects to the Oak Leaf Trail at Discovery World
- Glacial Drumlin State Trail: 52mi (83.6km) trail, connects to the Hank Aaron
- WI Bike Maps (organized by County)
- Lake: (1mi/1.6km from UWM) hiking, biking, free golf course, soccer field, tennis court, track, lighthouse
- Hubbard: (1mi/1.6km from UWM) hiking, biking, fishing, beer garden, paddling
- Cambridge Woods: (2mi/3.2km from UWM) hiking, biking, fishing
- Estabrook: (2.5mi/4km from UWM) seasonal farmers market, beer garden, disc golf, sand volleyball, hiking, biking, waterfall, dog park, soccer field, playground, canoeing, golf course, fishing
- Big Bay: (2.7mi/4.3km from UWM) hiking, beachfront
- Lincoln: (4.5mi/7km from UWM) hiking, paddling, golf course, soccer field, swimming pool, fishing
- Washington: (6mi/9.6km from UWM) hiking, biking, Urban Ecology Center, paddling, swimming pool, youth basketball court
- South Shore: (7.8mi/12.5km from UWM) hiking, biking, beachfront, beer garden, sand volleyball
- Doctors: (8mi/12.8km from UWM) hiking, beachfront, playground, disc golf
- Humboldt: (8.3mi/12.8km from UWM) hiking, biking, tennis courts, sledding hill, playground, Chill on the Hill summer concert series
- Brown Deer: (8.5mi/13.6km from UWM) hiking, biking, golf course, sledding hill, disc golf, sand volleyball, soccer field, cross country skiing
- Grant/ 7 Bridges: (14mi/22.5km from UWM) hiking, biking, disc golf, soccer fields, tennis courts, playground, beachfront
- Whitnall: (18mi/ 29km from UWM) hiking, mountain biking, golf course, sledding hill, botanical gardens, cross country skiing
State Parks/ Forests
- Lakeshore: (4.2mi/6.8km from UWM) hiking, biking, paddling, fishing, ADA friendly paths
- Lapham Peak: (45mins from UWM) hiking, mountain biking, camping, horseback riding, cross country skiing, adaptive equipment rentals
- Kohler-Andrae: (1hr from UWM) biking, paddling, camping, swimming, fishing, hiking, horseback riding, hunting
- Devil’s Lake: (2hrs from UWM) biking, paddling, camping, hiking, hunting, fishing, rock climbing, swimming, ADA accessible cabins/ campsites
- Governor’s Dodge: (2.5hrs from UWM) biking, paddling, camping, fishing, hiking, horseback riding, hunting, swimming, rock climbing
- Buckhorn: (2.5hrs from UWM) adaptive equipment rentals, ADA accessible cabins/ campsites
Outdoor Pursuits Staff Picks
- Payden: (2hrs from UWM) Hiking in Governor Dodge State Park
- Marelise: (6hrs from UWM) Hiking at Houghton Falls
- Wynn: (2hrs from UWM) Bouldering at Devil’s Lake State Park
- Liam S: (3hrs from UWM) Hiking in Peninsula State Park
- Hannah: (3hrs from UWM) Stand up paddleboarding the Kickapoo River
- Steven: (3hrs from UWM) Snowboarding at Granite Peak
- Ethan: (3hrs from UWM) Taking the ferry to Rock Island State Park
- Kalyan: (30mins from UWM) Mountain biking in Minooka Park