Students on an outdoor program trip 1970s / Oregon Digital
UO History 101: Outdoor Program
A rock climber on an Outdoor Program trip 1970s / Oregon Digital
The Outdoor Program began in 1967, after students had been posting notes in the EMU in search of gear, adventure buddies, and car rides for outdoor trips. Gary Grimm, former OP director (1967–1980), formalized this practice to what is now known as the UO Outdoor Program.
The OP is a nationally recognized adventure program and birthplace of modern collegiate outdoor programs.
In 1991, the OP Rental Barn was built to store all the outdoor gear for the program’s trips, and 12 years later, gear rentals were made available for UO students and co-op members’ trips that weren’t associated with the OP. Prior to this, gear rentals were just available to those on Common Adventure trips, the shared responsibility trip model that the Outdoor Program operated under. Recent Common Adventure trips have included coastal hikes, skiing and snowboarding days at Hoodoo, biking trips, and sunrise hikes at Spencer Butte.
In 2008, the Bike Program was created. The program includes DIY workspace, classes, rentals, and events, and was a wholly student-driven initiative.
Left: Outdoor Program Open House during Week of Welcome 2021 / Outdoor Program; Right: Outdoor Program sea kayaking navigation session at the OP office / Outdoor Program
Students on a coastal hike with the Outdoor Program / Outdoor Program
In June 2016, the Outdoor Program moved into their renovated EMU space facing 13th Avenue, which is where they are still located today. In addition to Common Adventure trips, the OP offers introductory trips for underrepresented communities in the outdoor adventure community.
For more information on the UO Outdoor Program, visit their website, or follow them on Facebook or Instagram.
- By Peyton Hall, UO Alumni Association Student Associate