Outdoor Trips

The Outdoor Education and Class Trips program provides opportunities for students and faculty to learn and grow in environments extending beyond the regular classroom setting. Recognizing that many of our students and faculty are mostly urban, our outdoor trips are designed not for the mastery of skills, but rather for thought-provoking exposure. Trips emphasize the group process and individual participation throughout the course of the trip.

Information is provided to all students via the Bulletin Board or email. The Urban Trip Permission Form is required for all trips, and some events may have their own additional form. Click on the individual trip in the Self-Selected Trips tab below for information and payment form. Financial aid is available for all Urban trips.

Questions? Please contact Outdoor Trips Coordinator Jenn Epstein.

Self-Selected Trips
Grade Level Experiences

Self-Selected Trips

The elective trips fall into two categories. Adventure Trips are the most intensive and focus on a single activity including backpacking, kayaking, river rafting, back-country skiing, climbing and biking.

Observation/Awareness Trips offer the opportunity for students to connect with the natural world through more contemplative and less active means. Such trips include visiting tide pools, survival training and spending time on a working farm.

No previous experience is required, however, the activities are varied enough to challenge even those with some expertise. Students are encouraged to sign up for at least one outing during the year.

Self-Selected Trips 2020-21

*All trips are on hold at this time

Grade Level Experiences

Grade level trips offer students and teachers an opportunity to get away from the school and the city in order to build class unity and responsibility through trail work and other activities.

Freshman students may do a ropes course together in the fall and spend a night at Westminster Woods or Point Bonita Y during Spring Class Days. The final spring term Senior overnight trip may incorporate trail work in a local national park and some final moments to bond as a class. Juniors spend several days at Point Reyes in the fall carrying on the 35+-year tradition of trail work that Urban has conducted on behalf of the NPS.

All trips on hold at this time.