There are so many ways in and around campus to enjoy the great Pacific Northwest. From the mountains to the coast to the high desert, there is something for everyone in a short drive’s reach from campus. But what’s close by?
Recreation On and Near Campus
The closest place to get some exercise that we have is our Peter Courtney Health and Wellness Center. But the Courtney Center is more than just a place to shoot some hoops or run some laps.
There are several semi-private rooms for individual exercises. Often times there are classes held in these through the day (e.g., Zumba, Spinning, Tai Chi, Step n Sculpt, and so on).
Activities with the HWC that take place outside the gym floor include aquatics and climbing.
Aquatics offers lap swim during specific hours, open swim, swim lessons. There are also options to get certified as a Lifeguard and other emergency certifications.
Climbing offers top-rope climbing, bouldering and lead climbing. There are classes for styles of climbing through the entire year and hours are available on their website.
If you are interested in more climbing opportunities outside of our campus facilities and classes, there is also an indoor climbing gym in Salem called The Rock Boxx.
Recreation Off Campus
Outside of campus, one of the most popular paved paths in the area is the Minto-Brown Island Park in Salem. It is a wide open path that is 11 miles long and spans over 1,000 acres. The park is also bike and dog-friendly, with a dog park included. If you have a certain Fido that you’d love to go out with, they are welcomed here!
South of campus, close to Corvallis, there is a series of trails in the McDonald Forest. There are numerous trails in the McDonald Forest that start from half-mile long with low elevation hikes. With many multi-mile hiking paths, there can often be quite a steep elevation change too. Many of these hiking trails are also open to bikes and horses. For more information about these trails, find out more here. You can also find a detailed map with all trails included here.
There are multiple types of tents, backpacks, and other hiking equipment available for rent from the Courtney Center for a small daily fee as well if you need some extra gear for your camping and hiking trips.
For other great hiking trail ideas, you might like our post: “Hikes near Monmouth“.
