Ferrum Outdoors – Your place for Adventure and Excitement!

Welcome to Ferrum Outdoors! This exciting new Ferrum College program will open up an incredible world of adventure for every student. Rich Long, Coordinator of Ferrum Outdoors, attended Ferrum from 1989-1992. “As a recreation major I had the opportunity to participate in a lot of very adventurous activities when I was a student at Ferrum. I would come back from an awesome weekend of rock climbing or whitewater rafting and tell my roommates all about it. Their reactions were often, ‘Wow, I would love to try that.’ I can remember thinking ‘Wouldn’t it be great if my friends could participate in the fun?’”

The primary goal of Ferrum Outdoors is to unlock this door to adventure for all students, and Ferrum College provides the perfect locale! The Blue Ridge Parkway, Smith Mountain Lake, Philpott Reservoir, Fairystone State Park and other state and local parks offer opportunities for exciting activities in settings of stunning natural beauty. The College is located within hours of the Smoky Mountain and Shenandoah National Parks. Rivers like the New, the Gauley, the Dan and many other scenic waterways are in close proximity to Ferrum. Thousands of acres of natural playground in the Jefferson and George Washington National Forests are within a short drive. Whether you’d like to mountain bike, rock climb, whitewater raft, explore caves, snow ski, fish, hike, or camp, you can experience it while at Ferrum College.

The Ferrum Outdoors office is located in the Fitness Center on campus. Camping equipment is available for rental at very reasonable rates and students can utilize guidebooks and maps on local camping, hiking, climbing, and water resources. Students will have the opportunity to participate in organized adventures, or can get help putting together their own weekend adventure. One traditional adventure being offered is a rafting trip on the Gauley River in West Virginia, rated one of the top ten rafting rivers in the WORLD! We’ll drive up on a Friday, spend the night in a cabin, and have the time of our lives on the river on Saturday. The fun continues as we swap stories about the day’s adventures over a steak dinner on Saturday night.

    

We challenge all students to choose an adventure they have never tried before and sign up for it this fall - we guarantee it will be one of the best times of your life! If you’ve never been an outdoors enthusiast, now’s the time to try something new. Our qualified staff will provide instruction, and trips will accommodate everyone, from beginners to those more experienced.

A primary key to the success of Ferrum Outdoors will be student input. Students will be able to serve on an advisory committee to help shape the program - this means the sky is the limit! If you want ice climbing or water skiing, and we don’t offer it, you can help make it happen by being involved. If you have ideas for Ferrum Outdoors or are interested in serving on the Advisory Committee, contact Dan Caston. Through Ferrum Outdoors, the adventure experience of a lifetime awaits you at Ferrum College!