First-Year Trips, a program within the Outdoor Programs Office, is an orientation program that helps incoming students begin their transition to Dartmouth in a supportive, welcoming environment. Students are placed into small groups, each of which is led by two upper-level Dartmouth students. As a group, students and their Trip Leaders spend multiple days participating in one of a variety of activities that cater to a wide range of interests and comfort with the outdoors, including hiking, paddling, exploring museums, rock climbing, relaxing at a cabin, and more. Trips include a range of experiences from sleeping underneath a tarp, filtering fresh water from natural streams, and using primitive bathroom facilities, to staying in an accessible location with access to indoor sleeping spaces and modern plumbing! Feel free to email us if you have any questions or concerns about accessibility and sleeping in shared spaces during Trips.

First-Year Trips is a decades-old tradition that helps unify each class of incoming students, and we encourage everyone to participate in First-Year Trips. Absolutely no outdoors experience is required or expected to participate in and enjoy Trips. The wide range of activities available on Trips allows all students to find an environment and experience that is meaningful for them, and we will work with students to address any concerns and provide any necessary adjustments or accommodations.

Before you arrive at Dartmouth, you will be assigned a trip type that takes into account your preferences as expressed in the registration form. First-Year Trips takes place as a part of New Student Orientation. Check the Orientation Website for schedule information. Your trip group will consist of two upper-level Trip Leaders and roughly seven other incoming students. Together, you will spend three days and nights participating in activities related to your trip type, which will include time outdoors. On your third day, you will come together with other trips at either the Moosilauke Ravine Lodge (“the Lodj”) or the Dartmouth Skiway Lodge (“the Sklodj”) for a closing Trips experience.

All incoming first-year and transfer students can participate in Trips, regardless of outdoors experience, ability, participation in other pre-orientation program!

If you have any questions or concerns about your ability to participate, please email us at First-Year.Trips@dartmouth.edu.

All necessities will be provided for you on Trips – food, shelter, transportation, and group equipment. Each Trip group is provided all necessary gear for their assigned activity (Cabin Camping and Nature Photography gets cameras, trips on the water get drybags to store belongings and personal flotation devices to wear, mountain bike trips get bikes, etc.)! Different trips need different gear – you’ll get a packing list when you receive your trip assignment.  If you have questions about what is provided for your Trip, feel free to email us once we release your assignment in late July.

Some trip types require individual gear such as hiking backpacks. If you have all you need already, great! If not, try to borrow from friends or neighbors or acquire second-hand. If you can’t find what you need, Trips has gear that can be borrowed, including hiking backpacks, sleeping bags, and hiking boots. 

All borrowed gear is free of charge, at no cost to you. You will have an opportunity to request gear after you have received your trip type assignment. Priority for borrowing gear will be given to students on financial aid.

There are many, different types of trips spanning a wide spectrum of themes, setting, physical activity, and time in the outdoors. We are confident that everyone can have a Trips experience that they are excited for, feel comfortable with, and can thrive in. If you are unsure about a trip type, have questions, are feeling nervous, or have any other concerns, please reach out to us at First-Year.Trips@dartmouth.edu or by phone at 603-646-3996.

We also recognize that some students may need additional adjustments or accommodations related to religious practices, ability, dietary concerns, allergies, and/or other needs. First-Year Trips is excited to create accessible and inclusive Trip experiences for all participants, and it partners with departments such as Dartmouth’s Health Service, Dartmouth Dining Services, Student Accessibility Services, and the Tucker Center for Religious and Spiritual Life in the process. We are committed to doing everything possible to help all students participate in the Trips program to the extent they feel comfortable.

If you have concerns about accommodation on campus beyond First-Year Trips, particularly related to a disability or other diagnosed condition, please reach out to Student Accessibility Services. If you have a dietary condition such as a life-threatening food allergy or celiac or Crohn’s disease, or just want to learn more about heathy eating on campus, please email Dartmouth Dining Services or call 603-646-1740 for more information or to schedule a meeting.

Our Directors, Risk Management Coordinator, and several support crews work behind the scenes to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all participants and volunteers.

• Our outdoor-standard safety protocols help proactively minimize risk on all types of Trips from cabins to trails and waterways.
• Our Vox Safety Crew is composed of student volunteers who operate a 24/7 safety phone and incident response service for medical and non-medical incidents while students are out on Trips.
• Students on Vox Safety Crew hold advanced medical training (EMT, OEC, WEMT, WFR) and have extensive experience responding to these incidents.

Our trip leaders and support volunteers receive extensive training over the Spring and Summer to prepare for any potential challenges that may arise. This includes the following training sessions:

• Outdoor Practical Training
• Incident Prevention and Response Training
• Group Dynamics, Mental Health, and Risk Management Seminars
• First-Year Trips Specific Medical Training
• Basic First Aid/CPR Certification

For trips with activities in and around bodies of water, all participants and volunteers are required to complete our Water Comfort Assessment.

Trip types such as mountain biking and climbing are additionally facilitated by student volunteers experienced in that activity. 

The cost of Trips 2026 will be updated shortly. This charge will be billed to your college account, and payment is not required when registering.

If you receive financial aid from Dartmouth, the cost of Trips will AUTOMATICALLY be reduced according to the amount of financial aid you receive from the College (up to and including 100% coverage of the cost of First-Year Trips). Keep an eye out for an email from the Financial Aid office with your adjusted cost for Trips sometime in the summer.

We are committed to making sure that finances are not a barrier to participating in First-Year Trips, both in the cost of the program and any gear you may need. If you have questions about financial aid or the cost of Trips, please reach out to us!