Tufts Wilderness Orientation is a 5-day experience for incoming freshmen the week before school starts. Each year, over 200 freshmen come to Tufts in late August to embark on 25 student-led backpacking, canoeing, hybrid, and trail crew trips. This once in a lifetime opportunity allows freshmen to bond with others and share in an experience that creates lifelong friendships. Each group is led by a male and a female student leader.

The trips are physically demanding but are designed for the beginner. Groups are completely self-sufficient for the five days; they carry all their own food and equipment, do all their own cooking, and have as little contact with civilization as possible.

The Tufts Wilderness Orientation Staff is a highly selective group of students looking to make a difference in freshmen’s first days at Tufts. In 2011, 44 support staff members and 54 leaders returned to school on August 20th to begin training. Six days later, this amazing staff greeted the 200 freshmen and continued the great 25 year tradition all over again.

The areas in which trips are usually run include parts of New Hampshire, Maine, and Vermont. TWO trips offer you the opportunity to experience the view from a rocky mountaintop, swim in a pristine lake, or gaze at the stars in a clear night sky.