
Collegebound
Choose One of Two Trips
Aug 14-19, 2025:
Collegebound Expedition

Spend 4 days/3 nights traveling the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness with a small group of no more than nine people. Experience some of the most pristine lakes and forests Minnesota has to offer while camping, canoeing, and portaging through a stunning wilderness area.
If you want to see beautiful starry nights, eat food cooked over a campfire, and start your fall semester with a well-earned tan, this is the trip for you!
Itinerary
- August 14: arrive on campus, move into housing, review food, equipment, and maps with your group leaders
- August 15: leave early to travel to a Boundary Waters outfitter, collect your canoes, and spend the night in rustic lakeside cabins
- August 16-18: travel through the Boundary Waters in all-Bennie or all-Johnnie groups with your student leaders and fellow participants. Make friends, learn about life at CSB and SJU, and improve your paddling skills!
- August 19: return to the outfitter, drop off the canoes, and drive back to campus for a shower and hot dinner that you don’t have to cook yourself.
Collegebound Basecampus

If you’re curious about opportunities closer to campus with fewer mosquitoes, Basecampus might be the program for you. Go rock climbing at The Wall and Quarry Park Nature Preserve, canoeing on Lake Sagatagan and the Sauk River, biking on the Wobegon Trail, and camping on Watab Island in the middle of Saint John’s campus.
Itinerary
- August 14: Arrive on campus, move into housing, spend the afternoon hiking in the Abbey Arboretum and getting to know the rest of your group
- August 15: Indoor rock climbing at The Wall and a one-day canoe trip with your group
- August 16: A bike ride on the Wobegon Trail and outdoor rock climbing at a historic quarry
- August 17: Paddling on Lake Sagatagan followed by a night camping on Watab Island at Saint John’s
- August 18: A day to clean up from the campout and relax in the afternoon before a final dinner as a group
- August 19: Reset, rest, do your laundry, and recuperate as other students are moving in and orientation approaches.
Applying
Space is limited and completing the Participant Application does not guarantee a spot in Collegebound 2025. Selected applicants will receive an online payment link and completing payment will confirm your registration. If you would like to discuss alternate arrangements, please email Lucas Wade.
Cost
$450 per student. Fee includes: trip transportation, food, permits, lodging, gear, and an incredible experience! Payment does not include personal travel expenses to CSB and SJU. Payment is due within 2 weeks of receiving the payment link, unless other arrangements are made.
Financial Support
The Mason V. Sorenson Memorial Fund has been established in honor of Mason Sorenson ’96 to provide need-based financial support for Collegebound participation and other CSB and SJU outdoor programs. Funds support Collegebound participants with demonstrated significant financial need as determined by our partners in CSB and SJU Admissions. Students can indicate their interest in being considered on the application form.
Details on packing lists, health forms, payment options, and trip leaders will be provided via email to participants once all participants are registered.


Inclusivity
Historically, opportunities like Collegebound have been restricted or exclusive to a wide range of groups, with many of those systemic barriers still remaining today. When administering programs like Collegebound and other Outdoor University programs, we are committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice in the outdoor experiences we provide. We encourage students of all identities and backgrounds, including but not limited to race, ethnicity, religion, national origin, citizenship status, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability, familial status, or status with regard to public assistance to consider joining the Collegebound outdoor orientation program. We are committed to working with all interested students to find ways to allow their participation, and welcome all constructive feedback about how these systemic barriers can be further removed.
Questions?
Lucas Wade
CSB and SJU Outdoor Education
320-363-2136

Collegebound 2024 Group Photo