Blue Ridge Mountain

MBA - Culture and Community - Clubs and Organizations - Outdoors Club

Outdoors Club

DOC LogoThe mission of the Outdoors Club at Darden is to bring people together in the outdoors. We lead outdoor trips and activities that offer opportunities to relax, laugh, and build a more inclusive community.  We believe that connecting outside of the classroom is essential to developing lifelong friendships amongst the many diverse groups at Darden.

There’s no doubt that the first-year experience at Darden can be intense—with its unrelenting wave of cases, cold calls, and recruiting—but the DOC exists to help students enjoy our time in business school and to strengthen our student community outside the Darden classroom. Once at Darden, I know you will find that the Outdoors Cub is more than an “outdoors” club. Many of my fondest memories from first year took place with friends and classmates I met through DOC events.

Charlottesville and the surrounding region boasts both stunning and accessible terrain for adventurers at every level of the outdoorsy/earthy-crunchy spectrum. Humpback Rocks is the most popular hike not far from Darden Grounds. This 3-mile out-and-back trail has become a mainstay for Darden students, as it’s located only 45 minutes away in the Blue Ridge Mountains. To me, Humpback offers the best view-per-mile (*not an official statistic) of the lower Shenandoah Valley. A bit farther away is Shenandoah National Park, which boasts Virginia’s most famous “Old Rag” hike. This 7-miler is a bit of a full-day hike, featuring tight rock scrambles and a majestic view from the top.

Only steps from Darden Grounds is the Rivanna Trail, which loops all-around Charlottesville and makes for great trail running or nature walks. On any given day, you’re likely to run into Darden students criss-crossing the path given its easy access from Ivy Garden, Huntington, and Pav apartments.

Contact Us

Outdoors@darden.virginia.edu

Humpback Mountain

 

The mission of the Outdoors Club at Darden is to:

  1. Bring people together in the outdoors

  2. Lead outdoor trips and activities that offer opportunities to relax, laugh, and build a more inclusive community

  3. Develop strong connections amongst the many diverse groups at Darden outside of the classroom

Outdoors club: Hiking

Although this organization has members who are University of Virginia students and may have University employees associated or engaged in its activities and affairs, the organization is not a part of or an agency of the University. It is a separate and independent organization which is responsible for and manages its own activities and affairs. The University does not direct, supervise or control the organization and is not responsible for the organization’s contracts, acts or omissions.

Outdoors Club Facebook

  • Events

     

    The Outdoors Club hosts a variety of events and activities throughout the year.

    • First Year and Second Year Camping Trips
    • Local Hikes
    • Whitewater Rafting Trip
    • Annual Ski Trip (Prior years traveled to Copper Mountain, Breckenridge, Park City)
    • TNDSki at Wintergreen Mountain
    • Tuck Winter Carnival
    • Volunteer Trail Maintenance Opportunities
  • Leadership Team

     

    We welcome prospective students to reach out to members of our leadership team to learn more about the Outdoors Club.

    • President: Jake Meegan 
    • VP of Camping, Technology & Marketing: Zoe Rankin
    • VP of Finance: Natalie Azarela
    • VP of Hiking: Bryce Cosgrove 
    • VP of Skiing: Ethan Broner