The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Outdoor Connection has planned several excursions students can embark on during spring break. 

One such trip will take students to Utah’s Zion National Park. The trip is led by UWL students Ella Luepke and Hannah Beilke. According to Luepke, who got involved with Outdoor Connection in 2016 when she went on a spring break trip to Sedona, Arizona, the students will be renting two minivans from Enterprise, and will drive down to Utah as a group.  

Leupke will be leading her second spring break trip, as she led another trip to Utah in the spring of 2017. She has expressed much excitement over returning to Utah, stating “I am most looking forward to the amazing hikes that we will be doing! From Angel’s Landing, to Observation Point, to The Subway, these hikes are going to be so rad. I’m excited to be spending my spring break tackling Zion with 10 strangers, who by the end of the trip will be a tight group of friends.” 

When asked on how Zion National Park was chosen as a destination, Luepke said, “Last spring break, I led a trip to Utah and we hit four out of the five National Parks in Utah. The fifth one we didn’t get to was Zion, so it’s been on my list! Also, Zion National Park is full of hidden gems and beautiful wilderness, so how could you not want to go?” 

Along with the Utah trip, other spring break trips offered by UWL Outdoor Connection includes hiking the Horseshoe Canyon Ranch in Arkansas from March 10 to March 17, which costs $425 or $450 if registered after February 23; and canoeing the Suwannee River in Florida from March 9 to March 16, which costs $550 or $575 if registered after February 23.  

The Zion National Park trip will be gone from Friday, March 9 to Sunday, March 18, 2018. The trip costs $600 if purchased on or before February 23, and $625 if purchased after that date. Registration for this trip or any other Outdoor Connection can be done through Outdoor Connection at 125 Recreational Eagle Center or online at the Outdoor Connection website.