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The La Crosse area provides numerous opportunities to enjoy spring outdoors, and UW-L’s Outdoor Connection helps students and community members alike through offering rental services and recreational programs.
[caption id="attachment_10872" align="alignnone" width="770" caption="Students kayak together during last year’s Perrot State Park Paddling Day Trip."][/caption]
By UW-L student Megan Kelbel
Hike in Hixon Forest, paddle the Goose Island Canoe Trail, or plan a camping trip with friends. The La Crosse area provides numerous opportunities to enjoy spring outdoors, and UW-L’s Outdoor Connection helps students and community members alike through offering rental services and recreational programs.
Outdoor Connection provides a wide variety of rentals, including inline skates, canoes, kayaks, mountain bikes, cruiser bikes and backpacks. The rental service also provides supplies for camping, such as tents, sleeping bags, headlamps and stoves. Rental equipment changes with the seasons, helping students and members of the community enjoy the La Crosse area all year long.
The recreational opportunities near UW-L are plentiful. Assistant Director of Recreational Sports Nathan Barnhart explains, “La Crosse is one big recreation area. You can hike, bike, paddle, backpack and explore a cave all within an hour of La Crosse.”
Those interested in canoeing or kayaking can paddle along the Goose Island Canoe Trail, the La Crosse River Trail, the Perrot Park Canoe Trail and the Root River Water Trail, as well as several other rivers in the area. Those who prefer to hike or bike can choose between Hixon Forest, Experimental Forest, Perrot State Park and the Kickapoo Valley Reserve near Viroqua. Outdoor Connection provides a large map that highlights these areas, and the office has copies of site-specific maps available as well.
Outdoor Connection uses these recreational areas for their programs. Upcoming programs include a cycling trip and a canoeing trip, both in April. For more information on Outdoor Connection rentals and programs, visit http://www.uwlax.edu/recsports/ or stop in at the office in the Recreational Eagle Center.
Outdoor Connection hours:
10 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Friday
10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday
Noon-4 p.m. Sunday