Outside the boundaries of Ouachita the Natural State is alive and ready to be explored by students seeking a little adventure. Fortunately for Ouachita students, they do not have to travel far to find a slew of recreational activities.
From hiking and hammocking to camping and canoeing, Arkadelphia provides students a big backyard in which to explore.
For starters, the DeSoto Bluff trail is a great way to get outside and enjoy nature. The trail begins at the north side of OBU’s soccer fields and ends with a beautiful scenic overlook. The trail also has many trees perfect for hammocking.
For those looking for more of a thrill, canoeing and kayaking the Caddo River is always a fun weekend activity. It takes roughly an hour to paddle from the lower dam at lake Degray to the River Rats. Another, more adventurous option, is to paddle from the dam all the way back to campus. This trek takes roughly four to five hours.
Other outdoor activities include, biking Feaster Trail, Disc Golfing on campus or camping at lake Degray.
The Ouachita Rec Center offers students multiple rental options for outdoor equipment such as tents, lanterns, ice chests, kayaks, canoes, backpacks, mountain bikes, volleyball nets and more. Everything, except canoes, kayaks, and volleyball nets, can be rented at the Climbing/Rental Center in SPEC. Those seeking to rent canoes, kayaks or volleyball nets must make arrangements with Shane Seaton, director of OBU Recreational Life. Prices for rental range from $2 to $40 depending on the item and the number of days rented. All pricing information can be found on the RecLife website, obu.edu/reclife/.
Getting outside not only provides for fun weekend activities, but it is also an excellent way to relieve stress from the week. It is easy for college students to get bogged down with academic concerns and forget the importance of living a balanced life.
“God created us as holistic creatures. When we only engage part of who we are, for example, our minds as students, we are not living in a healthy way,” noted Seaton. “When school gets busy we often think what we need is sleep, when actually we need to balance our lives and have some body and soul experiences to give our minds a rest.”
RecLife has several different outings planned this semester which include, hiking Pinnacle Oct. 17, Full Moon Frisbee at the Intramural Fields on Oct. 27, a Halloween campout and Pumpkin carving party at the Eubanks Oct. 30-31 and camping at Speer Pavilion Nov. 20-21.
Whether you are a seasoned explorer or an outdoors rookie, RecLife has something new and exciting to offer.
“I never want someone to not attend an event or trip because they feel like they can’t do it.” Seaton said. “Reclife events are a great place to try something new. Everything we do, from intramurals to trips, is geared to teach people about the activity.”
Rec Center business hours are Monday through Thursday 4:00-7:30 p.m. For more information, contact Shane Seaton at seatons@obu.edu or stop by his office at Evans Student Center Bridge.
By Cimber Winfrey
