A new champion has emerged—Radford University of Virginia has been voted our region’s 2025 Top Adventure College in Blue Ridge Outdoors’ annual competition! Nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains, the school was one of 32 colleges and universities from the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic that were put head-to-head in bracket-style voting rounds.
The final round of the bracket came down to Radford University and two-time champion East Tennessee State University. After thousands of votes and hundreds of posts hyping each school, Radford University came out on top.
A more in-depth look at Radford University’s outdoor recreational hub will be featured this summer in a print issue of Blue Ridge Outdoors. In the meantime, we asked them a few questions about their recent victory to kick off the celebration.
BRO: Why is your school a Top Adventure College?
Radford: Radford is one of those places where you don’t have to go far to find adventure; it’s literally all around you. The historic New River is a campus boundary, the Blue Ridge Mountains are as visible as a backyard, and there are trails, rivers, crags, caves, and campsites in just about every direction. If you’re into hiking, biking, caving, skiing, paddling, skydiving, climbing, or just getting lost in the woods for a while, this place is a hidden gem. We infuse elements of the outdoors into student life. From group exercise classes in the outdoors, to hammock jungles on campus, to bike rides around the community, to engagement with our beloved 380-acre SELU Conservancy, Highlanders seek and find opportunities to engulf themselves fully in the outdoors.
We offer easy access to a plethora of outdoor recreation opportunities. Within an hour of our university, we can go climbing in West Virginia, paddling on the New River, caving in one of our many caves in our karst region, mountain biking in the Jefferson National Forest, and backpacking on the Appalachian Trail. Within just 5 minutes of our campus, you can be fishing, kayaking on the New River running through Radford, climbing at the trestle, hiking through Wildwood Park, and still have time for classes.
BRO: What do you want our readers to know about your school’s adventurous side?
Radford: What makes Radford stand out is the vibe. RU Outdoors isn’t just a cookie-cutter outdoor program. It’s student-led, hands-on, and full of energy. You’re not just signing up for trips, you’re learning how to lead them, how to teach others, and how to grow a real outdoor community. Whether you are brand new to the outdoors or you’ve been living in hiking boots since you were a child, you can Find Your Place. Here.
We are here for all our students on small backyard adventures like smores on the quad or peaceful evening floats at our nature conservancy. But we are also there for our students on grand adventures, like an expedition trip to the Superstition Wilderness in Arizona or white water rafting on the Gauley River.
Radford’s affordable, it’s real, and it’s the kind of place that makes it easy to get outside, meet good people, and make solid memories.
BRO: Where have some of your adventures taken your students? (during and/or after they graduate)
Radford:
Radford Outdoor Rec trip programs have traveled to:
- Boundary Waters Canoe Wilderness Area, Minnesota
- Superstition Wilderness, Arizona
- Buffalo River National Park. Arkansas
- Stone Mountain State Park, North Carolina
- Salt Flats, Utah
Recreation, Parks, & Tourism (majors) are living and working across the globe, spreading the joy of the outdoors they gained from their Radford experience.
- South America
- Alaska
- Vermont
- Maine
- Florida
- On the seas serving cruise lines and expeditions
- State Parks
- Resorts
Fun Facts
- Radford alums co-founded Beyond Boundaries.
- Many of our students graduate and go on to live out their own adventures:
- Guiding white water/climbing trips in the New River Gorge
- Becoming their own outdoor professionals in Collegiate Outdoor Programs and Parks and Recreation
- Working at a dude ranch in Colorado
- Working for the National Forest Service on Mule Crews building/repairing trails in the Montana Wilderness
- Many of our current students’ adventures are:
- Becoming Snowboarding/Skiing instructors in West Virginia at Snowshoe during their winter break
- Going on Expedition trips through Radford Outdoor Programs to places like the Boundary Waters in Minnesota or the Buffalo River in Arkansas
- Spending their weekends climbing in the New River Gorge
All photos courtesy of Radford University.
