There are a variety of different reasons why one chooses a college. Academics and sports are usually towards the top of the list. Access to the backcountry usually is not.
Naturally, Outside Magazine feels that a student’s priorities should be re-prioritized and have therefore put together a rather thorough ranking of America’s best universities that are “adrenaline friendly.” The list is a couple of years old, but still very relevant.
Coming in at #1 is UC Santa Cruz. This northern California campus near Monterey Bay rests amongst redwood trees in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Students ditching class can mountain bike, kayak, surf, hike, scuba dive, backpack and otherwise indulge Mother Nature in a variety of ways within just a few miles of campus.
For a full list of the other 39 campuses highlighted, click here. And in case you’re wondering, University of Colorado at Boulder took second place (which I’m sure will anger a large number of students who claim Boulder is the center of the universe when it comes to such rankings).