Outdoors & Aquatics

Custom Adventure Trips

About Custom Adventure Trips

If you want to take your group outdoors and experience what outdoor recreation has to offer, we are at your service!

Contact us today to start creating YOUR next adventure! We’ve done everything from snorkeling shipwrecks, to biking old phosphate mines, SCUBA trips to EPCOT and Urban Explorations of St Augustine! Our program leads trips all across the US and internationally, and we’ve set the standard when it comes to custom trip planning.

Below you can find more information about all the locations and activities that can be included in your custom trip.

Minimum group size: 6

Maximum group size: 20

Includes:

  • Adventure Trip Leaders 
  • Custom logistics planning with your group 
  • Equipment (snorkel sets, tents, sleeping bags, cookware, kayaks/pfd/paddles) 
  • Food (lunch & snacks for day trips; breakfast/lunch/dinner/snacks for overnight trips) 
  • Transportation (12 passenger vans with trained drivers) 
  • Lodging on overnight trips (typically in tents) 

Due to staffing and logistics timelines custom trips are planned one to two months in advance, and our schedule often fills up close to the beginning of the semester.  

When you’re ready to start planning your group’s adventure email us at adventure@usf.edu.

Activity Options

Activity Options

Potential Locations

Below are some common locations we take groups for custom trips, however there are so many more possibilities we can explore as well!

Hiking

  • Weeki Wachee Preserve
    • Starting Price: $20 per person
    • Preservation land adjacent to Weeki Wachee Springs State Park that used to be an old phosphate mine but now has great hiking trails around beautiful crystal clear lakes, no swimming allowed though. Would have plenty of time for facilitated activities and enjoying nature.
  • Robinson Preserve

    • Starting Price: $20 per person

    • Lots of trails, boardwalks, and a lookout tower on the south side of Tampa Bay in Bradenton. Would have plenty of time for facilitated activities and enjoying nature.

Kayaking

  • Weedon Island Preserve  
    • Starting Price: $30 per person 
    • Kayaking trip through mangrove tunnels and around the Tampa Bay north of St Pete. There is also a boardwalk system through the island with cool views. Could do some facilitated activities before and after kayaking.
  • Downtown Tampa Kayaking  
    • Starting Price: $20 per person 
    • Kayaking from Julian B Lane Park down to Bayshore Blvd and then around the north side of Harbor Island, ending back at Julian B Lane park for facilitated activities and lunch. 
  • Shell Key Preserve 
    • Starting Price: $35 per person 
    • Sea kayaking 2.5 miles in the Gulf of Mexico to Shell Key, north of Fort DeSoto beach and campground. Make this an exciting beach day or even a primitive overnight, getting lulled to sleep by rolling waves and the sea breeze on this undeveloped island. 

Snorkeling

  • Rainbow Springs State Park  
    • Starting Price: $25 per person 
    • Water is 72 degrees year round in FL springs, so it could be nice to swim and snorkel. The state park has some trails as well as could be a nice outdoor picnic day with some facilitiate activities.
    • Potential Activities: Hiking, swimming, snorkeling 
  • Wekiwa Springs State Park  
    • Starting Price: $25 per person 
    • Water is 72 degrees year round in FL springs, so it could be nice to swim and snorkel. The state park has more hiking trails than Rainbow Springss as well as could be a nice outdoor picnic day with some facilitated activities. 
    • Potential Activities: Hiking, swimming, snorkeling 
  • Ocala Springs Snorkeling 
    • Starting Price: $30 per person 
    • Ocala National Forest offers endless springs to choose from for any kind of adventure. Visit historic springs like Silver Springs to see some of the earliest tourist attractions in Florida, or Alexander Springs for a more natural spring to snorkel and explore. 

Camping

  • Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park 
    • Camping Prices vary depending on group size; Starting Price: $60 per person 
    • Located on the north side of the Everglades, this designated Dark Sky zone offers breathtaking views of the night sky. Hiking through the tall grass at night, illuminated only by the moon and stairs is an experience everyone should have while in Florida! 
  • Foothills Trail Backpacking 
    • Camping Prices vary depending on group size; Starting Price for out of state trips: $120 per person 
    • Looking to escape into the mountains and escape the reaches of society for a bit. This beautiful trail winding along the border of North Carolina and South Carolina, stopping by many waterfalls and Lake Jocassee.