Green footprints outside the Campus Recreation Center bring the follower to the front doors of the Outing Centre.

The Outing Centre, located inside the Rec, allows students to participate in camping trips, backpacking, canoeing, kayaking, cave trips, stargazing and rock climbing.

Students can also attend free workshops on Wednesday nights. The workshops include information on how to plan a camping trip, how to make a meal for a camping trip and how to participate in winter activities.

“Students can come and try out the gear,” said Christine Lagattolla, student manager of the Outing Centre.

Trips are posted at the beginning of every semester and are scheduled throughout the semester. Students can participate in a trip that lasts a night, a day or a weekend.

The equipment and food is included in the overall price. The price varies depending on the trip. The Outing Centre takes approximately 30 trips per semester.

Equipment, from cross-country skis to canoes, can be rented all year.

“It’s a great chance [for students] to learn and try new things,” said Meggie Olson, the trip manager for the Outing Centre. “It helps familiarize students with how trips are done so they can do them on their own as well.”

The Outing Centre has nine staff leaders, who are the head trip leaders. Each staff member is expert in one of the trip’s activities, Lagattolla said.

The Outing Centre first started as a variety of outdoor and rock climbing clubs at NIU in the late 1970s and early ’80s. The organizations joined together to form the Outing Centre.

Students can visit the Centre from 2 to 6:30 p.m. weekdays to receive information or check out a variety of books. Students can also visit www.outingcentre.niu.edu for more information.

“We’re here for everybody to try a trip and to also get away from DeKalb,” Lagatolla said.