A vacation can be tough on a student’s time and cash supply, so NIU’s Outing Centre is trying to offer something more affordable.

For $200, any NIU student can join a 12-person group for a six-day backpacking trip in August to Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, located along the shore of Lake Superior in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

There is a mandatory informational meeting for all participants at 9 p.m. today at the Student Recreation Center.

Outing Centre Manager Dan Swan said the meeting will cover trip expectations, equipment, activities and sights.

“It’s breathtaking; you won’t see scenery like that here,” he said. “Take a look at the pictures, and you tell me.”

The Outing Centre included Pictured Rocks photos on the trip’s official Web site, www.stuaff.niu.edu/ocr/outdoors/trips/pictured/index.shtml.

The party departs on Friday, Aug. 15, and returns on Thursday, Aug. 21, four days before fall classes begin. The travelers will explore a portion of the 43-mile trail along the shoreline.

The group includes four trip leaders who will teach participants about how to backpack, what food to bring and expectations for hiking in the area. Up to eight students can join, and the $200 cost includes transportation, staffing and parking fees.

The Outing Centre wanted a destination within a day’s drive that was economically feasible for students, Swan said, and similar trips in the past have been well-received.

“The students love ’em,” said Swan, who’s also a sport management graduate student. “We have trip evaluations, and they’re always excellent. … The trips aren’t extreme, but are a good experience at the same time. It’s just something to see and experience; it’s beautiful country.”

The center makes three to four similar expeditions each year, usually with one each season. Students involved have different skill levels, and everybody complements each other, Swan said.

There are two previously scheduled trips coming up. From May 15 to May 23, a group will backpack on Wisconsin’s Ice Age National Scenic Trail. In a more ambitious journey from May 28 to June 14, adventurers will explore four national parks, including Yellowstone National Park (Wyoming), Medicine Bow National Forest (Wyoming), Badlands National Park (South Dakota) and Black Hills National Forest (South Dakota).

“If you need a breather and a break,” Swan said, “you can’t beat ’em.”

For information, visit the trip’s Web site or call 753-9423.