WCU takes adventure college title
Paddle sports available to the WCU community range from mild to wild, with placid lakes to serious whitewater close by. WCU photo
For the fifth time, Western Carolina University has been voted the top adventure college in Blue Ridge Outdoors’ online readers’ poll.
The contest began Feb. 25 and featured head-to-head matchups against regional colleges and universities. WCU and last year’s title-holder, Lees-McRae College, made it to the championship final. More than half a million votes poured in over the course of the contest, the most in its seven-year history, BRO editor Will Harlan said.
“Western has a dedicated, outdoor-minded campus community that promotes and celebrates adventure,” Harlan said. “It’s not surprising that WCU has captured its fifth ‘Top Adventure College’ title. They’ve definitely earned it.”
The university’s many outdoor opportunities include an on-campus multi-use trail system, the Tuckaseigee River, the Blue Ridge Parkway, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Pisgah and Nantahala national forests. WCU has a dedicated outdoor adventure program, Base Camp Cullowhee, and offers academic programs related to outdoors careers.
