oTL

Hiking in Joshua Tree National Park is just one way to experience the natural beauty of Southern California.

Each year, the 5-college outdoor club called On the Loose—or OTL for short—sponsors more than 150 trips, with more than 500 students taking part. Many more enjoy weekend or day trips to nearby beaches, mountains and deserts. In fact, the desert is such a popular destination that Joshua Tree National Park is referred to simply as “J-Tree” or “Pomona’s backyard.” OTL trips can be as close as the local trails at Lytle Creek and Icehouse Canyon or as far away as Mt. Rainier and Baja, Mexico. The club also trains and certifies more than 100 students each year as trip leaders, provides free rental gear to any member of The Claremont Colleges and maintains an online guide and a library of outdoor books.

Orientation Adventure

Before you pick up a book, you’ll spend your first days at Pomona getting acquainted—both with your fellow students and with this amazing corner of the world. All first-year students participate in one of 35 to 40 four-day trips, ranging from hardcore backpacking in the Sequoias to surfing and kayaking in the Pacific to canoeing on the Colorado River. For students who would rather do their camping in dorm rooms, there are also SoCal Adventures—some with opportunities for community service—that include trips to theme parks, museums and the beach. OA is a great way to meet people and to get a sense of what is within reach of campus.