Photos and Reporting By: Joey Hadden

Ten girls crammed into a van last weekend and headed west. Led by juniors Alma Baker and Emma Soley, the Outdoor Adventures program vacationed to Big Bend this past Founder’s Day weekend.

While Outdoor Adventures initially planned to spend the 3-day weekend at Mustang Island State Park, as was reported in a previous Hilltop Views article, the devastation of Hurricane Harvey caused all the parks near the Gulf of Mexico to shut down.

“We decided on Big Bend… because we wanted to give campers a big experience that Mustang would give as well,” Outdoor Adventures Coordinator Sam Griffith, who did not go on the trip, said.

The group drove down on Friday and camped at StillWell Campground until Sunday morning. During the trip, Hilltoppers hiked the Lost Mines Hiking Trail and visited the Rio Grande hot springs and the Santa Elena Canyon.

Griffith said that the program is planning a trip to Mustang Island State Park in the spring, although this is Outdoor Adventures’ first Founder’s Day weekend trip to Big Bend.