Enjoying the Great Outdoors
If you enjoy nature’s playground, the Biddeford Campus of UNE is the place to be. Located so close to many outdoor recreation areas, your choices for fun in the great outdoors are endless. Canoeing, kayaking, skiing, sailing, hiking, biking, surfing, camping, rock climbing, or lying on the beach are all ways that UNE students have fun on the weekends. Grab your gear, and get going.
Clubs
Recreation Council
The Recreation Council is made up of the following clubs. The clubs of the Recreation Council encourage new members to get in contact at the Get Involved Portal.
One of the largest clubs on campus, Outing Club offers members numerous opportunities to explore Maine and New Hampshire — including an annual spring break trip. If you like hiking, rock climbing, kayaking, or camping, then Outing Club is for you.
The UNE Sailing Club offers learn-to-sail clinics throughout the semester in 420 sailboats steps from residence halls. Additional off-campus charters on traditional Maine Schooners and the opportunity to race amongst other collegiate teams keep students involved.
Want to learn to Scuba Dive? Scuba Club hosts PADI certification classes and open-water dives each year. When the water gets too cold, the club moves into the UNE pool and enjoys the warm water to practice skills and have fun.
Want to spend your winter on the mountain? Ride 24/7 provides rides to local mountains, discounted season passes, and local events that share the love of alpine sports.
With some of the best surfing on the east coast just minutes from the UNE campus, Surf Club has a great time teaching students how to surf and getting out on the waves. Join the club and borrow equipment anytime to catch a wave (restrictions apply).
Justin St. Peter ’19
The best thing about studying Applied Exercise Science at UNE is an extremely well-rounded approach to the subject matter and a strong knowledge-base of the human body. Professors have a deep understanding of how the body’s basic physiology changes from things like sickness or exercise, and they really share that with students. You get to learn when the body is at its weakest or at its strongest.
Now, I’m getting my master’s in exercise science. UNE helped me get there by preparing me for the rigor of a master’s degree and also by providing a connection to other universities for post-grad.
Beyond the Classroom
After joining Outing Club my first year and doing some hiking in the Whites — I had never hiked in the White Mountains until my first-year orientation trailblazer trip — I heard about this thing called the 48 4,000-footers. It’s a challenge where you do all 48 of the 4,000-foot mountains in New Hampshire. I decided then that I was going to try to do them all in the four years before I graduated.
Eleven of the 4,000-footers are grouped together there in a 30-mile ring called the Pemigewasset Wilderness. I’ve had some truly amazing moments in that wilderness on those peaks. It’s my favorite place in the world right now. Another thing that’s cool is that the Whites are only about an hour and a half to two hours away from UNE so it’s a really doable challenge if you space it out across four years.
These kinds of endurance events are furthered by my studies in AES about learning how the body reacts in those situations — to train the body to take something that seems super hard so that it feels like it was not super hard after the proper training and adaptations.
After joining Outing Club my first year and doing some hiking in the [White Mountains] I heard about a challenge where you do all 48 of the 4,000-foot mountains in New Hampshire. I decided that I was going to try to do them all in the four years before I graduated. The White Mountains are only about an hour and a half to two hours away from UNE so it’s a really doable challenge if you space it out across four years.
Equipment Room
The Equipment Room is fully stocked for your next outdoor adventure. Check out our offerings in the Campus Center, including:
- Backpacks
- XC skis and boots
- Wetsuits
- Camping equipment such as sleeping bags, rain guards, cooking items, and more
- Bike and ski/snowboard repair and tuning
- Maps and guidebooks
Hours
Outdoor Recreation equipment is available for rent Thursday through Sunday each week. To ask about equipment availability email the Equipment Room at equipmentrentals@une.edu. For questions, consultation on available equipment, or to request equipment outside standard reservation times email Mira D’Amato, coordinator of Outdoor Recreation and Education at mdamato1@une.edu.
Nor’Easter Bike Share
No bike, no problem — UNE’s Nor’easter Bike Share is designed to make your life on campus more mobile and enjoyable. Whether you want to ride across campus or to the beach, this opportunity was made for you. It’s free for students to use and bikes are available at three locations, Campus Center, Alfond Forum, and Padua Residence Hall.
- Download the On-Bike Share App to your Android or Apple phone.
- Register for the UNE Nor'Easter Bike Share program using your UNE email address. Accept waiver and terms of program use.
- Verification will go to your UNE email. Complete the steps outlined in this email.
- Open the On-Bike Share App.
- Click on Available Bikes and wait for bikes to load.
- Use your phone’s Bluetooth. Select the number of the bike you want to rent.
- Bike will electronically unlock from the rack.
- Inspect bike prior to ride. Report any issue in the On-Bike Share App. Bikes must be returned to a docking station.
- Dock bike to the pin on the rack.
- Ensure bike securely locked to rack.
- The rental will end automatically.
| Building | Location |
|---|---|
| Morgane Hall | Main entrance |
| Decary Hall | Main and admissions entrances |
| Pickus Hall | Main entrance |
| Ketchum Library | Main entrance |
| Leonard Hall | Main entrance |
| Featherman Hall | Front and back of the building |
| Avila Hall | End of the building closest to Assisi Hall |
| Padua Hall | End of the building closest to Siena Hall |
| Siena Hall | Left side of the building |
| Alfond Science Building | Main entrance near Stella Maris Hall |
| Assisi Hall | Backside of the building, near laundry entrance |
| East Hall | Riverside entrance |
| West Hall | Riverside entrance |
| Freddie Hall | End of the building, towards Hills Beach Rd. |
| Champlain Hall | Main entrance |
| Marine Science Building | Main entrance |
| Petts Health Center | Main entrance |
| Sokokis Hall | Pond side of the building |
| Creative Arts Building | Behind the building, near the parking lot |
- Rental periods are 4 hours long and only occur from 6 a.m.–11 p.m. Failure to follow these guidelines may result in suspension of usage.
- Secure your bike properly when not in use during your reservation period to avoid your rental being stolen. Stolen, unreturned, or damaged bikes are the responsibility of the renter and may be charged to your student account. The bike replacement cost is $875.
- When on campus, please use any available bike rack to secure your rental. Securing your rental to a tree or post is not permitted.
- Bikes may be taken off campus and transported on buses. Plan accordingly to return your bike within the 4-hour time limit and/or by 11 p.m.