Arrival Information & Schedule

Details on the first and last day of your trip are below. In between, each trip has its own itinerary, but the example below will give you a sense of what to expect.

Arrival Day (WA Day 1)

Your WA arrival day will look different depending on which WA session you are participating in. For Session 1, you will arrive directly at Base Camp for the start of your WA and will depart from campus directly after your WA ends. For Session 2, you will be able to arrive, move into your residence hall, and experience much of the classic Colgate arrival experience that happens for the rest of your class when they arrive at the start of New Student Orientation. See the drop-downs below for the exact arrival day schedule for your session.

Arrival Day Session 1

Morning until 1:30 p.m.

Welcome to Colgate!

There are no scheduled events until later in the day, so you can use this time to make your way to campus and over to Base Camp for WA check-in.

1:30–2:00 p.m.

Check-in for WA is open at Base Camp. Temporary parking is available in the lot behind the Trudy Fitness Center for students who are being dropped off.

If you are a student driving a car to campus, you will need to register your car with Campus Safety before you arrive, pick up your parking permit from the Campus Safety Office upon arrival, and park your car in the first-year lot until you return home after WA.

Say goodbye to your family and get ready for your adventure!

2:30 p.m.–2:45 p.m.

WA gets underway.

2:45–6:00 p.m.

Begin getting to know everyone. Review all the gear you brought and get any borrowed gear you requested.

6:00 p.m.

Head to the Beattie Reserve for dinner. Pitch your tent for the first time, and try to get some sleep; your trip starts bright and early the next morning.

Arrival Day Session 2

The 2026 arrival day schedule for WA Session 2 (Tuesday, August 18) is coordinated with Residential Life and the Dean of the College to make sure students are checked in and moved into their dorms prior to the start of their WA.

9 a.m. — noon

Arrive and check in with Residential Life at the Hall of Presidents in the James C. Colgate Student Union (location is subject to change; please monitor email communication for the most up-to-date information).

  • Get a warm welcome to Colgate!
  • Pick up your room keys from Residential Life
  • Pick up your Gate Card from Campus Safety
  • Confirm your account status with Student Accounts
  • Confirm you’ve completed the required pre-arrival education components (Alcohol.edu, Sexual Assault Prevention for Undergraduates, etc.) with the Dean of the College Office
  • Complete your immunization and vaccination screening with Student Health Services
  • Move into your dorm

Students and families are welcome to continue moving into their residence halls after 12:00 p.m., but key pickup will close.

The Mail Room is also open* this day to pick up any items you may have mailed to campus.

*Note: If you are mailing boxes to campus, do not mail anything you will need for your WA trip - mail can be lost or delayed, which could negatively impact your trip.

Lunch

Students and families can eat lunch at Frank Dining Hall, but non-students should expect to pay for their meal. There are also numerous lunch options in Hamilton that students and families can check out.

1-1:45 p.m.

The optional Parent and Family Orientation will occur at the Chapel. This is the same orientation that parents and families experience on Orientation Arrival Day.

1:30-2:15 p.m.

Check-in for WA is open at Base Camp.

You can walk down from your residence hall, or temporary parking is available in the lot behind the Trudy Fitness Center for students who are being dropped off. 

If you are a student driving a car to campus, you will need to register your car with Campus Safety before you arrive, pick up your parking permit from the Campus Safety Office upon arrival, and then park your car in the first-year lot during WA.

Say goodbye to your family and get ready for your adventure!

Note: Students on WA will not attend Home Away from Home on this day; they will attend it on Sunday, August 24, with all other first-year students just moving in.

2:15—6 p.m.

WA gets underway! Begin getting to know everyone. Review all the gear you brought and get any borrowed gear you requested.

6:00 p.m.

Head to the Beattie Reserve for dinner. Pitch your tent for the first time, and try to get some sleep; your trip starts bright and early the next morning.

Early Arrival

Due to the need for a coordinated arrival day to ensure proper arrival-day policies and protocols are followed, early arrivals for WA are not possible. If your travel plans have you coming into town before the morning of Arrival Day, you will need to make your own accommodations. You can find a list of nearby hotels and accommodations. You can also find more details about how to travel to campus. A reminder: if you are attending WA session 1, you will not be able to move into your fall residence at this time. Session 2 participants will move into their residence halls on the first day of their WA.

A typical day on your WA trip (WA Days 2-5)

Morning

Wake up early, help prepare breakfast, and learn to use your camp stove. Get ready for the day — this might mean packing up your camp for a day of backpacking, canoeing, or kayaking, or packing a day pack to go out for a day of hiking, biking, climbing, or paddling.

Afternoon

In the woods, on the water, or at the crag, you'll have lots to talk about and learn about as you travel through the Adirondacks. You'll have plenty of snacks during the day, but you'll also stop to enjoy lunch and probably an amazing view! 

Evening

Arrive at your spot for the night, set up your tents, and maybe start thinking about what's for dinner. You might play some games, learn about Colgate or the Adirondacks, or just hang out and get to know people better. Help prepare and enjoy a tasty dinner. Eventually, the sun will set, and you'll get ready for bed.

Final Day (WA Day 6)

Session 1Session 2
7:00 a.m.
Breakfast at Beattie. Pack up your campsite and head back to campus.
7:30–9:00 a.m.
Clean and return all the equipment you used/borrowed. Say goodbye to your new friends, but also make plans to see everyone later!

9:00 a.m.
Wilderness Adventure is over, but you'll be back in just a couple of weeks to start Orientation!

NOTE for parents/families/etc. who are picking students up at the end of WA Session 1:

WA participants can be picked up around 9:30 a.m. in the same place as they were dropped off, behind Base Camp, at the parking lot behind the Trudy Fitness Center. 

9:30 a.m.
Head back to your residence to shower and clean up.

New Student Orientation
Students should consult the Orientation schedule for information on when and where New Student Orientation will commence.