Doing the same thing every weekend always gets old. Going on adventures near your school is something that everyone enjoys, but they are sometimes hard to find. Since I live near Wake Forest, I have discovered some fun places for students to enjoy that are either affordable or free. Ditch the walk around campus for a fun new experience that is sure to be a great memory for you and your friends! Here is a list of some of my favorite places that you should try out too. 

Shore-Styers Mill Park has a beautiful waterfall where you can escape campus and go for a swim. Located in Yadkinville, about half an hour from campus, it is a perfect place for a nice day trip. The waterfall is in a beautiful spot, surrounded by trees and a little pond great for swimming. There is a lovely riverbank along the side that is an excellent spot for you and your friends to lay out, cook out, or do whatever you want to do. Overall, this is the perfect place to go if you are looking for a nice place to get outdoors without hiking to get there. https://www.yadkincountync.gov/413/Shore-Styers-Mill-Nature-Park

For a fun and affordable evening activity, look into going to a Winston Salem Dash game. This White Sox affiliated minor league baseball team plays very close to the school, is a very nice stadium, and is a great place to have some fun with your friends. They offer great food and drink options, as well as different plans to make games more affordable for a college budget. It is an entertaining activity for any weeknight or weekend that you can switch up the usual routine and get some great bang for your buck. 

https://www.milb.com/winston-salem

Madison River Tubing is a lovely, relaxing way to get outdoors, and it is only forty minutes from school. Located on the Dan River, you can rent tubes and float this scenic river. They have recently added the option to rent floating coolers for your favorite beverages. For the more adventurous, kayaks are available well. The tubes are priced at $12 per person, while the kayaks are $25, and the floating coolers are $5. Overall, this is a fun, low cost way to spend a relaxing day in the fresh air. 

https://madtowntubing.com/

Lazy 5 Ranch is a super fun spot for you and your friends to enjoy. It’s about an hour away from Wake in Mooresville, NC. This place lets you drive around on their land, rent a bucket of animal food, and feed the animals from your car. You are bound to share a laugh, get some good pictures, and see some incredible animals on this day trip. They have everything from emus to giraffes to water buffalo and so much more.  It costs $11 per person to drive through, with a rate of $7.50 for groups of 15 or more. It is a must-visit for sure!

https://thelazy5ranch.com/

Lastly, hikes through the Blue Ridge Mountains are hard to beat. Some really great ones are Hanging Rock, Devils Chimney Loop, Linville Falls, and Sliding Rock. This area is so beautiful in any season. It is also usually pretty cool weather which is ideal for long hikes. Overall, these are great adventures to get some exercise and also have some great photo ops!

https://www.blueridgeparkway.org/hiking/