As with the Horse Program, the Outdoor Program has a long and rich history at Thacher. In the spring and the fall sports terms, it offers instruction in outdoor sports such as rock- and ice-climbing, winter camping, and sea- and river-kayaking. Students spend their afternoons learning climbing techniques on the rocks on our own campus or practicing kayak rolls and maneuvers in our outdoor pool. Regular weekend camping trips are the mainstay of the program, as students and faculty travel to places like Joshua Tree National Park, the Sierra, and the Kern River to put their new skills into practice.

In addition to these Outdoor Program trips, faculty and students often organize more informal weekend trips involving everything from horse camping to kayaking.

At the heart of Thacher's dedication to the outdoors are the week-long camping trips the entire community takes each fall and spring. In faculty-led groups of between six and twelve, students head off to such varied destinations as the Sierra Nevada, Yosemite, the Los Padres National Forest, the Lost Coast, and the Mojave Desert to climb, backpack, horse-camp, kayak, and canoe. All trips stress "minimum-impact" camping skills as well as self-sufficiency and cooperative teamwork. Camping encourages students to develop a relationship with nature while presenting them with both physical and emotional challenges. In addition, the outdoors often provides fertile ground for faculty-student and peer friendships.