About

Bradford Woods is Indiana University's Outdoor Center. As a key component of the university family, Bradford Woods promotes and furthers the mission of the university through teaching, service, programs, and research. For over 65 years, Bradford Woods has been providing recreational, educational, and leadership development opportunities to youth and adults locally, nationally, and globally. We unite all of our programs and education under the banner of "Outdoors for All" – empowering youth and adults of all backgrounds and abilities through transformative outdoor experiences.

Our Mission

To improve the quality of life for people of all backgrounds and abilities by using our unique outdoor setting to provide education, therapy, and recreation. 

Our Purpose

All of our programs and facilities exist to:

  • Serve | We serve people of all abilities and backgrounds through universal design and programs.
  • Empower | We empower participants by utilizing healthy risk, developing skills, and building peer relationships. 
  • Educate | We educate our participants on their important role in our interconnected world through experiential learning and character development.
  • Steward | We celebrate, protect, and nurture our rich natural and cultural resources.
  • Advance | We advance our fields of practice through research and innovation.

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Land Acknowledgement

Bradford Woods wishes to acknowledge and honor the Indigenous communities native to this region, and recognize that Bradford Woods was built on Indigenous homelands and resources. We recognize the Miami, Delaware, Potawatomi, and Shawnee people as past, present, and future caretakers of this land.

Prior to 1812, Native American people inhabited the land that would become Morgan County. As Euro-American settlement in the area increased, settlers began occupying more land and negotiating treaties and land purchases with these native communities. In 1818, a series of treaties were completed that acquired virtually all of the land in central Indiana in exchange for cash, salt, sawmills, and other goods, extending the northern boundary of the state to near the Wabash River. The acquired land became known as the “New Purchase.” These treaties resulted in the confinement of the Miami to a reserve area north of the Wabash, and the removal of the Delaware, who dominated central and east central Indiana, to west of the Mississippi by 1820 – clearing the way for settlers migrating into the area from Cincinnati and other Ohio River settlements.

Today, we strive to ensure our guests and participants are aware of the Indigenous history of the area through education, experiential learning, and intentional dialogue.