Which college offers better access to nature: Arizona State or the University of Vermont?

The University of Vermont offers more convenient, day-to-day access to varied natural scenery than Arizona State’s Tempe campus. UVM sits in Burlington near Lake Champlain, with the waterfront, beaches, parks, and the Burlington Greenway accessible by foot or bike from campus. The Green Mountains are also close enough for regular hiking, skiing, and fall foliage trips, while the Adirondacks are visible across the lake and reachable for longer outings. Students can walk to waterfront trails, paddle or sail on Lake Champlain, and use nearby forested areas without traveling far.

Arizona State has excellent desert recreation, but most of its major hiking destinations require a car, public transit planning, or a ride from Tempe. Papago Park and Tempe Town Lake are relatively close, while South Mountain Park, the Superstition Mountains, and other Sonoran Desert destinations provide outstanding hikes and dramatic landscapes. ASU is the better match for someone who specifically loves desert terrain, warm-weather outdoor activity, and Arizona’s distinctive rock formations and canyons. For the most immediate mix of water, trails, mountains, and a campus culture shaped by the outdoors, Vermont has the edge.