The nearby Ski Sunlight area offers excellent, low-priced downhill skiing 20 minutes from campus. Students at Spring Valley enjoy a full schedule of films, dances, theater productions, entertainment and speaker forums. A wide range of clubs and organizations give students a chance to become involved in special interests outside the classroom. The World Awareness and Action Society deals with global hunger and poverty issues. The Gates Soccer Park provides five athletic fields next to campus.
Students compete in intramural softball, soccer, flag football, volleyball, and basketball.
Students from Spring Valley often choose to take additional classes at the centers in Carbondale and Glenwood Springs . These are non-residential facilities which emphasize education for local residents. Together with Spring Valley, these centers are linked together under the name Roaring Fork Campus. The programs at these sites expand the offerings for Spring Valley students to include such courses as dance, exercise and business-related topics. In addition to natural attractions, the Roaring Fork Valley offers an unusual array of arts and cultural organizations , community theater , dance, winter events and galleries.