The Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area surrounds Rugby and gives the area its outdoor character. Day hikers head to the Honey Creek Loop or the short walk down to the Meeting of the Waters at the confluence of the Clear Fork and White Oak rivers, both reachable from trailheads within ten kilometres of the village. The Gentleman's Swimming Hole on the river was where the Rugby colonists swam.
Longer trips can take in the Twin Arches further north, the Angel Falls Overlook, and stretches of the John Muir Trail. Whitewater season runs February to April; the river is too low for paddling in summer. The Bandy Creek Visitor Centre is the main park office and the place to pick up trail maps.