You Don’t Have to Hike Alone
Posted By auntie on January 4, 2017
Unlike me, I find a lot of folks prefer to hike with others. That’s fine, and sometimes I do, too. I had a question from a reader recently who asked where they could find other people or groups to hike with, so I thought I’d share my answer with all of you guys.
On the North-South Trail with the Providence County Hiking Club
I’m assuming you’re all local, but if not, a lot of this probably still applies. Here are a few of my suggestions:
- Facebook.com—Search for hiking groups here. That’s how I met a lot of the folks I hike with now.
- meetup.com—This is an excellent resource for finding hiking groups. I also find it’s a great way to find new places to hike. And it’s free.
- Appalachian Mountain Club—This will cost you a yearly membership fee, but it’s so worth it. I get newsletters from both the AMC Narragansett Chapter in Rhode Island, and the AMC Connecticut Chapter, and there are TONS of group hikes planned every month.
- Various Land Trusts—I know for sure that the Westerly Land Trust hosts weekly guided hikes. Joshua’s Trust in Connecticut does guided hikes as well. There may be other land trusts in the area that do something like that also. You can always just google “[insert town name] Land Trust” to find websites.
- Avalonia Land Conservancy—Membership is only $25 and includes a quarterly newsletter with guided hike listings in southeastern Connecticut.
Guided Avalonia Hike on Babcock Ridge in North Stonington
- Rhode Island Wild Plant Society—Every month from April to October, this group hosts what they call “First Thursday Botanizing Walks.” Fun, free, and informative, and you don’t need to be a member. Sign up on their website.
- The Connecticut Botanical Society—Again, a ton of free guided walks and trips where you can learn about native plants.
- The Connecticut Forest & Park Association—These are the folks who created and maintain the 800+ miles of blue-blazed hiking trails in the state. They offer a wealth of group hiking activities.
- Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center—This organization in Mystic, CT, also hosts guided hikes. They are generally very reasonably priced, usually $10 for non-members, with members getting a further discount.
- The Nature Conservancy—This group also hosts guided walks and hikes. Check their state-level websites for more information.
- Audubon Society of [insert state name here]—The Connecticut Audubon Society has tons of events scheduled, even for January. They cost a very reasonable $3 for non-members, and are free to members.
- In Massachusetts, I’ve joined up with activities run by the Trustees of the Reservations.
“Tri-Town Hike” With the Trustees of the Reservations
Of course, a lot of the above activity may be less frequent this time of year.
First Day Connecticut with the CT DEEP at Osborndale SP
Ultimately, by joining up with one or more of these group hikes, you’re certain to make friends and find compatible hiking partners. Hope this helps.
With the “Take-A-Hike!” FB Group in Arcadia
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