Getting Outside Together: Finding Community Outdoors
The outdoor community is full of people who feel the itch to explore– to hike or paddle or bike their way to new places. In my opinion, this community is essential to getting the most from your outdoor adventures. Read on for the top five reasons why I believe this, and suggestions for how you can find your own community in the outdoors.
Why the outdoor community is so wonderful
Having a community of friends who also love being outside gives you the opportunity to learn new skills and explore new places that others know and love. It also gives you the joy of sharing the things and places you know with others.
It’s true what they say, there’s safety in numbers. There’s nothing wrong with going on solo adventures when you are prepared (I’ve done lots of that myself!), but having a buddy or two with you is always safer. The outdoor community is a great place to find people to adventure with.
Sharing your goals with others will provide you with a source of encouragement and accountability as you work towards achieving this goal. Whether that looks like a supportive text message or having a friend along for a particularly challenging hike to pump you up as you climb, who doesn’t love having encouragement?
Selfies are great, but sometimes it’s nice to have all of you in the frame with the amazing view. There have been countless times where complete strangers have offered to take my picture, which not only got me great pictures but also broke the ice for interesting conversation with people I otherwise may not have met. That’s community right there.
Sometimes I enjoy the peace and serenity of having a beautiful spot in nature all to myself, but other times I love having someone to share that with. We don’t even have to talk much though sometimes we do. Sometimes just knowing that someone else is seeing the same amazingness I’m seeing is enough to increase my joy.
How to find your outdoor community
Community is not always the easiest to find or create. But here are my top suggestions for how to find people who love the outdoors as much as you do:
Facebook groups. There are probably millions of Facebook groups out there, some for absolutely anyone, and others for a more specific subset of people. My favorite that I am in is a group for women who hike the Appalachian Trail. A simple search can start your journey to finding good ones for you. It is important to note that some are way better than others, not all are the friendly, non-toxic groups we’re aiming for, so please be mindful of that and leave any groups you don’t enjoy.
Climbing gyms. Enjoy climbing or want to try it out? Climbing gyms are excellent places for that. Some gyms have a belay buddy system where they connect people looking for someone to climb with. It’s also easy to strike up a conversation about a route, and that can quickly lead to a new friendship.
Yoga studios. Similar to climbing gyms, yoga studios are another place full of people who enjoy a particular activity or are at least interested in trying new things. This commonality makes starting a conversation a little easier and can break the ice for other topics.
Outfitters. Local outfitters and places like REI often have information about local outdoor groups or organize trips themselves to get people learning skills and exploring together.
Encourage your existing friends to try things with you. It’s always great to make new friends, but you can also create outdoor community by inviting your current, non-outdoorsy friends to do things with you. Who knows, they may love it and now you have friends to adventure with!
Just get out there. Like I’ve said before, sometimes it’s great to explore solo so long as you are knowledgeable and prepared enough to do that safely. While you’re out there, chat with the people you see (maybe offer to take their picture so they don’t have to take a selfie!) and you may come away with new friends. Even if you never see those people again, you may have a temporary community as you enjoy the same section of the world. I’ve been encouraged so many times by random strangers that I just started talking to while on a hike. Never saw them again, but really enjoyed their company for a short time.
The biggest thing about finding community is not being afraid to put yourself out there–start conversations with strangers (safely of course), ask questions. Having a community of people that you can plan and dream with, who can encourage you along your adventures, makes a world of difference in the outdoor experience.
