The trails in and near Albuquerque bring hikers to ancient petroglyphs, through towering canyons, through the serene desert trails, past beautiful wildflower fields, and to the top of rugged peaks offering sweeping views of the surrounding valley. Having such an abundance of beautiful hiking trails attracts many local hikers. Some of these local Albuquerque hikers have created Albuquerque hiking clubs and organizations to create a stronger hiking community.
This is a list of the top 8 hiking groups in Albuquerque. Each of these hiking groups will provide a unique culture and experience. They each have their own goals and missions for hikers. Some groups prefer local urban hikes, while others will go backpacking on other nearby state and national parks. Use this list as a launching pad for checking out Albuquerque hiking groups.
- The Albuquerque Hiking and Outdoor Meetup – 4,940+ members
- ABQ Co-ed Biking, Hiking & Activities Group – 5,060+ members
- WOW WE (Way Out West – Westside Explorers) – 1,582+ members
- Awesome Hikes, Activities and Events – 690+ members
- New Mexico Mountain Club – 630+ members
- Gay Outdoors-New Mexico Meetup Group – 550+ members
- NM Women Adventure Outdoors – 460+ members
- Minorities In The Outdoors – 410+ members
The Albuquerque Hiking and Outdoor Meetup
Cost to Join: Free
Location: Albuquerque, NM
Link: https://www.meetup.com/hiking-204/
Description: The Albuquerque Hiking and Outdoor Meetup is for those that want to meet other local hiking enthusiasts who enjoy the wilderness and hiking in the mountains. This group welcomes all hiking fitness levels. They do a mix of casual hikes and timed hikes.This group has hosted a staggering 6,690+ events in the past and typically has multiple events each week.
ABQ Co-ed Biking, Hiking & Activities Group
Cost to Join: Free
Location: Albuquerque, NM
Link: https://www.meetup.com/ABQ-CoEd-Biking-Hiking-Activities-Group/
Description: ABQ Co-ed Biking, Hiking & Activities Group is for beginner to medium level co-ed activities. They do a mix of hiking, running, jogging, biking, backpacking, camping, and local activities. This group has hosted over 1,690+ events in the past and typically has many events throughout the week.
WOW WE (Way Out West – Westside Explorers)
Cost to Join: Free
Location: Albuquerque, NM
Link: https://www.meetup.com/WOW-Way-Out-West-Westside-Explorers/
Description: WOW WE (Way Out West – Westside Explorers) is a group for people who would like to experience New Mexico and its amazing varied enchantments. They prefer to explore places less traveled, enjoy physical exercise, and make new friends. This group has hosted over 2,140+ events in the past and typically has two or three events every month.
Awesome Hikes, Activities and Events
Cost to Join: Free
Location: Albuquerque, NM
Link: https://www.meetup.com/Awesome-Hikes-Activities-and-Events/
Description: Awesome Hikes, Activities and Events is for those who want to enjoy the outdoors with other local hikers. They have organized over 120+ events in the past ranging from hiking, camping, and cabin trips. They typically have two or three events each month.
New Mexico Mountain Club
Cost to Join: Free
Location: Albuquerque, NM
Link: https://www.meetup.com/NMMountainClub/
Description: New Mexico Mountain Club is a club that wants to foster hiking and rock climbing in New Mexico. Their strength is its members who share their skills and knowledge of special places with others. This group does a mix of hiking and rock climbing. They have organized over 1,175+ events in the past and typically have multiple events throughout the week.
Gay Outdoors-New Mexico Meetup Group
Cost to Join: Free
Location: Albuquerque, NM
Link: https://www.meetup.com/Gay-Outdoors-New-Mexico-Meetup-Group/
Description: Gay Outdoors-New Mexico Meetup Group is a group of gay men who are outdoor enthusiasts looking to encourage others to explore the outdoors. They organize events such as hiking, biking, backpacking, kayaking, and more. They have hosted over 340+ events in the past and typically have a one or two events each month.
NM Women Adventure Outdoors
Cost to Join: Free
Location: Albuquerque, NM
Link: https://www.meetup.com/NM-Women-Go-Outdoor-Adventuring/
Description: NM Women Adventure Outdoors is a group of women who want to get outside to explore New Mexico and beyond. They offer outdoor outings such as hiking, backpacking, biking, snowshoeing, kayaking, and more. They do outings in the state, at national parks, and beyond. This group has hosted over 260+ events in the past and typically have many events throughout the week.
Minorities In The Outdoors
Cost to Join: Free
Location: Albuquerque, NM
Link: https://www.meetup.com/Minorities-In-The-Outdoors/
Description: Minorities In The Outdoors is a group that provides comfort in knowing that other minorities participate in winter and summer activities such as hiking, skiing, snowboarding, rock climbing, camping, and more. They welcome all skill levels. This group has hosted over 100+ events in the past and generally has one event each month.
Why should you join an Albuquerque hiking group?
No Trip Planning Required
By joining an Albuquerque hiking group you will be provided with many great benefits. The first benefit is you won’t have to do any trip planning. The groups will research and organize all of their hiking events and provide information on the trailhead, trail distance, elevation gain, and difficulty. This is great because all you need to do is pick hikes that sound the most interesting and just show up.
Discover New Trails
Another wonderful benefit of joining a hiking group is you get to discover new trails. There are so many hiking trails that it is easy to miss out on some or skip over some. By attending local hiking events you will be able to discover hidden gems that are only known by locals. You can also join groups that do hikes in and out of the state to hike entirely new areas.
Work on Fitness
The third benefit of joining an Albuquerque hiking group is you can work on your fitness with others. With so many hiking groups to pick from you get great flexibility in choosing which events to attend. This makes it very convenient as there will likely be hiking events throughout the week, so you can pick one that matches your schedule. You can hike more hikes and pick more challenging hikes all while getting the support of other local hikers.
3 things to consider when joining an Albuquerque hiking group
Group Pacing
While the hiking groups provide many great benefits, there are some things you should consider. The first thing you should look into is the preferred hiking pace the group has. There is a wide range of paces these groups focus on ranging from the more slow and casual hikes to the quick and strenuous hikes. Find a group that matches your hiking pace so you can enjoy the trails at your pace.
Hiking Locations
The next thing you should think about is where the group prefers to hike. There are groups that only hike urban and very local trails, while there are others that prefer the most remote and rugged trails in other states. Since groups will vary in where they prefer to hike, this means you can get a wide array of exposure to completely new hiking areas, but if you are just starting out choose a group that hikes more local trails and then branch out from there.
Meeting Days
The third and one of the most important things to look at is what days the group chooses to meet on. There are groups that only hike on the weekends and there are groups that only hike on the weekdays. Look at the group’s past events to see what their preference is. This is beneficial as you can join a mixture of groups that hike on the weekdays and weekends. This will allow you more flexibility to attend multiple events each week.
Summary
The hiking areas in and around Albuquerque will take you to towering volcanoes, through gorgeous wildflower fields, along giant canyon walls, and to the top of the areas most challenging peaks offering rewarding views of the valley. Although these trails offer amazing views and experiences, they are elevated when shared with other hikers you will meet at these hiking groups. The bond and experience of hiking a trail together will help create lasting memories.
The list above only just scratches the surface for Albuquerque hiking clubs and organizations. As you gain more experience as a hiker and attend more events, your interests will likely change. As time passes you can find new hiking groups that match your new interests. Enjoy your time out on the trails with the local Albuquerque hiking groups!
