The beautiful hiking trails in Atlanta take hikers to gorgeous river gorges, deep into tranquil forest groves, along bamboo shaded trails, and to the top of towering peaks with sweeping views of the beautiful forest valley. With such a wide array of hiking areas, there is a lot of local interest in hiking. Hikers have created Atlanta hiking clubs and organizations to build a stronger local hiking community.
This is a list of the top 8 hiking groups in Atlanta. These Atlanta hiking clubs and hiking organizations are formed by local hikers to help build a stronger hiking community. There are definitely more than the 8 listed here, so use this list as a starting point to explore the local hiking organizations.
- Georgia Outdoor Club – 10,780+ members
- Georgia Adventurers Group – 8,890+ members
- Atlanta Outdoor Club South – 5,680+ members
- Atlanta African American Adventurers – 5,150+ members
- SINGLES OUTDOOR ADVENTURES (SOA) 45+ – 4,150+ members
- Off The Grid Adventures – 3,770+ members
- Outdoor Afro Atlanta – 2,380+ members
- Atlanta LGBTQ Hikers – 440+ members
Georgia Outdoor Club
Cost to Join: Free
Location: Atlanta, GA
Link: https://www.meetup.com/Georgia-Outdoor-Club/
Description: Georgia Outdoor Club is for people who want to meet fun people doing fun things all over Georgia. They welcome all skill levels and host events for hiking, hanging out, and grabbing a beer afterwards. This group has hosted over 320+ events in the past and typically has one event each month.
Georgia Adventurers Group
Cost to Join: Free
Location: Atlanta, GA
Link: https://www.meetup.com/GeorgiaAdventurersGroup/
Description: Georgia Adventurers Group is for those that want to get out of the house and explore the outdoors. They host events for hiking, backpacking, camping, kayaking, canoeing, caving, and other outdoor activities. They have hosted over 4,380+ events in the past and generally have multiple events each week.
Atlanta Outdoor Club South
Cost to Join: Free
Location: Atlanta, GA
Link: https://www.meetup.com/Atlanta-Outdoor-Club-South/
Description: Atlanta Outdoor Club South is for those that want to hike, bike, and paddle throughout the beautiful South. They have hosted over 3,160+ events in the past and typically have one event each month.
Atlanta African American Adventurers
Cost to Join: Free
Location: Atlanta, GA
Link: https://www.meetup.com/Atlanta-African-American-Adventurers/
Description: Atlanta African American Adventurers is for African Americans who want more outdoor adventures ranging from hiking, zip-lining, horseback riding, rafting, biking, camping, and more. This group has hosted over 960+ events in the past and typically has one event each month.
SINGLES OUTDOOR ADVENTURES (SOA) 45+
Cost to Join: Free
Location: Atlanta, GA
Link: https://www.meetup.com/SINGLES-OUTDOOR-ADVENTURES/
Description: SINGLES OUTDOOR ADVENTURES (SOA) 45+ is for those interested in hiking, camping, rafting, canoeing, kayaking, biking, and more. This group is for those that are 45 and older, but anyone that is 21 and older is welcome. This group has hosted over 1,490+ events in the past and has multiple events every week.
Off The Grid Adventures
Cost to Join: Free
Location: Atlanta, GA
Link: https://www.meetup.com/Off-The-Grid-Adventures/
Description: Off The Grid Adventures is a friendly group of female outdoor enthusiasts of all experience levels from all over the Southeast. They organize events for day hiking and backpacking trips that range from beginner to advanced hikers. They also do a mix of camping, kayaking, and educational workshops. This group has hosted over 790+ events in the past and typically has one event each week.
Outdoor Afro Atlanta
Cost to Join: Free
Location: Atlanta, GA
Link: https://www.meetup.com/Outdoor-Afro-Atlanta/
Description: Outdoor Afro Atlanta is a community that reconnects African-Americans with natural spaces through outdoor activities such as hiking, camping, biking, birding, fishing, and more. This group has hosted over 380+ events in the past and generally has two or three events each month. This group is hosted over 10+ events in the past and typically has or or two events each month.
Atlanta LGBTQ Hikers
Cost to Join: Free
Location: Atlanta, GA
Link: https://www.meetup.com/Atlanta-LGBTQ-Hikers/
Description: Atlanta LGBTQ Hikers is a group for any hiking enthusiasts in the LGBTQ community. This group will help you discover Atlanta’s hidden hiking gems, make new friends, and get a good workout.
Why should you join an Atlanta hiking group?
No Planning Required
The local Atlanta hiking clubs and organizations will bring many benefits to the table. The first and one of the best benefits is that they do all of the hike research for you. They figure out the trailhead, trail distance, elevation, and difficulty. All you have to do is show up and hike. This makes it easier to relax as someone else is handling all of the logistics for you. You can join multiple hiking groups and pick from the hikes that seem the most interesting instead of researching a bunch of trails by yourself.
Habit Building
The next benefit Atlanta hiking cubs and organizations provide is they can help you on building a hiking habit. You can join groups that have either multiple hiking events weekly or just one event each week. With more options, you can pick events that fit your schedule. This will help with keeping your hiking legs and staying in hiking shape.
Explore New Trails
Another great benefit Atlanta hiking groups provide is the ability for you to discover new hiking trails. There are so many trails to hike, so it can be easy to miss some or feel overwhelmed. The local hiking groups will organize and pick trails for you to hike that can be completely new to you. This is an easy way to find new hiking trails and explore new areas with other hikers in the area.
3 things to consider when joining an Atlanta hiking group
Required Fitness Level
Before joining an Atlanta hiking group there are a number of things you should consider. The first thing you should think about is what your current fitness level is and what the requirement is from the groups you are looking at. If you have ever hiked with others and felt like you were either going too slow or too fast then you understand what groups are trying to avoid. Look at the group’s event description to see what fitness level they expect so you can find a good match with where you currently are with our hiking fitness.
Types of Hikes
The next thing you should consider is the types of hikes the group leans towards. There are groups that organize hikes that are more casual and relaxing and groups that prefer to hike more challenging and strenuous hikes. Attending both types of groups is a great way to mix things up and alternate between relaxing hikes and more challenging hikes.
Types of Activities
Another consideration to think about is the type of activities the group organizes. There are groups that not only host hiking events, but also camping, backpacking, kayaking, canoeing, and more. This is a great way to expand into other outdoor activities. There is also a range of hiking types from local urban trails to the toughest trails in the Sierras. If you are looking for a wide variety of outdoor events then joining a local group is a good way to get started.
Summary
While hiking in and near Atlanta, you will be on trails that go beneath giant bamboo trees, through winding forest paths, along serene river-fronts, and to the top of massive peaks with breathtaking views. While Atlanta hiking trails will take you to beautiful outdoor areas, these trails are even better when shared with the new hikers you will meet from these hiking groups.
The list of hiking groups above is only the beginning for Atlanta hiking clubs and hiking organizations. As you attend more hiking events and gain more experience, your hiking goals and interests will likely evolve over time. As this happens you can try out new groups that align with your new goals and new interests. Enjoy all of your hikes with local Atlanta hikers!