Hiking in and around Baltimore will take hikers to shores of alluring lakes, around serene bay views, through peaceful forest paths, and to splendid waterfalls. These inspiring views attract a lot of local interest in hiking. Some of these local hikers have created Baltimore hiking clubs and organizations.
Here is a list of the top 8 Baltimore hiking groups for you to explore. Each of these groups will have unique leadership and goals. You will be able to meet many other like-minded hikers and explore a variety of different hiking trails together. Use this list as the starting point to explore local hiking groups.
- 20s and 30s Hiking Around Maryland – 11,580+ members
- Maryland Hiking Group (20’s-40’s) – 9,780+ members
- Hiking Around Baltimore (HAB) – 8,040+ members
- The Baltimore Hiking Meetup Group – 5,160+ members
- Maryland Hiking and Adventuring – 3,460+ members
- Baltimore Queer Hike – 1,315+ members
- Baltimore Outdoor Walk/Easy Hike – 480+ members
- 65 and Older Outdoor Group – 120+ members
20s and 30s Hiking Around Maryland
Cost to Join: Free
Location: Baltimore, MD
Link: https://www.meetup.com/20s-and-30s-Hiking-Around-Maryland/
Description: 20s and 30s Hiking Around Maryland offers local hiking on the weekends. These hikes range from 2 to 12 miles from easy to hard. This group has hosted over 1,270+ events in the past and typically has multiple hiking events each week.
Maryland Hiking Group (20’s-40’s)
Cost to Join: Free
Location: Baltimore, MD
Link: https://www.meetup.com/MarylandHikingGroup/
Description: Maryland Hiking Group (20’s-40’s) is a diverse group of people and despite their name they have no age requirement to join. The group is named 20’s-40’s because that is mostly what the group is made of. They organize a lot of outdoor events ranging from hiking, rock climbing, soccer, backpacking, camping, fishing, and more. This group has hosted over 1,510+ evens in the past and typically has multiple events each week.
Hiking Around Baltimore (HAB)
Cost to Join: Free
Location: Baltimore, MD
Link: https://www.meetup.com/HikingAroundBaltimore/
Description: Hiking Around Baltimore (HAB) is a group to those dedicated to hiking, biking, camping, and other outdoor activities. This group has hosted over 2,060+ events in the past and typically hosts multiple events every week.
The Baltimore Hiking Meetup Group
Cost to Join: Free
Location: Baltimore, MD
Link: https://www.meetup.com/hikebaltimore/
Description: The Baltimore Hiking Meetup Group is a group to meet other local outdoor enthusiasts. They focus on leaving no trace and organize hiking, camping, backpacking, and gear exchange events. This group has hosted over 430+ events in the past and typically hosts one or two events each month.
Maryland Hiking and Adventuring
Cost to Join: Free
Location: Baltimore, MD
Link: https://www.meetup.com/marylandhikingandadventuring/
Description: Maryland Hiking and Adventuring is an easygoing inclusive hiking group. Most of their hikes are in Central Maryland. They welcome all skill levels and have hikes for beginners which are around 4 miles on easy terrain. They also have hikes planned for moderate and strenuous difficulty for more experienced hikers. This group has hosted over 1,030+ events in the past and they typically have multiple events each week.
Baltimore Queer Hike
Cost to Join: Free
Location: Baltimore, MD
Link: https://www.meetup.com/Baltimore-Queer-Hike/
Description: Baltimore Queer Hike is for queer, trans, non-binary, two spirit, GNC, LGBT identified folks who enjoy hiking around Baltimore and beyond. Most of their hikes are easy to moderate and range from three to five miles. This group has hosted over 80+ events in the past and typically has one event each week.
Baltimore Outdoor Walk/Easy Hike
Cost to Join: Free
Location: Baltimore, MD
Link: https://www.meetup.com/Baltimore-Outdoor-Walk-Easy-Hike/
Description: Baltimore Outdoor Walk/Easy Hike is created to provide you with walking exercise, smelling fresh air, and meeting new people. This group has hosted over 30+ events in the past and typically host two or three events each month.
65 and Older Outdoor Group
Cost to Join: Free
Location: Baltimore, MD
Link: https://www.meetup.com/baltimore-photo-walks-meetup-group/
Description: 65 and Older Outdoor Group is a group for those young at heart seniors 65 and older that want to enjoy outdoor adventures. They organize events such as photo walks, day trips, biking, and social get-togethers. If you are looking for a senior Baltimore hiking group then this is for you. This group has hosted 5+ events in the past and typically have one event each month.
Why should you join a Baltimore hiking group?
New Challenges
Most hikers seek out hiking groups to meet other local hikers and to get out more, but there are some other benefits you will encounter. The first benefit of joining a Baltimore hiking group is that you will be able to face new and exciting challenges. Whether you are trying to get into hiking shape, tackle strenuous trails, or hike at high elevations, you will likely be able to join a group to help you face those challenges. Joining a group is a great way to tackle these exciting challenges as you will have experienced hikers that can guide and support you during these new challenges.
New Activities
Another wonderful benefit of joining a hiking group is you will be able to participate in new outdoor activities. Most groups will mainly focus on hiking, but some will organize outdoor activities ranging from camping, backpacking, climbing, kayaking, and more. This is a great way to be introduced to new activities as you will have the help and guidance of the group organizers to teach you new skills.
New Trail Discovery
The third benefit of joining a hiking group is you will likely hike new trails you have never heard of. The group organizers will plan, research, and host many different hiking events. You will be able to choose from local trails, out-of-town trails, out-of-state trails, and more. This is a great way to expand your hiking areas and learn about completely new trails.
3 things to consider when joining a Baltimore hiking group
Frequency
As you start to explore Baltimore hiking groups there are three things you should consider before attending your first event. The first thing you should look into is how often the group organizes events. If you are looking to attend events on a recurring basis then find a group that has weekly events. There are groups that plan events weekly, some monthly, and some every few months. The best way to find out how often they are planning events is to look at their past events to see what their frequency is.
Meeting Days
The next thing you should consider is what days the group prefers to host its events. There are groups that only have events on weekdays and some that only have events on weekends. If you join both types of groups then you can have events to choose from during the entire week. Again, look at the past events and you can see what days the group plans its events.
Required Experience
The next and one of the most important things to consider is the required experience of the group. If you have ever been on a hike where you feel like you are going too fast or you are trying to keep up then you know why this is important. There are groups that cater to beginning hikers and groups that focus on hikes for the more advanced hikers. Look at the group’s description and event descriptions to see what they expect when it comes to required experience.
Summary
As you hike on trails in and around Baltimore you will be able to see awe-inspiring lake views, wonderful waterfalls, uplifting bay views, and dramatic views of the surrounding areas. These sights are elevated when experienced with other hikers you will meet from these Baltimore hiking groups.
The list above is only eight of the many hiking groups in Baltimore. As you hike more hikes and learn new skills, your hiking interests will likely change as time passes. When your interests evolve over time you can start to explore new hiking groups that align with your new interests. Enjoy all of your hiking adventures with the local Baltimore hiking groups!
