The Boston area has many wonderful hiking trails in and near the city. There are trails that transport hikers to beautiful harbor views, to wonderful views of the river gorges, deep into the densely shaded forests, and to the stunning panoramic views of towering mountains. . With Boston being home to such a wide variety of hiking trails, it is also home to a large number of hikers who love and enjoy the local trails. These hikers have created and joined many hiking clubs and organizations for you to check out.
Here is a list of the top 8 hiking groups available for you to check out. These 8 groups each have unique goals and events that create a diverse hiking community in Boston. Each of these groups will differ in size, culture, focus, and other aspects, so check out multiple groups to find one that fits best. Use this list as a starting point to check out some of the many great hiking groups located in Boston.
- Boston Outdoor Adventures – 13,890+ members
- The Boston Hiking Meetup Group – 10,290+ members
- Random Group of Hikers – 6,690+ members
- Blue Hills Hiking Club – 5,830+ members
- Breakheart Reservation Walking and Hiking Group – 5,445+ members
- Hike the Middlesex Fells – 4,140+ members
- Boston Queer Adventurers – 2,600+ members
- Bay State Outdoor Trekkers – 2,330+ members
Boston Outdoor Adventures
Cost to Join: Free
Location: Boston, MA
Link: https://www.meetup.com/Boston-Outdoor-Adventures/
Description: Boston Outdoor Adventurers is the largest outdoor group in Boston. They host events for hiking, biking, skiing, snowboarding, and other outdoor activities. They have hosted a staggering 1,380+ events in the past with multiple events each week.
The Boston Hiking Meetup Group
Cost to Join: Free
Location: Boston, MA
Link: https://www.meetup.com/boston-hiking/
Description: The Boston Hiking Meetup Group is to help hiker share hiking ideas, get together for hiking and walking, and get to know some of the New England mountains. They have hosted more then 2,020+ events in the past with multiple events each week.
Random Group of Hikers
Cost to Join: Free
Location: Boston, MA
Link: https://www.meetup.com/rndmhkrs/
Description: Random Group of Hikers is for those that are interested in hiking from day trips to multi-backpacking trips They also do other outdoor activities such as biking, kayaking, skiing, and other fun activities. They have hosted an astonishing 2,570+ events in the past with typically two or three events each month.
Blue Hills Hiking Club
Cost to Join: Free
Location: Milton, MA
Link: https://www.meetup.com/Blue-Hills-Hiking/
Description: Blue Hills Hiking Club is for those interested in hiking in the Blue Hills.They have organized a mind-blowing 5,840+ events in the past with multiple events each week.
Breakheart Reservation Walking and Hiking Group
Cost to Join: Free
Location: Boston, MA
Link: https://www.meetup.com/Breakheart-Walking-Club/
Description: Breakheart Reservation Walking and Hiking Group is for casual fitness walking and hiking through the Breakheart Reservation. They have organized over 300+ events in the past and generally have one event each week.
Hike the Middlesex Fells
Cost to Join: Free
Location: Boston, MA
Link: https://www.meetup.com/Hike-the-Middlesex-Fells/
Description: Hike the Middlesex Fells is for those interested in hiking ranging from beginners to advanced hikers. They have hosted an amazing 1,790+ events in the past and have multiple events throughout the week.
Boston Queer Adventurers
Cost to Join: Free
Location: Boston, MA
Link: https://www.meetup.com/queeradventures/
Description: Boston Queer Adventurers is for queer and queer friendly people to get together to hike, camp, kayak, laser tag, and other fun social activities. This group has hosted over 320+ events in the past with typically one event each month.
Bay State Outdoor Trekkers
Cost to Join: Free
Location: Boston, MA
Link: https://www.meetup.com/Bay-State-Hiking-Meetup/
Description: Bay State Outdoor Trekkers is for anyone that is interested in hiking and other outdoor activities throughout the year. They focus mainly on hiking, but also do other outdoor activities like kayaking and biking. They have hosted over 730+ events in the past and generally have multiple events each week.
Why should you join a Boston hiking group?
Education
Hiking groups in Boston will take you on awesome hikes and they offer many great benefits. The first benefit you will get is learning more about hiking whether it be directly or indirectly. Attending many events you will meet hikers of varying experience and skill levels. You can learn through observation and directly asking others about their gear, pacing strategies, hydration plan, and nutrition plans. Some hiking groups will even offer workshops to teach you about hiking gear, backpacking, camping, and more.
Backpacking
If you are just used to hiking and have an interest in expanding to backpacking then joining certain Boston hiking groups can help you get started with backpacking or dive deeper if you have already had experience. There are groups that focus on backpacking trips for beginners and more experienced hikers. They go on trips near the city, at local state parks, national parks, and even international backpacking trips. This is a great way to get help from others or join an established group to go backpacking.
Consistency
Joining a local hiking group can help with one other key factor which is consistency with hiking. If you are looking to be more consistent with hiking then you can check out multiple groups to find one that matches your schedule. There are groups that hike on weekdays and groups that hike on weekends. There are even some groups that will hike at the same exact time and day each week.
3 things to consider when joining a Boston hiking group
Meeting Location
While hiking Boston hiking groups have many benefits, there are a few things you should consider before joining. The first thing you should consider is the meeting location of the group. The last thing you want to do is join a group and they are consistently meeting up on the opposite side of Highway 90. Find a group that meets up at a convenient location for you so that you can arrive seamlessly and avoid traffic.
Meeting Days
Another important thing to think about is when are the days the group meets up. There are some groups that prefer to meet on weekends only and some that purposely organize on the weekday nights. With a wide variety of days of the week to choose from you have great flexibility in attending events that match up with your schedule. As your schedule evolves over time you can join different groups that have a better schedule fit.
Event Types
Although you may be looking for a group to hike with right now, over time you might want to expand to backpacking, camping, or other outdoor activities. Some groups will solely focus on hiking, while others will also do social events such as dinners or going to a bar. The goals and energy of these groups will be drastically different, but it is good to mix it up every now and then!
Summary
The many sights Boston takes hikers to from the shores of lovely harbors, along the alluring bends of rivers, into serene forest groves, and to the top of astonishing peaks. These views and experiences Boston trails have to offer are amazing, but they are even better when shared with new hiking friends.
The list above is only just the beginning. While some of these groups may be the largest hiking group in Boston, there are definitely more than 8 hiking groups that are worth checking out. As you gain more experience on your hikes and your interests evolve, so too can the groups you choose to hike with. Enjoy all of your hikes with local Boston hiking groups.