Charlotte is home to breathtaking views of river gorges, tranquil forests, alluring lakeshores, sweeping panoramic views, and many other awe-inspiring views on the trails. Having so many great trails and hiking areas means there is a large amount of hiking interest from hikers in the city. As a result, there are many great hiking groups available for you to check out.
Here is a list of the top 8 hiking groups in Charlotte. Each group has its own unique goals and vision for its members. As your experience level grows on your outdoor adventures, you will likely be able to find hiking groups that align with your new goals and interests. Use this list as a launching point for checking out Charlotte hiking groups.
- Charlotte Piedmont Hiking Club – 11,630+ members
- Reedy Creek Hiking, Exploration, & Wellness – 4,210+ members
- Charlotte Outdoor Adventures Meetup – 3720+ members
- Carolina Trail Runner & Mountain Biker Group – 2,940+ members
- Outdoor Afro Charlotte – 2,130+ members
- Exercise and Excursion with Blue Blaze Brewing – members
- Rogue Dames of North Carolina – 1,640+ members
- Hike For Beer (Charlotte) – 1,175+ members
Charlotte Piedmont Hiking Club
Cost to Join: Free
Location: Charlotte, NC
Link: https://www.meetup.com/Hiking-Charlotte/
Description: Charlotte Piedmont Hiking Club is for outdoor enthusiasts who enjoy hiking, walking, exploring nature, and making new friends. They welcome beginners and experienced trail blazers alike They have hosted over 1,190+ events in the past with multiple events each week.
Reedy Creek Hiking, Exploration, & Wellness
Cost to Join: Free
Location: Charlotte, NC
Link: https://www.meetup.com/reedyhikers/
Description: Reedy Creek Hiking, Exploration, & Wellness is for people who enjoy the great outdoors and want to hike, explore, and talk about the surroundings. This group has hosted a staggering 1,470+ events in the past with multiple events each week.
Charlotte Outdoor Adventures Meetup
Cost to Join: Free
Location: Charlotte, NC
Link: https://www.meetup.com/Charlotte-Outdoor-Adventures-Meetup/
Description: Charlotte Outdoor Adventures Meetup is for open-minded individuals from different walks of life who like to hike, kayak, rock climb, eat out, and more. This group has hosted more than 610+ events in the past with typically one event each week.
Carolina Trail Runner & Mountain Biker Group
Cost to Join: Free
Location: Charlotte, NC
Link: https://www.meetup.com/CarolinaTrail/
Description: Carolina Trail Runner & Mountain Biker Group is for anyone who enjoys trail running, mountain biking, and hiking. This group has hosted more than 1,000 events in the past with events each week.
Outdoor Afro Charlotte
Cost to Join: Free
Location: Charlotte, NC
Link: https://www.meetup.com/Outdoor-Afro-Charlotte/
Description: Outdoor Afro Charlotte is a community that wants to inspire black connections with nature and one another through hiking, camping, biking, birding, and other outdoor activities. They have organized over 170+ events in the past with typically two or three events each month.
Exercise and Excursion with Blue Blaze Brewing
Cost to Join: Free
Location: Charlotte, NC
Link: https://www.meetup.com/Exercise-and-Excursion-with-Blue-Blaze-Brewing/
Description: Exercise and Excursion with Blue Blaze Brewing of for those looking to stay active and get outdoors while making friends and exploring Charlotte. They typically host events for hiking, yoga, bootcamp, and backpacking. They have organized over 140+ events in the past with at least one event each week.
Rogue Dames of North Carolina
Cost to Join: Free
Location: Charlotte, NC
Link: https://www.meetup.com/Rogue-Dames-of-North-Carolina/
Description: Rogue Dames of North Carolina is a hiking club for all women. This group is for women who are looking to explore the outdoors in a positive and encouraging atmosphere. You can hike at your own speed and enjoy each other’s company. This group has hosted over 790+ events in the past with one event each week.
Hike For Beer (Charlotte)
Cost to Join: Free
Location: Charlotte, NC
Link: https://www.meetup.com/Hike-For-Beer-Charlotte/
Description: Hike For Beer (Charlotte) is for those interested in hiking, cool pubs, and hanging out. They typically hike a good hour or two then head over to a local brew pub. They welcome all skill levels. This group has organized over 40 events in the past
Why should you join a Charlotte hiking group?
New Challenges
Joining a Charlotte hiking group will provide you many great benefits, but one of the best benefits is that you will be able to conquer new hiking challenges. Whether it be improving your hiking stamina, hiking pace, or trying to tackle more strenuous hikes, you will have many opportunities from the abundance of hiking events that are hosted. From these events, you will be able to gain new and valuable experience as a hiker.
Hiking Friends
Many of these local hiking groups vary in size from small to large, so you will definitely be able to meet many other hikers and form friendships through the course of attending many hiking events. As your hiking interests and goals evolve over time, you can meet and find many other hikers that have similar hiking goals and work towards them together. Meeting other hikers will help you learn and grow as a hiker!
Habit Building
Another added benefit of joining a Charlotte hiking group is helping you build a hiking habit. If you are looking to hike more and be more consistent then joining these groups is perfect for that. Since there are multiple groups you can attend, you have the flexibility to attend events that are more convenient for you and work best with your schedule. There are even some groups that hike at the exact same time and day of the week to help establish that hiking habit.
3 things to consider when joining a Charlotte hiking group
Goals
There are many things to consider before joining a hiking group, but the first thing you should definitely think about is what are the group’s goals for its members. You should find a group that has goals that align with your current hiking goals. There are groups that focus on casual hikes with the goal of casual exercise and there are groups that have goals to tackle the most strenuous hikes. As your goals change over time you can join different groups that reflect the same goals as yours.
Frequency
An important factor to consider before joining a group is the group’s event frequency. If you are looking to hike more and build a hiking habit then you should find a group that meets up more often. There are some groups that only host a hiking event once a month and even some that only have events once every three months. Check out the group’s past events to determine how often they meet up.
Pacing
The third key thing to consider is how the group approaches pacing for their hikes. If you have ever hiked with a friend that goes too fast and you always felt like you needed to keep up or if you hiked with a friend you felt was going too slow then you know the struggle. Most groups will list their expected hiking pace from casual to quick. Find a group that matches your desired hiking pace so you can just hike and enjoy the trail without feeling like you need to keep up or slow down too much.
Summary
Charlotte brings hikers to remarkable views of forest valleys, serene lake views, peaceful forest paths, and many other spectacular hiking views. Having a bunch of fantastic hiking and an abundance of hiking groups available will provide you with many wonderful outdoor experiences. Attending these events will elevate your experience on the trail because the sights and sounds you encounter will be shared with others with similar interests and hiking goals.
The groups and hiking organizations on this list are great, but they are only the beginning. Be sure to check out the many other exciting and well-organized groups in Charlotte. Your interests and life will evolve over time so there will be a time when you want to check out other hiking groups. Have a safe and good time out with your new hiking groups.
