Miami hiking trails brings hikers to beautiful emerald waters, to the shores of tranquil marshes, along gorgeous coastal views, deep in the shaded forest groves, and to the base of majestic coral reefs. Having such great hiking trails means there is a lot of hikers located in Miami. A few local hikers have gone on to create Miami hiking clubs and organizations. This has helped bring together thousands of hikers and create a stronger hiking community.
Here is a list of the top 8 Miami hiking clubs. Each one of these groups will provide a unique experience and culture. You will be able to meet hikers from all over the city with all skill levels ranging from beginner to more advanced hikers. Check out these groups to find local hikers to hit the trails with!
- Go Outdoors Adventures – 10,600+ members
- Florida Trail Association – Big Cypress Chapter – 1,990+ members
- Get Out There Adventures – 7,255+ members
- Florida Paddlers & Trekkers – 2,450+ members
- Florida Trail Association – Happy Hoofers Chapter – 2,695+ members
- 45 plus- Walks and Hikes in South Florida – 2,290+ members
- Outdoor Afro – Miami – 790+ members
- “The Outsiders” – 910+ members
Go Outdoors Adventures
Cost to Join: Free
Location: Miami, FL
Link: https://www.meetup.com/goflorida/
Description: Go Outdoors Adventures is a group about outdoor activities such as hiking, running, biking, kayaking, standup paddle boarding, and more. This group welcomes all experience levels. This group has hosted over 2,180+ events in the past and typically has multiple events each week.
Florida Trail Association – Big Cypress Chapter
Cost to Join: Free
Location: Miami, FL
Link: https://www.meetup.com/BigCypress/
Description: Florida Trail Association – Big Cypress Chapter is an outdoor adventure and eco-volunteering group. They host activities such as hiking, backpacking, camping, biking, and paddling. They focus on outdoor activities in South Florida. This group has hosted over 75+ events in the past and generally has one event every few months.
Get Out There Adventures
Cost to Join: Free
Location: Pompano Beach, FL
Link: https://www.meetup.com/getoutthereadventures/
Description: Get Out There Adventures is a group to enjoy the great outdoors and making and enjoying being with friends. Their activities take place in Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties.They do many outdoor activities such as hiking, walking, biking, sailing, snorkeling, scuba diving, and much more. This group has hosted over 2,250+ events in the past and typically has many events throughout each week.
Florida Paddlers & Trekkers
Cost to Join: Free
Location: Hollywood, FL
Link: https://www.meetup.com/Florida-Paddlers-and-Trekkers/
Description: Florida Paddlers & Trekkers is a group to paddle, hike, backpacking, and bike all over Florida. They provide training trips local to South Florida, but their main focus is to get out into the wilds. They have hosted over 670+ events in the past and typically have one or two events every month.
Florida Trail Association – Happy Hoofers Chapter
Cost to Join: Free
Location: Fort Lauderdale, FL
Link: https://www.meetup.com/HappyHoofers/
Description: Florida Trail Association – Happy Hoofers Chapter is an outdoor adventure and eco volunteering group. They do activities such as hiking, backpacking, camping, biking, and paddling events throughout the year ranging from easy to strenuous, local to regional. This group has hosted over 100+ events in the past and typically has one event each month.
45 plus- Walks and Hikes in South Florida
Cost to Join: Free
Location: Pompano Beach, FL
Link: https://www.meetup.com/45-plus-Walks-and-Hikes-in-South-Florida/
Description: 45 plus- Walks and Hikes in South Florida welcomes all but focuses on ages 45 and up. This is a great group for 45 and seniors in South Florida and near Miami. The purpose of the group is to enjoy the great outdoors with others. They prefer to hike in Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach communities. This group has hosted over 1,300+ events in the past and typically has or or two events each month.
Outdoor Afro – Miami
Cost to Join: Free
Location: Miami, FL
Link: https://www.meetup.com/Outdoor-Afro-Miami/
Description: Outdoor Afro – Miami, Ft. Lauderdale West Palm Beach is a community that reconnects African-Americans with natural spaces and one another through outdoor activities ranging from hiking, biking, birding, fishing, and more. They have hosted over 70+ events in the past and typically have one or two events every month.
“The Outsiders”
Cost to Join: Free
Location: Boca Raton, FL
Link: https://www.meetup.com/theoutsidersofsfl/
Description: “The Outsiders” is a group of individuals that are lovers of all things outdoors. They like to host events for hiking, biking, camping, paddling, backpacking, and more. They welcome all skill levels from beginners to advanced. This group has hosted over 540+ events in the past and typically hosts one event every few months.
Why should you join a Miami hiking group?
No Research Required
Your number one reason for seeking out a local hiking group is likely to go hiking and meet other like-minded hikers, however, there are many other wonderful benefits. The first benefit you get from joining is there is no research required for hikes. The group organizers will research all of the hike details for you from the trailhead, distance, elevation gain, and trail difficulty. Now, all you need to do is pick the hike that sounds the most interesting and just show up to enjoy the hike! This is a nice break if you are used to gathering all of the details and logistics for all of your hikes.
Learn New Skills
Another great benefit of joining a Miami hiking group is that you will likely learn new skills. There are some hiking groups that provide formally organized workshops to teach members about hiking skills, first aid, camping, backpacking, and much more. This is a great way to build on your skills and get exposure to other outdoor topics. You can also learn and share hiking tips from other members regarding hiking gear, nutrition, fitness, and so much more!
Trail Discovery
The third benefit of joining a local group is you will be able to discover new hiking trails. There are so many trails to hike that it is easy to skip over some. Since locals are organizing these hiking events you will be introduced to hidden gems that only locals know about. There may be some trails that aren’t online or maybe some you might not normally chosen to hike. Joining a group will have you on new trails and meeting new people!
3 things to consider when joining a Miami hiking group
Average Attendance
Joining a Miami hiking club or organization can be very exciting, however, there are a few things you should think about before attending your first event. The first and one of the most important things is the average attendance per event. Although some groups can have massive membership numbers, their actual attendance could be low. The opposite can be true too, a group can have low membership numbers, but their actual attendance could be high. This is possible because of how old some groups are. There are groups that are many years old that have members that joined and left. Check out the group’s most recent past events to see what the average attendance has been.
Pacing
Another major consideration you should look into is what pace the group prefers to hike at. There are some hiking groups that focus mostly on fitness and training, so they will prefer to hike at a very quick pace. On the opposite end, there are some groups that focus on rest and relaxation and they will prefer to hike at a slower pace. Be sure to look at the group’s description and hiking description to figure out what pace they expect their members to hike at.
Frequency
One thing you should definitely look into is how frequently the group hosts events. If you are looking to join a group and hike more consistently, then this is the one thing you need to look at. The frequency of events varies from group to group where some groups will host multiple events a week and some will only host one event each month. Check out the group’s past events in order to figure out how often their events are.
Summary
The wonderful hiking trails in and around Miami will take you to sparkling turquoise waters, among the vast beautiful marshes, to the glittering shores of serene creeks, beneath the cover of massive forest trees, and right next to the gorgeous coast. While these hiking trails are amazing on their own, they are even better if shared with other local Miami hikers that you will meet through these hiking groups.
The list of hiking groups above is only just scratching the surface. There are many other Miami hiking clubs and organizations for you to check out. As you attend more hiking events and gain more experience, your interests will likely change. As your interests evolve over time you can explore new groups and meet new hikers that match your new interests. Enjoy all of your hiking adventures with these local Miami hiking groups.