Hiking trails in and around Nashville transport hikers to delightful river trails, lovely lake views, tranquil forest groves, and the impressive sweeping views of the tallest peaks. Having such an abundance of natural sights and hiking trails attracts the interest of many hikers. These hikers have created or joined local Nashville hiking groups which are available for you to check out. Each of these groups has a unique energy and goals and many hikers you can create many wonderful outdoor memories with.
Below is a list of the top 8 Nashville hiking groups. The groups will vary in size, goals, and the types of activities they do. As you learn and experience more as a hiker you can try out different hiking groups that align with your latest hiking interests. Use this list as a starting point to explore local Nashville hiking clubs and organizations.
- Nashville Hiking Meetup – 21,140+ members
- Tennessee Hiking Group – 6,185+ members
- Nashville Backpacker Meetup – 5,610+ members
- Middle Tennessee Hiking Meetup – 3,240+ members
- Tails of the Trail – 2,350+ members
- Mellow Hiking and Camping – 1,350+ members
- Outdoor Afro-Nashville – 880+ members
- OUTdoors: Nashville Gay Backpacking, Hiking & Camping – 650+ members
Nashville Hiking Meetup
Cost to Join: Free
Location: Nashville, TN
Link: https://www.meetup.com/nashville-hiking/
Description: Nashville Hiking Meetup is a group to get exercise through hiking, make new friends, respect the environment, give back to the community, and laugh a lot. This is the largest hiking group in Nashville. They have hosted a staggering 5,175+ events in the past with multiple events each week. They do mostly hiking events but also have paddling and other social events.
Tennessee Hiking Group
Cost to Join: Free
Location: Nashville, TN
Link: https://www.meetup.com/TennesseeHikingGroup/
Description: Tennessee Hiking Group is for people who enjoy hiking, caving, camping, backpacking, and other outdoor activities. They do hikes in Tennessee, North Georgia, South Central Kentucky, North Alabama, and other nearby states. This group has hosted over 2,070+ events in the past with multiple events each week.
Nashville Backpacker Meetup
Cost to Join: Free
Location: Nashville, TN
Link: https://www.meetup.com/NashvilleBackpacker/
Description: Nashville Backpacker Meetup is to meet others in Nashville and Middle Tennessee and beyond that are interested in backpacking. They do monthly meetings to discuss hiking gear from tents, hammocks, packs, stoves, and more. They also of course do backpacking events with over 640+ events hosted in the past. They typically have one event each week.They have hosted over 460+ events in the past with typically one event each week.
Middle Tennessee Hiking Meetup
Cost to Join: Free
Location: Nashville, TN
Link: https://www.meetup.com/Middle-Tennessee-Hiking-Outdoor-Meetup/
Description: Middle Tennessee Hiking Meetup is for those that want to hike in Middle Tennessee, mostly in the Cumberland Plateau and Cumberland Mountains. They also do longer overnight hikes every now and then.
Tails of the Trail
Cost to Join: Free
Location: Nashville, TN
Link: https://www.meetup.com/Tails-of-the-Trail/
Description: Tails of the Trail is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to act as a community outreach program. They partner with local animal shelters and rescues to take the dogs on hikes and to socialize. They have organized over 215+ events in the past and generally have two or three events a month.
Mellow Hiking and Camping
Cost to Join: Free
Location: Nashville, TN
Link: https://www.meetup.com/Mellow-Hiking-and-Camping/
Description: Mellow Hiking and Camping is a beginner weekday hiking, primitive camping, and easy exercise focused group. They prefer easy and beginner friendly hikes on the weekday. They have hosted over 40+ events in the past with one event every few months.
Outdoor Afro-Nashville
Cost to Join: Free
Location: Nashville, TN
Link: https://www.meetup.com/Outdoor-Afro-Nashville/
Description: Outdoor Afro-Nashville is a community that reconnects African-Americans with the outdoors through activities such as hiking, camping, biking, birding, fishing, and other activities. They have hosted over 60+ events in the past with typically one event each month.
OUTdoors: Nashville Gay Backpacking, Hiking & Camping
Cost to Join: Free
Location: Nashville, TN
Link: https://www.meetup.com/OUTdoors-Nashville-Gay-Backpacking-Hiking-Camping/
Description: OUTdoors: Nashville Gay Backpacking, Hiking & Camping is the Middle Tennessee LGBTQ adventure club. They like to hike, backpack, and camp in the local area. This group has hosted over 20+ events with typically one or two events each month.
Why should you join a Nashville hiking group?
Build your Hiking Fitness
Nashville hiking groups will present to you many great benefits. One of the best benefits is that you will likely build and improve your hiking fitness. The more events you check out the more consistent you will be working on your hiking fitness level. You can tackle more strenuous hikes with these groups or you can hike more frequently by attending hiking events throughout the week. The best way to get into shape for hiking is to hike.
Build a Routine
Another great benefit of joining a Nashville hiking group is you will be able to build a routine. There are some groups that will meet on the same day and time each week. This can help you establish a hiking routine and stay in hiking shape. If you are a seasonal hiker then this is very helpful as it will get you to hike more consistently and throughout the year. This way you can maintain and improve fitness and test out more hiking gear.
Explore New Areas
With so much hiking near Nashville it can be easy to skip over certain hiking areas. By joining a local hiking group you can be introduced to completely new hiking areas or hidden trails. These groups will research and organize hiking events from the trailhead, distance, difficulty, and elevation gain. All you have to do is show up and explore these new trails!
3 things to consider when joining a Nashville hiking group
Frequency of Events
Before you dive into these hiking groups there are a number of factors to consider. The first and probably the most important is the frequency of events. There are some groups that have weekly events every weekend and there are some that have larger excursions once every few months. BE sure to look at the group’s past events to determine how often they meet and how consistent they are.
Group Goals
The next key thing to consider is finding out what the goal of the group is for its members. There are groups that focus on relaxation and casual hiking, there are others that focus on strenuous and challenging hikes, and there is some that focus on fast-paced long mile hikes. Check out what types of hikes the group prefers so that you can match your current preferences and goals with there’s. Try out many different groups to see which one is the most enjoyable.
Group Attendance
Another major factor to think about is group attendance. Despite the number of members for certain groups being very large, the main number to research is how many attendees they have per event. There can be groups with large members but most of them could be inactive. If you are looking for smaller more intimate hikes then looking at the number of potential attendees will immediately tell you how many people plan on going to the hike.
Summary
Nashville is home to many amazing hiking trails that bring you to rocky riverbeds, wonderful lake trails, serene forest trails, and breathtaking panoramic views of the forest valley. These splendid sights and sounds are great to hike, but they are even better when shared with new friends. Nashville has many hiking groups that will help you create new memories and explore new trails.
The list above is only the beginning of your journey of exploring Nashville hiking clubs and organizations. As you continue to hike and explore more, be sure to check out the many other hiking groups that are available to you. Have a great time attending hiking events and meeting other local hikers!
