The hiking in and near Pittsburgh offers hikers a fantastic variety of trails and views. These hiking trails transport hikers to beautiful riverfront views, right up to lovely waterfalls, beneath the serene cover of the alluring forests, and to the top of mountains offering stunning views of the surrounding areas. These wonderful hikes generate a lot of hiking interest from locals. Some of these locals have gone on to create Pittsburgh hiking clubs and organizations to help build a strong hiking community.
Here is a list of the top 8 Pittsburgh hiking groups you should check out. Each of these hiking groups will offer unique leadership and perspective. The goals and members you encounter will be diverse and offer fantastic outdoor experiences. Use this list as a starting point to check out local Pittsburgh hiking groups.
- The Pittsburgh Hiking Meetup Group – 9,600+ members
- Explorer Chicks of Pittsburgh – 3,260+ members
- Hiking Club Of Raccoon Creek – members
- Steel City Curb & Trail Society – Walking / Hiking Group – 1,790+ members
- South Hills of Pittsburgh Hiking Group – 1,290+ members
- Pittsburgh Hikers – 1,140+ members
- Pittsburgh Slowpokes Walking Group – 640+ members
- – members
The Pittsburgh Hiking Meetup Group
Cost to Join: Free
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Link: https://www.meetup.com/pittsburghhikers/
Description: The Pittsburgh Hiking Meetup Group is for those that like to spend time outdoors. This group is run by volunteer leaders who love the outdoors and want to get people outside. This group organizes day hikes and night hikes. They have hosted over 5,350+ events in the past and typically have multiple events throughout each week.
Explorer Chicks of Pittsburgh
Cost to Join: Free
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Link: https://www.meetup.com/Explorer-Chicks-of-Pittsburgh/
Description: Explorer Chicks of Pittsburgh is for chicks that dig the outdoor and adventurous life and love to travel. This group organizes many out of state hikes at national parks and even international backpacking trips. This group has hosted over 300+ events in the past and typically have one event each week.
Hiking Club Of Raccoon Creek
Cost to Join: Free
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Link: https://www.meetup.com/Hiking-Club-Of-Raccoon-Creek/
Description: Hiking Club Of Raccoon Creek is for those that want to enjoy one of Western PA’s hidden gems. They meet at Racoon Creek State Park to hike and explore the park’s 44 miles of trails. This group has hosted over 390+ events in the past and typically has multiple events each week.
Steel City Curb & Trail Society – Walking / Hiking Group
Cost to Join: Free
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Link: https://www.meetup.com/SteelCityCurbAndTrailSociety/
Description: Steel City Curb & Trail Society – Walking / Hiking Group is for those that want to walk the streets and hike the trails of the city of Pittsburgh. You can meet new people and enjoy the outdoors right in town. They also do happy hour hikes. This group has hosted over 90+ events in the past and typically has one event each month.
South Hills of Pittsburgh Hiking Group
Cost to Join: Free
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Link: https://www.meetup.com/Newbie-Walking-Hiking-Group/
Description: South Hills of Pittsburgh Hiking Group is for those that want to get in shape and explore some cool walking trails and other areas of South Pittsburgh. This group has hosted over 1,130+ events in the past and generally host multiple events each week.
Pittsburgh Hikers
Cost to Join: Free
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Link: https://www.meetup.com/meetup-group-KILFzqRE/
Description: Pittsburgh Hikers is for social hikers that like to talk and hike simultaneously. This is a friendly and lively group. They also welcome leashed puppies on the hikes. They like to take lesser known trails often. This group has hosted over 220+ events in the past and typically host multiple events every week.
Pittsburgh Slowpokes Walking Group
Cost to Join: Free
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Link: https://www.meetup.com/Pittsburgh-Slowpokes/
Description: Pittsburgh Slowpokes Walking Group is for people who struggle to keep up with other walking or hiking groups. They walk at a pace comfortable for all participants. They allow faster walkers to go ahead and meet back up, but no one will be left behind. They like to organize hikes on moderate terrain with some hills, but not tough ones unless noted. This group has hosted over 45+ events in the past and typically has multiple events each week.
Outdoor Afro Pittsburgh
Cost to Join: Free
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Link: https://www.meetup.com/Outdoor-Afro-Pittsburgh/
Description: Outdoor Afro Pittsburgh is a community that reconnects African-Americans with natural spaces and one another through outdoor activities such as hiking, biking, birding, fishing, camping and more. This group has hosted over 35+ events in the past and typically has one or two events each month.
Why should you join a Pittsburgh hiking group?
New Trails
Most people seek out local hiking groups to meet other hikers and go on more hikes, but there are also other reasons you should join a hiking group. The first reason you should join a group is that you will encounter many new hiking trails. The group organizers will research and plan all of the hikes. So all you need to do is just show up. You will be able to hike new local trails and even out-of-town trails you might have never even heard of.
Education
Another great benefit of joining a Pittsburgh hiking group is that you will definitely learn new skills. There are some groups that have organized workshops to teach their members about camping, backpacking, hiking nutrition, first-aid, and more. This will help you become a more prepared hiker and backpacker for all of your upcoming trips. You can also learn directly from other members and share tips about hiking and gear, this is a great way to learn from many different hikers.
New Challenges
The third benefit of joining a local hiking group is that you will come across new and exciting hiking challenges. If you are looking to improve your hiking stamina or pace then joining a group can definitely help with that. There are some groups that focus specifically on hiking fitness and pacing. Or if you are looking to tackle more strenuous hikes there are also groups specifically for that. Facing these new challenges will be tough but you will be able to get support from the other members during these fun challenges.
3 things to consider when joining a Pittsburgh hiking group
Hiking Area
It may be tempting to immediately join a local hiking group, but there are some things you should think about before you go to your first event. The first thing you should look into is what hiking does the group organizes most of its events. There are a wide variety of places groups organize events ranging from local urban hikes to out-of-state day hikes. Look at the group’s past events to see where they prefer to do their hikes.
Experience Required
Another thing you should look into is the expected experience of the group’s members. There are groups that focus on helping beginners and there are also groups that are for more experienced hikers. Each group will have a completely different vibe and goals. Look at the group’s description and hiking description. Some groups may cater to everyone, but it’s important you find a good match so that you don’t feel like you are hiking too slow or too fast.
Frequency
The third thing you should look into is how often the group meets up. If you are looking to build a hiking habit or hike more then look into the frequency of events. You can see the group’s past events to determine how often they are scheduling events. There are groups that organize multiple events throughout the week, some just once a week, some once a month, and some will only have one event every few months.
Summary
The beautiful hiking trails near Pittsburgh will take you to splendid riverfront paths, delightful waterfalls, uplifting forest groves, and superb views atop the mountains. These hiking trails are wonderful but are made even better when the experience is shared with local hikers you meet from Pittsburgh hiking clubs and organizations.
The list above is only eight of the many hiking groups from Pittsburgh. As you go on more outdoor adventures and gain more experience your hiking interests will likely change over time. As your interests evolve you can start to check out other hiking groups that match your new interests. Enjoy all of your hikes with these local Pittsburgh hiking groups.
