San Jose is world-famous for tech and innovation, but within and around the city lies an abundance of fantastic hiking. Trails in San Jose take hikers to majestic views of rolling hills, under the cover of blanketed trees, to the shores of serene lakes, and to sweeping views of the beautiful coast. Having many hiking areas and hiking trails to choose from leads to a large interest in Hiking from locals. Many of these hikers have formed hiking groups and clubs that you can join.
Below is a list of the top 8 hiking groups available to you in San Jose. Each group will provide a unique experience through their different goals, group sizes, and hike choices. As you gain more hiking experience and time passes you can try out different groups that align with your current hiking goals and interests. This list is meant as a launching point for you to check out San Jose hiking groups as there are definitely way more groups for you to check out.
- Sleep Late and Hike – 12,660+ members
- Sierra Club Hiking Meetup – 5,920+ members
- Bay Area Hiking And Anything Fun – 5,140+ members
- San Jose Mid-Week Hikers Group – 4,395+ members
- Singleaires Hiking Activity Group – 1,860+ members
- Sunnyvale Hiking and Camping – 1,120+ members
- San Jose Hiking Meetup Group – 990+ members
- Take a Hike – Coed hiking group – 960+ members
Sleep Late and Hike
Cost to Join: Free
Location: Palo Alto, CA
Link: https://www.meetup.com/SleepLateAndHike/
Description: Sleep Late and Hike is for those that are interested in spending more time on the weekends in nature and explore more of the Bay Area. The key difference for this group is that it is for afternoon people and walking at a moderate pace. This group has hosted over 730+ events in the past with one event each week.
Sierra Club Hiking Meetup
Cost to Join: Free
Location: Sunnyvale, CA
Link: https://www.meetup.com/Sierra-Club-Hiking-Meetup/
Description: Sierra Club Hiking Meetup is for those interested in in town and out of town hiking trips, organized workshops to learn more about outdoor skills and the environment, and more. This group has organized a stagger 1,470+ events in the past with typically one event each week.
Bay Area Hiking And Anything Fun
Cost to Join: Free
Location: San Jose, CA
Link: https://www.meetup.com/AnythingFun/
Description: Bay Area Hiking And Anything Fun is all about having a great time with others through hiking, running, biking, walking, and many other active activities. This group has organized a staggering 4,877 events in the past with multiple events each week.
San Jose Mid-Week Hikers Group
Cost to Join: Free
Location: Palo Alto, CA
Link: https://www.meetup.com/San-Jose-Mid-Week-Hikers-Group/
Description: San Jose Mid-Week Hikers Group is a group formed to accommodate hikers who want to go on organized hikes in the middle of the week. They encourage all hiking levels. This group has hosted over 2,860+ events in the past with multiple events each week. This group has organized over 990 events in the past with one event each month.
Singleaire’s Hiking Activity Group
Cost to Join: Free
Location: San Jose, CA
Link: https://www.meetup.com/Singleaires/
Description: Singleaires Hiking Activity Group hosts hiking events and social events. This group is for the Singleaires activity section of the Loma Prieta Chapter of the Sierra Club, but their hiking events are open to the public. They have organized over 990+ events in the past with one event each month.
Sunnyvale Hiking and Camping
Cost to Join: Free
Location: Sunnyvale, CA
Link: https://www.meetup.com/Sunnyvale-Hiking-Camping/
Description: Sunnyvale Hiking and Camping is for those who want to enjoy hiking with some occasional camping. They hike in the South Bar, East Bay, Peninsula, and San Francisco. This group has hosted over 110+ events in the past with multiple events each week.
San Jose Hiking Meetup Group
Cost to Join: Free
Location: San Jose, CA
Link: https://www.meetup.com/San-Jose-Hiking/
Description: San Jose Hiking Meetup Group is a group that focuses on hiking around San Jose and occasionally other parks in the bay area. This group has hosted over 2,950+ events in the past with multiple events each week.
Take a Hike – Coed hiking group
Cost to Join: Free
Location: San Jose, CA
Link: https://www.meetup.com/take-a-hike-coed-hiking-group/
Description: Take a Hike – Coed hiking group is for anyone interested in hiking, camping, and other outdoors activities. They welcome all skill levels. This group has organized 20+ events in the past with one event each week.
Why should you join a San Jose hiking group?
Habit Building
If you’re like me then hiking can be a very seasonal thing where you hike a lot during the summer and spring months, but in the winter and holiday seasons, you just take a break. By joining a local group you can turn hiking into a habit. There are many groups that have multiple hiking events a week which will make it easy for you to pick a hiking event around your schedule. This will help you build a good hiking habit so you can maintain your hiking legs. The next time your friends invite you on a hiking adventure, you’ll be ready!
New Challenges
If you are new to hiking or you want to change up the types of trails you hike on then joining a San Jose hiking group can help you step out of your comfort zone and present you with fun new challenges. There are hiking groups that focus on hiking at a faster pace or tackling more strenuous and challenging hikes. By attending these groups you can push your limits and challenge yourself with the support of others.
New Friends
When I started looking for hiking groups, my initial goal was to just hike more, but the more events I joined, the more I found myself making good hiking friends. With each group having its own vibes and energy you can try out multiple groups until you find one that matches your personality and interests. Attending many events will eventually lead you to meet good and possibly even life-long friends!
3 things to consider when joining a San Jose hiking group
Event Size
Before you join a San Jose hiking group, one of the most important factors to consider is the event size. If you are looking for a smaller and more intimate group setting then check out the group’s past events to see the average number of attendees. Or if you are looking for a larger group for each event then you can check that too. Keep in mind the number of members per group does not mean larger events or smaller events. This can vary from group to group depending on how active and consistent the group is.
Intensity
The next thing to consider before joining a hiking group is what is the group’s intensity? There will be some hiking groups that love and enjoy tackling 4,000-foot elevation gain summits and hike at a 3 mile per hour pace and there will be other groups that prefer a casual 1 to 2-mile lakefront hike. You will be able to determine what the group expects and enjoys based on the group’s description and hiking itinerary.
Frequency
Another key thing to consider before joining a group is how often they meet up. If you are trying to build a hiking habit then finding groups that organize events weekly is very important. The cadence of the events will vary from group to group with some groups hosting multiple events a week and some only hosting one event a month.
Summary
San Jose is home to ample hiking trails that bring hikers to sweeping panoramic views of gorgeous green and yellow hills, through tranquil tree-covered trails, around beautiful blue lakes, and to stunning ocean views. These sights and sounds of nature are wonderful but are even better when shared with new friends. San Jose has many great hiking groups for you to join that will lead you to these awesome hiking trails and experiences.
This list of top 8 San Jose hiking groups is just the beginning and should be seen as just scratching the surface. There are many other hiking groups and hiking clubs available for you to check out. As you grow as a hiker, you may grow out of certain hiking groups and that is just fine. There will be other groups that match your current hiking goals and interests. Enjoy all of your hiking adventures in San Jose!
