Thinking of Joining a Hiking Group? Here's Everything You Need to Know

 

Do you know what a hiking club is?  While hiking clubs can have a number of different meanings, a hiking club is most commonly used to describe a group of individuals who go hiking on a regular basis, often in groups.  If you are an avid hiker or if you just enjoy hiking, you may want to think about joining a hiking club.

As mentioned above, hiking clubs are typically used to describe groups of individuals who have an interest in hiking.  Most of the time, you will find that members of a hiking club go hiking together. This is ideal for a number of reasons. For one, it is enjoyable and exciting to hike with another person who likes hiking just as much as you do. There is also a need to discuss safety when hiking.  When you hike with a group of people, especially experienced hikers, you are less likely to have an accident or to find yourself in a position to be injured.

In addition to going on hikes in the traditional sense with each other, there are also many members of hiking clubs that travel to hiking trails or hiking parks that are not local. Frequently, these trips also entail camping or hotel accommodations.  One of many reasons that hiking clubs undertake such long distance hiking trips is that the group members can split the cost of doing so. What does this mean for you? It means that if you would enjoy going on long distance hiking trips, but you have no friends or family members who would be interested in going with you, you may want to think about becoming a member of a hiking club. 

As we examine all of the positives of becoming a member of a hiking club, we must remember that not all hiking clubs are created equal. There are hiking clubs where the only thing the members do is get together for the hikes, but there are also hiking clubs that go well beyond that.  For instance, there are hiking clubs that meet monthly or even weekly. The meetings are often used to plan hiking trips, discuss the latest in hiking apparel fashion, etc. There are even hiking clubs that use fundraisers, like car washes or chicken barbeques, to pay for their hiking excursions. In all honesty, you will find that the benefits you are given will all differ depending on what hiking club you choose to join.

As for choosing a hiking club, when choosing a hiking club, there are some important factors that you will want to remember. For one, you will find that the majority of hiking clubs require their members to pay minimal monthly or yearly fees. You will want to find a hiking club that is inexpensive. You will also want to think about your schedule. Do you have time to attend all monthly or even weekly meetings?  If your hiking group has scheduled meetings, you will want to attend them, not just attend the scheduled hiking trips. This will enable you to get to know who you will be hiking with and vice versa.

If you are interested in becoming a member of a hiking club, you can try to see if you have any local hiking clubs in your area first.  Depending on where you live or if you have a hiking trail or hiking park near you, there is a good chance that you will probably have a local hiking club or even more than one for you to choose from. You can usually find out about local hiking clubs either online or by asking people you know for recommendations.  If you are still out of luck, you may want to try calling the staff at a local hiking park to determine if they know of any hiking clubs in the region. As you can see, hiking clubs are great ways to share your love of hiking with other people who have the same interest in it as you do.  Although there is a good chance that you will be able to locate a hiking club that you can become a part of, you can always start your own, if you wish to do so.