11 Ways to Meet Other Outdoorsy Women
Whether you are looking for a new female hiking buddy, a supportive group of women with whom to learn a new outdoor skill, or girlfriends who will say YES to adventure, use my helpful tips to help you build an awesome community of outdoor women to bond with over a mutual love of nature.
When I started getting into hiking after college, there weren’t a lot of online blogs out there that I could relate to. Mostly what I found was manly men doing only Type II fun outdoor activities.
As a late outdoor bloomer, I wondered what resources and outdoor communities were out there for me. I thought creatively about how I could meet other women who shared similar outdoor interests to me like hiking and skiing.
In this post, I will share with you ways that I fostered new friendships with other outdoorsy women.
This post may contain affiliate links.
1. Sign up for an all women’s class or trip
If you’re new to the outdoors, don’t let that keep you from getting out there and meeting other women. If there’s an outdoor activity that you’re interested in, but you don’t have the skill set to get out there on your own, consider joining an all-women’s course or trip.
About five years ago, I participated in a 4-day all-women’s ski camp. I went from being a scared and intimidated skier to leading my small female pack down some of the steepest runs at Alta.
It made me feel much more confident in myself to improve my skiing skills alongside other outdoor women. I also made lots of new friends and enjoyed their company during the camp!
Here are a few companies to check that offer women-only classes and guided trips:
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2. Join outdoor women’s Facebook groups
I’ve found social media can be a powerful tool for meeting new friends. People often use sites like Facebook to join groups and interact with people who share similar interests.
When I searched for “outdoor women” on Facebook, I found that there are a number of female-only Facebook groups spread all around the nation. Some are focused on interests (like hiking) while others are focused on destinations.
Here are a few of my favorite Facebook groups to connect with outdoor women:
3. Join a climbing gym
I’ve heard some women say that they met their best female friends at the climbing gym.
If you want to find women to go climbing with, hit up your local climbing gym, and don’t be shy. Put your harness on and go up to the first group of women you see.
Tell them you’re new at the gym and ask if one of them needs a belayer. If you’re new to climbing, check out my beginner’s guide to indoor rock climbing.
4. Check local bulletin boards
Think about the common stomping grounds in your town that outdoorsy people like to hang out at and check out their bulletin boards.
In Park City, I like to see what’s happening and often look at the bulletin board postings in local cafes, public parks, and my grocery co-op. When I’m on the road in my Sprinter van, I also keep an eye out for fliers with local events to see if there are any that sound interesting.
If you’re feeling brave, leave a note that you are a woman looking for a female hiking, climbing, or biking buddy. If you’re weirded out by leaving your contact number, create a new email address to use just for this purpose.
5. Volunteer at an environmental event
You’re likely to find other outdoor women at conservation-focused volunteer events like cleanups and trail restoration. Check with your local environmental non-profits to see what events are coming up and how you can help.
When you are at the event, mingle with the other ladies who are there and spark up a conversation about your outdoor interests.
BFT Contributor Kaylin Zittergruen has tried this before. She said, “I attended a park cleanup for an outdoor organization called Keep Nature Wild. I brought a friend with me to make it a little less intimidating. I met new friends while we picked up trash, and afterward, we went to a yoga class at a brewery together!”
6. Follow women’s specific hashtags on Instagram
Just in case you don’t know how a hashtag on Instagram works, adding a hashtag to a photo is just a way to tag it with a keyword. So if you search the hashtag #outdoorwomen on Instagram, you’ll see all the photos with that hashtag. Over the past several years, a bunch of hashtags have collected millions of photos and reels.
One hashtag is #girltrek, founded by an organization that helps African American women change their lives and communities by walking outdoors together. Other popular ones are #sheexplores and #mountaingirls.
I suggest searching these hashtags and seeing what you find. Even if you don’t find people in your own community, you might make new friends on the web who could offer you encouragement and turn into real-life friends.
7. Reach out directly to women you look up to
Reach out to your favorite local female outdoor photographer, athlete, podcast host, blogger, or any other outdoor woman you look up to. Maybe they’d be willing to meet up for a coffee or even better – a hike!
Even if that’s not a possibility, my guess is they will be stoked to hear from you! You can ask to be kept in the loop if they ever organize a meet-up.
I met my friend Kat Carney on the internet! I thought she was an awesome photographer, so I liked and commented on her photos. We’ve met up three times in person on camping trips.
8. Go to local talks by outdoor women
Check your local college, library, or bookstore and see if there are any outdoor or conservation talks that you might be interested in. Particularly those run by women will draw a female audience.
Make sure to talk to the other women around you before and after the event. If you click well with someone, you can ask for their social media to keep in touch. You can also go up to the speaker at the end of the event and introduce yourself!
9. Contact your local chamber of commerce
It’s easy to forget that you have a local chamber of commerce whose entire job is to showcase events and groups in your community. Give them a ring and ask if they are aware of any female-focused community organizations that might be of interest.
Even if their events aren’t outdoor-focused, just go if there’s something you’re interested in. You never know who you’ll meet!
10. Take a solo hike
Want to find new women to hike with? Then go on a solo hike!
I’ve gone on plenty of solo hikes over the years and made lots of new friends on the trail. I usually pick a trail I’m familiar with not too far off the beaten path. I say hi, smile at people on the trail, and try to engage other females in conversation.
For example, I might ask another girl about her backpack and whether or not she likes it. If I want a picture of myself, I skip the selfie and ask the nearest group of girls if they can snap a photo for me.
Afraid of hiking alone? Check out my tips for getting over your solo hiking fears and having a successful first solo hike!
11. Be the organizer
If you normally go out to dinner with your girlfriends, take charge and suggest you go on a hike next time you get together. Maybe your female outdoor community is sitting right there in front of you – you just don’t know it yet!
Instead of happy hour, meet up at the trailhead on a Saturday morning. Or plan a weekend camping trip – memories that will last a lifetime.
I decided to take being the organizer to a whole other level when I ran a van life festival called Open Roads Fest in 2019 and 2022. It was a lot of work but totally worth it to connect with other van lifers and outdoor enthusiasts.
Frequently Asked Questions
There isn’t necessarily a single best place to meet outdoorsy people – rather, there are lots of places to connect with other outdoor lovers! I recommend signing up for a trip or an activity where you can spend time in nature with fellow outdoor enthusiasts. Other options include connecting with people on social media, joining a climbing gym, attending local events, or going on solo hikes to strike up conversations with people you encounter on the trail.
If your friends usually go out for meals or drinks, you could suggest taking your friends on their first camping trip. I’ve found that if your friends don’t typically camp, it’s best to keep the trip as stress-free and easy as possible to make it more of an enjoyable experience for everyone. You could reserve a campsite ahead of time and check if it has bathrooms and showers if this is important to your friends. If you are willing to take on a bulk of the planning and prep work (like finding the campsite, organizing the gear, planning the meals, etc.), this might make your friends more apt to go!
There are lots of ways to find people to hike with! If you want to hike with people in your community, start by searching for local groups and events where you can meet people interested in hiking. You can also search for hashtags on Instagram like #coloradohiker to see who might already be hiking near you and ask them if they’d like to meet you for a hike!
More Outdoor Tips for Women
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How have you met or formed connections with other outdoor women? Let me know your tips and stories in the comments below!
