How to Find a Hiking Partner

Experienced hikers will tell you that some of the closest friends we have are those made on the trail. There’s nothing like a hiking buddy to suffer alongside you for every sweaty mile, listening to each other’s painful trail singing and occasional, “WTF!”

Have you been looking for your ideal hiking partner to laugh, cry, and rejoice with on the trail? Hiking buddies can be hard to come by, but it’s amazing when a former stranger becomes your best hiking partner.

We’ve got your back with the ultimate guide to finding new friends who love hiking, camping, and the great outdoors!

Really, solo hiking is only satisfying for so long. Hiking alone can get, well, lonely! Here are the reasons we think you’ll love having a trail buddy:

• • Feeling safer doing outdoor activities

• • Having someone to share the load (especially for overnights)

• • A partner to help if you need wilderness first aid

• • Having good company on the trail—all corny jokes aside

• • Another person navigating is much safer

• • Having a chance to sample someone else’s trail snacks

OK, maybe that last one is a bonus!

Solo hiking is a great way to get away from it all and enjoy the outdoors, but hiking friends are handy when you’re ready to tackle a challenging long trail or trek for multiple days at a time.

We love an organic hiking buddy story, but let’s be real—looking for a hiking community and finding a hiking partner can be tough! Here’s our best advice for finding awesome hiking partners:

Not everyone who hikes will have the same skill level or make a good hiking buddy for you. In other words, don’t expect to get along with everyone! It can be hard to find a good hiking partner, but part of the reason is that you have to be a little picky.

Things to keep in mind when looking for a potential hiking partner:

• Physical Fitness: Having similar physical fitness and hiking experience will make it easier to hike together and keep a similar pace. This way you’ll know even if you do separate, they’ll only be a few minutes behind.
• Positive Influence: An ideal hiking partner isn’t necessarily someone who’s exactly like you, but more importantly, someone you can have fun with and trust to make good decisions, and who’ll encourage you to do the same.
• Similar Goals: We all know that one (or maybe several) hiking chick who’s all for the suffer fest — she’s pushing boundaries and challenging her body on every trip. However, it’s also totally acceptable to just want your hiking trips to be a good, relaxing time in nature. Or maybe you’re all about finding that perfect alpine lake for a skinny dip. Whatever your priorities make sure you and your new hiking buddy are both in it for the same reasons.

Different hiking buddies may have different skill levels, so choosing a hike together is the best way to make sure everyone is on the same page.

Ready to make your new closest friends and have hiking stories for DAYS? Join Explorer Chick on the trails with one of our women’s hiking or backpacking trips!

Paula

February 8th, 2022

I am so grateful to have met this group of amazing, like-minded women and our phenomenal guide and winter-weather driver extraordinaire @Kelsey.doolittle. We all met as complete strangers in Canaan Valley, West Virginia, just a few days ago, but quickly formed a friendship through a shared love of adventure.

I came away from this weekend feeling empowered, not just by my own inclination to try new things, but by the group’s collective energy and desire to live a life that is full of new experiences and moments that make us feel challenged, yet proud and happy.

This was also my first @explorerchickadventureco trip and I’m already so excited for the next! If you’re a female looking to join a tribe of other women who enjoy exploring new places, give them a follow.