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Outdoor organizations and clubs for women: a 2026 directory

By GO! Editorial Team ·October 16, 2026

Finding your people outside is often harder than finding the trail. A group gives you partners for the hike you would not do alone, instructors who explain the gear without talking down to you, and a place where nobody asks why you are there. Women’s outdoor groups, and the broader affinity communities many women join, exist for exactly that reason.

This domain once hosted a directory of women’s outdoor organizations. Many of the groups in that era have since changed their names, merged or stopped running programs. This page is a fresh, current directory. Before listing any group, we opened its official website and looked for programs, events or reports dated 2025 or 2026. Groups we could not confirm as active are left out, and we explain why at the end. Descriptions come from each organization’s own site; check with them directly for dates, costs and eligibility, because those change every season.

Quick directory

Women’s programs: courses, trips and skills

Women’s Wilderness

Women’s Wilderness is a nonprofit based in Boulder, Colorado. Older directories often list it as the Women’s Wilderness Institute. It describes its mission as creating space for girls, women and non-binary people of all ages to find their place in the outdoors.

• What it does: adult programs (backpacking, camping, hiking and workshops), summer courses for youth in grades 3–12 ranging from Front Range day camps to overnight backpacking trips in Colorado and Wyoming, and custom programs for partner groups.
• Recent activity: its fall 2026 calendar lists a community 5K on October 3, a swim clinic and a queer ecology outing with Boulder open space staff in October, and a women’s film festival in Boulder on November 14, 2026.
• Cost help: financial aid is available for both adult and youth courses, and several events use a sliding scale.
• Best for: women and non-binary adults on the Front Range who want guided trips with a strong focus on confidence and community.

Youth programs for girls

GirlVentures

GirlVentures is an Oakland-based nonprofit that combines outdoor adventure with social and emotional learning. It serves girls and gender-expansive youth, including trans, non-binary and gender non-conforming young people.

• What it does: summer expeditions by grade (kayaking, backpacking and climbing courses for youth entering grades 6–12, including affinity courses), an after-school climbing mentorship program, weekend kayaking and coastal ecology outings, and custom courses for schools and community groups.
• Recent activity: its site promotes a Trailblazers’ Night fundraiser on October 15 and a 2026 annual campaign.
• Cost help: tuition is on a sliding scale, and the organization says it provides clothing, equipment and food to participants. No prior experience is required.
• Where: programs are designed for Bay Area youth; all courses start and end in Oakland.

Girl Scouts of the USA

Girl Scouts is the largest program on this list and the easiest to find near you. Outdoor programming runs through local councils, which operate camps and offer outdoor badges by age level, from simple campouts for younger girls to primitive camping and wilderness skills for older ones.

• What it does: troop camping, council-run day and overnight camps, and outdoor badge events. Councils posted 2026 events such as an April 2026 outdoor adventure campout and summer 2026 camp sessions.
• How to start: use the council finder on the national site to find your local council and its camp calendar.
• Note: the national program is changing. Girl Scouts retired its Journeys program on October 1, 2026, and now points older girls to new leadership awards. Check your council’s site for the current outdoor badges.
• Best for: families who want a structured, nationwide program with camps nearby.

Affinity networks open to all genders

These two organizations are not women-only. They are included because many women find their first outdoor community through them, and both are run largely by volunteer leaders in local chapters.

Outdoor Afro

Outdoor Afro is a national nonprofit focused on Black connections to nature. Its stated goal is to nurture Black wellness, belonging and joy outdoors.

• What it does: monthly trips led by trained volunteers, the Making Waves program that connects people with free beginner swim lessons, seasonal programs around Black History Month and Juneteenth, and an app for finding trips and community.
• Where: four regional networks (Northeast, Midwest, South and West), with headquarters in Oakland, California.
• Recent activity: its site lists 2025 Black History Month and Juneteenth programs and an open call for volunteer leaders.

Latino Outdoors

Latino Outdoors is a Latine-led organization that connects communities to the outdoors while centering culture, family and heritage. It welcomes people of any background and gender.

• What it does: local outings (Vamos Outdoors), family and youth programming (Semillitas Outdoors), storytelling and an annual photo contest, advocacy on public lands access, and a jobs board for outdoor careers.
• Where: chapters in states including California, Texas, New Mexico, Washington and Nevada, plus Miami.
• Recent activity: its site lists October 2026 outings and an August 2026 national campout for volunteer leaders.

Climbing communities

Brown Girls Climb

Brown Girls Climb supports climbers who are People of the Global Majority. It began with a focus on women of color, and its memberships are reserved for women and genderqueer people of color.

• What it does: meetups and mentorship, intro-to-climbing classes, discounted or free day passes and gear rentals at partner gyms, scholarships and leadership programs, and a private community app.
• Membership: there is a free entry-level membership and a paid premium level with extra benefits.
• Recent activity: its 2025 impact report is published, and its homepage is fundraising for 2026 outdoor programs.

Flash Foxy

Flash Foxy is a climbing community for women and genderqueer climbers, including trans and gender non-conforming people.

• What it does: an annual climbing festival in Bishop, California (held March 13–15, 2026), mini festivals in Kentucky’s Red River Gorge and New York’s Gunks (October 2026), and an education program with courses taught by AMGA-certified instructors.
• Courses: topics run from intro to outdoor climbing to rescue skills and multi-pitch. Courses use a sliding scale, and full scholarships are available for most of them.
• Best for: climbers who want to learn outdoor skills in a women-and-genderqueer setting, or simply climb with a crowd that looks like them.

Online communities

Several online communities that once anchored this space have paused or stopped publishing. The She Explores website remains up as an archive, but its podcast released its final episode in July 2023. The Unlikely Hikers community announced in April 2025 that it was staying on break. Their archives are still worth reading, but they are not running events.

For now, the most active online spaces are the ones attached to the groups above: the Outdoor Afro app, the private Brown Girls Climb community app, and the newsletters most of these organizations send. Local Facebook and Meetup groups for women hikers also exist in most metro areas; quality varies, so look for clear leaders, a code of conduct and recent events.

How to choose a group

1. Start with what you want to do. Hiking, climbing, paddling and camping groups attract different people and need different gear. If you are new to hiking, read our guide to women’s hiking boots before your first group outing.
2. Check who the group is for. Some groups are women-only, some include non-binary and genderqueer people, and some are affinity groups open to all genders. The organization’s own “about” page usually says this plainly.
3. Look for recent activity. A calendar with upcoming dates, a recent newsletter or a current year’s impact report is a good sign. A blog that stopped years ago usually means the group has moved or wound down.
4. Ask about leaders and safety. Good groups say who leads trips, what training leaders have, and how they handle emergencies.
5. Ask about cost help. Many nonprofits on this list offer sliding-scale fees, scholarships or free gear. You often only need to ask.
6. Go once before you commit. A single day outing or meetup tells you more about the culture than any website.

FAQ

Are there outdoor groups just for women in the US?

Yes. Women’s Wilderness in Colorado runs programs for women and non-binary adults, and Flash Foxy and Brown Girls Climb center women and genderqueer climbers. For girls, GirlVentures and Girl Scouts run youth programs.

How do I find a women’s hiking group near me?

Start with the national networks that have local chapters, such as Outdoor Afro, Latino Outdoors and your Girl Scouts council. Then search for local women’s hiking groups on Meetup or Facebook, and check that they list recent events and named leaders.

Do I need experience to join?

Usually not. GirlVentures says no prior experience is needed, Brown Girls Climb offers intro classes, and Flash Foxy runs intro-to-outdoor-climbing courses. Ask the group which trips suit beginners.

Are these groups free?

Some activities are. Outdoor Afro connects people with free beginner swim lessons, Brown Girls Climb has a free membership level, and several organizations offer sliding-scale fees or scholarships. Multi-day courses and expeditions usually have a fee, with financial aid available.

Not included, and why

We left out groups we could not confirm as active in 2025–2026. The Unlikely Hikers community and the She Explores podcast are paused or archived, as noted above. We could not verify current activity for Women Who Hike, Outdoor Women’s Alliance, Native Women’s Wilderness, Fat Girls Hiking or Girls Who Hike, either because their sites did not load or because they showed no dated recent activity. If you run one of these groups and are active, let us know and we will review it for the next update.