Sometimes the idea of enjoying the outdoors can be overwhelming. There is so much "tech" associated with hiking and camping that the equipment, locations and even the participants can be intimidating.
Starting anything new can feel daunting but good thing there are groups like Outerthere, Mappy Hour and Bewilder to be a helping hand in getting outdoors.
Outerthere is an outdoor adventure discovery platform. Their goal is to include everyone outdoors, to access every activity and feel welcome every time. Outerthere is kind of like a Craigslist for outdoor activities. You can search your local area for all varieties of outdoor activities. There is intro to hiking and bouldering courses, wilderness first aid courses, group hikes, kayak trips and my favorite option, hike and forest bathing meditation, among so many others.
Mappy Hour is a space for those living in cities to come together and share their passion for the great outdoors. Mappy Hours is helping to create communities to learn, share and connect around the outdoors. They offer well organized hikes, community meet ups and info events about local adventures and equipment product knowledge. They even offer a member community where you can discover and follow other members.
Bewilder is an outdoor education company based in Los Angeles. They blend art, games, story telling, and gear to introduce families to the mental and physical benefits of being outside. Founder Yvonne Leow says, spending time outside has taught her that life isn’t a series of lists. It’s a sandbox where we can learn, explore, heal and create. I think my favorite offering from Bewilder is the “Itineraries” section. They have a big variety of well detailed, self-guided trips. Bewilder provides so much good info for each trip- drive times, fees involved, local hikes, key points of interest and even gear recommendations and meal and snack ideas.
https://www.bewilder.club/itineraries
Outerthere, Mappy Hours and Bewilder all have the common denominator that being outdoors is healthy and they help to make it fun and easy to participate.