There are a lot of people who'd like to camp, hike, and spend more time in wild places. But it's not always as simple as just getting out there. Often, how we feel about outdoor activities is influenced by whether we have people in our lives we feel comfortable and safe adventuring with.
If you identify as BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, people of color) and have experienced outdoor adventures as being less than inviting or accessible, you're not alone: A recent survey conducted by camping giant KOA of 4,000-plus households noted that a leading reason non-white people surveyed don't camp is that they feel unsafe or don't have friends to explore with. Similar themes are at play regarding public parks and recreation programs.
Finding diverse adventure communities can help reduce discomfort or anxiety and give you new friends to plan weekend exploration with. Here's a list of outdoor organizations specifically for BIPOC adventurers to connect with folks of all hues as they discover new outdoor adventures.
1. Hunters of Color
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Only 3% of U.S. hunters are BIPOC—but this nonprofit group based in Corvallis, Oregon, seeks to change that. Hunters of Color offers education and mentorship programs to bring more people of color into the hunting community and dismantle the barriers to entry that keeps a lot of people out. They hope that by inspiring the next generation of hunter-conservationists, their community can reclaim ancestral heritages, preserve hunting traditions, challenge stereotypes, and conserve treasured environmental resources.
2. Brown Girls Climb
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Founded by doctor and cancer survivor Favia Dubyk, Brown Girls Climb strives to celebrate representation in climbing for "people of the global majority." It envisions a climbing community that honors complex histories and truths, and it centers the experiences and voices of those most impacted by colonization and industrialization. Join their digital community for tips, resources, and guides to bouldering, belaying, and everything in between.
3. Native Women's Wilderness
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Inspiration, amplification, and encouragement are at the heart of this organization, based in Boulder, Colorado. The founder and leadership team work to sustain an active online community of Native women who love to explore their sacred and ancestral lands while learning about themselves alongside one another.
4. Melanin Basecamp
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A robust online resource library, Melanin Basecamp provides resources for and by the BIPOC community about everything from kayaking and mountain biking to rock climbing and camping. Its database is filled with Black, Latine, Asian, Indigenous, and 2SLGBTQ+ adventurers who are actively growing their social and in-person networks. It's a great place to connect with other diverse outdoor enthusiasts!
5. Black Girls Trekkin
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This non-profit organization based in Los Angeles is a self-proclaimed safe space for Black women to discover how to overcome challenges together—while inspiring them to spend time outdoors, appreciate nature, and protect the planet. They aim to host two to three hikes, outdoor adventures, or other events monthly in and around Southern California. Insiders with a newsletter subscription opt in to event reminders—and a sisterhood.
6. Outdoor Asian
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With sub-communities in Oregon, Vermont, Washington, Colorado, and Los Angeles, Asian and Pacific Islanders from coast to coast can connect both digitally and in person over a shared love of rafting, tide pooling, climbing, camping, biking, and mushroom foraging.
7. Latino Outdoors
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"Somos Comunidad," says the site of this active, diverse community, which seeks to inspire, connect, and engage Latino communities while embracing "cultura y familia." Members can look forward to participating in walks, rides, and runs that meet up in New York City, San Francisco, D.C., Sacramento, Tucson, and myriad other cities while paying tribute to the history, heritage, and leadership of Latine communities.
8. Vibe Tribe Adventures
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With chapters in 12 states, this group is based in Aurora, Colorado, but holds events worldwide. Here, people of color can connect to participate in group hikes, educational sessions on conservation and wildlife, and training for aspiring "14er" climbers who are learning to summit peaks.
9. Textured Waves
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Founders Chelsea Woody, Danielle Black Lyons, and Martina Duran created this all-black, all-female collective specifically to give voice to, and increase the visibility of, women of color in surfing. Now nearly 30,000 followers strong on social media, they host meetups and have a strong community of women who seek their extensive resources on haircare and self-care by the sea.
10. Black Outside
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The mission is simple: Reconnect Black youth to the outdoors. This organization, based in San Antonio, Texas, takes the idea of reconnection one step further by working with passionate members who've encountered the transformational experiences of hiking, fishing, and surfing—and passing on their enthusiasm to up-and-coming generations to pay it forward. This multi-generational mentorship model means increased—and visible—representation, as well as opportunities for early, impactful memory-making among young explorers.
READ MORE: 13 Hunting and Fishing Organizations Worth Following and Joining
