7 İnvigorating Queer Hiking Experiences Around The World / By Evan E. Lambert / Publisher Pinktickettravel

Few things beat a full-on nature retreat. Birds chirping. The soft whistle of the wind. The jubilant cries of, “Oh she’s giving boots down, Mama” echoing across the canyon. Oh, sorry, I meant queer nature retreats.

Hiking with fellow queer people just hits differently. Losing oneself in nature is restorative and all that jazz, but it’s nice to set up tents and recreate scenes from Brokeback Mountain without the subsequent guilt and trauma. Even half-day hikes are a great way to create queer camaraderie and release endorphins in a spectacular setting. 

Such nature retreats have been around for many years. The Radical Faeries, a decentralized organization of global queer nature events, have existed since the 1970s. While these seminal gatherings had (and continue to have) an activist component, modern queer hikes and camping events are usually based around queer joy and companionship.

With that in mind, we’ve rounded up our recommendations for the best queer hiking and camping experiences around the globe. Some are commercial, while others are community focused.

Out & About

Dublin, Ireland

Ireland is known for its gorgeous green landscapes. Outdoor lovers visiting the country have plenty of options for making new friends thanks to Out & About’s regular meetups.

The Dublin-based organization brings together LGBTQ2S+ trekkers for weekly Sunday and Wednesday morning hikes, as well as summer evening hikes and semi-regular excursions abroad. Newbies qualify for three “taster” hikes before they are expected to buy a membership.

The hikes abroad are for members only, but the inclusive atmosphere of Out & About makes membership an easy sell.

Outdoor Lads

United Kingdom

Specifically geared toward gay, bi and trans men across the U.K., Outdoor Lads markets its adventures as “hikes” rather than “walks,” emphasizing the social aspect of its activities.

Some of its events, such as its National Park visits, are a bit more strenuous, but the organization’s leisure walks include sight-seeing and an obligatory café or pub stop.

There are, of course, mountain walks and even winter mountain walks for endorphin addicts. But the best part of Outdoor Lads is easily its non-stop year-long schedule of events, making it easy for tourists to hop on board.

Out Adventures

Worldwide

Toronto-based Out Adventures is known for curated cultural tours and cruises, but they also offer active tours for those craving dirt under their nails—or mud on their boots.

For LGBTQ2S+ folks who have never hiked the Inca Trail, clambered across Patagonia or ventured into an Albanian forest—or who have but want to do it again—their active tours have all the ingredients for excellent hiking with queer peers. The real treasure is the gays you met along the way…or however the saying goes.

HE Travel

Worldwide

As its name implies, HE Travel is more for the boys.

Its hikes are on par with the best active tour companies out there. With a long history dating back to 1973, when they did an adventure tour to the Grand Canyon, HE has had lots of time to curate hikes that challenge participants in the best possible ways. Their team members take gay travellers down the Inca Trail in Peru, along the Camino de Santiago in Spain and even through the Himalayas.

Some trips, like HE’s Namibian adventure, include a biking portion in addition to all the bracing strolls and spectacular scenery that one might expect from an African desert excursion.

Bergwandercamp

Switzerland

For a more intimate experience, this group of dedicated hikers, who started out as a friend group, organizes yearly summer mountain hikes in the Swiss Alps for queer men. Expect sublime vistas, sunny meadows, side quests to spas, raft rides, lake skinny dipping and a shared group house that doubles as a base camp.

It’s not quite Summer House or Vanjie: 24 Hours of Love, but it certainly scratches the itch for tourists looking for something different.

Though Bergwandercamp started out as an event exclusively for German-speaking hikers, it has expanded to include international travellers.

Out & Out

Toronto, Canada

Established in 1980, Out & Out is a long-standing and exceptionally well organized member-driven LGBTQ2S+ activities club. Any member can offer to host an activity, whether it’s a movie night, book club or sushi-making workshop.

But outdoor adventure is what it’s known for. Members regularly schedule activities like skiing, cycling, kayaking, camping and hiking for those at various skill levels and desires for intensity.

Activities are year round and truly inclusive, though a membership process and a modest fee is required before someone can join an activity. All events are open to all members, though some tend to be more male-oriented, others less so.