Hiking clubs have quietly become the social lifeline a lot of people didn\u2019t know they needed. What started as a niche weekend activity has turned into a full-blown movement, pulling in Gen Zers looking to escape the loneliness epidemic<\/a>, remote workers craving face time after years behind a laptop and daters who are simply over the apps.<\/p>\n Unlike run clubs or happy hours, hiking offers something harder to fake: unhurried time together, minus the pressure of small talk over cocktails. The result is a boom that\u2019s reshaping how people meet friends, find community, and even fall in love. Here is what is fueling the surge.<\/p>\n Hiking clubs are booming because Americans, especially younger people and remote workers, want real-world community that book clubs and run clubs cannot always provide. The barrier to entry is lower than running, the health payoff is real and the format leaves plenty of room for conversation.<\/p>\n Carly Smith<\/strong>, chief marketing officer at AllTrails, told Business Insider<\/a> the trend is tied to how work has changed. \u201cThere are more people working remotely than there were in the past. Hiking clubs in particular can give people a good sense of community in ways that maybe they aren\u2019t finding in other parts of their life,\u201d Smith said.<\/p>\n Hiking clubs grew sixfold in 2025, nearly double the pace of run clubs, according to Strava\u2019s 12th annual Year in Sport report<\/a>, which drew on data from more than 180 million users and a survey of over 30,000 users and non-users.<\/p>\n AllTrails saw its own surge. The platform\u2019s 2025 Impact Report<\/a> shows a 20 percent increase in users, pushing the app to 90 million accounts. Many hikers are searching for trails more than 200 miles from home, suggesting the boom is also fueling travel.<\/p>\n \u201cSo we know that people are using us for planning travel and then for navigating and exploring National Parks and other destinations,\u201d Smith told Business Insider.<\/p>\n Gen Z is drinking less and moving more, and hiking clubs are filling the social gap nightlife used to fill. Bank of America economists analyzed spending from 70 million consumer and small-business accounts and found Gen Z spending on fitness categories grew about 9 percent, while bar spending grew less than 4 percent.<\/p>\n \u201cYounger Americans are really driving this movement that we\u2019re calling \u2018The Great Moderation,\u2019\u201d Joe Wadford<\/strong>, an economist at the Bank of America Institute, told USA TODAY<\/a>.<\/p>\n Florist Jeb Jagne<\/strong>, who started his own hiking group after friends moved away, told Refinery29<\/a> the shift is generational. \u201cIt\u2019s in the news a lot at the moment that our age group is just not drinking. I used to be a DJ and I met so many great friends through nightlife. I almost think now, if you were moving cities, aren\u2019t big on going out, and you just started a new job, you wouldn\u2019t know where to look for friends. Like, where would you meet people?\u201d Jagne said.<\/p>\nWhy Are Hiking Clubs So Popular in 2026?<\/h2>\n
How Fast Are Hiking Clubs Growing?<\/h2>\n
Why Are Hiking Clubs Replacing Bars for Gen Z?<\/h2>\n
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