Pennsylvania - Pennsylvania Travel Guide 2025
Go with a Group
2024-11-28 10:27:54
in the Great Outdoors
Exploring nature is more fun (and safe!) with fellow adventurers in tow, and many Pennsylvania-based social groups have popped up to make outdoor recreation more accessible and welcoming to a diverse array of communities. These meet-ups are a great way for locals and visitors alike to connect with the outdoors — and with each other.
In Montgomery County, Women Run MontCo offers a supportive environment for women runners of all levels, promoting an active lifestyle and a sense of camaraderie through group runs and organized events. For those who prefer cycling, Happy Valley Women’s Cycling offers advanced gravel and mountain bike rides, as well as weekly beginner’s rides, skills camps for girls, and basic biking 101 instruction.
The Equality Alliance of Chester County LGBTQIA+ Hiking Group provides a safe space for LGBTQIA+ folx to enjoy the outdoors together, with hiking in nature preserves, farm trails, and urban riverfront areas. In East Stroudsburg, Camp OUT Poconos is a mountainside campground specifically designed for the queer community. Rent a tent or RV site, rustic cottage, or cozy cabin and enjoy dancing, drag performances, bonfires, and pool parties.
In the Philadelphia area, Black Everywhere Philadelphia organizes hiking, camping, and other outdoor activities for Black adventurers, fostering a sense of community, connection, and exploration. Meanwhile, the Outdoor Inclusion Coalition focuses primarily on empowering youth from marginalized communities in the Pittsburgh area with free or low-cost camping education, access to outdoors gear, skiing and snowboarding day trips, and rock climbing workshops.
Consider yourself a newbie to the outdoors? Everyone is welcome to take part in guided educational experiences led by naturalists at Pennsylvania’s state parks like Bald Eagle State Park in Howard and Gifford Pinchot State Park in Lewisberry. Events range from birding walks and insect education to archery basics and family scavenger hunts. And aspiring climbers can get a sense of community and adventure with guided outdoor rock climbing, rappelling, and winter waterfall ice hiking offered in multiple locations throughout eastern Pennsylvania by Valley to Summit.
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