Destination Hike

ABOUT DESTINATION HIKE

IN THE BEGINING

Destination Hike started in March of 2020 at the beginning of the COVID-19 Pandemic. I already enjoyed hiking on weekends a few times a month with friends and different hiking groups. However, once COVID-19 hit and trail and park closures were instituted nationally, in addition to social distancing measures, hiking in groups became more challenging.

As a way to stay healthy and sane during this very stressful time, I started doing solo hikes 4-5 times a week. I would travel to explore new trails in the D.C., Maryland, Virginia (DMV) area and track my travels through the app AllTrails. As my exploration continued, I would post pictures and videos of my hikes on social media. Friends and family soon took notice and slowly a few people began to join me on my hikes.

GROWTH

As the hikes continue and more people shared videos and pictures, the word began to spread about the hikes. A common hastag #hikeislife was used on each posting. The hastag Hike is Life then became the name we would use when referring to group that was forming.

As the group continued to grow and novice and advanced hikers alike started to join in on the hikes my desire to make this more than just a casual group increased and I decided I was going to make this into something open to everyone from all over. I was already willing to travel to go hiking, and I wanted to be able to continue to experience that with other people. Thus the name Destination Hike was born.

WHAT'S IN A NAME

The name Destination Hike is twofold: First, the name implies that your destination (mission) is to go hiking. The name also implies that you are going to a destination (traveling) to hike. Those who join Destination hike have a mission to go hiking and are wiling to travel to do so.

WE ARE A COMMUNITY

Destination Hike seeks to connect hikers from across the world of all abilities to join us on hikes. We want to challenge your mind and body to commit to completing trails. As no one can say they have done every trail in the world, we as a community want to explore new trails together. We want to increase trail knowledge, trail etiquette, and hiking safety.

Additionally, we as a community care about sustainability and conservation. We make every effort on trails to leave only footprints and take lots of memories. Staying informed about ways to lead a more sustainable life so that future generations can enjoy the benefits we have now is important.

Tips for coming out on Destination Hikes: Most are scouted out in advance, however, some trails we will explore together. If you have never hiked before you should plan to come wearing comfortable shoes and comfortable clothing based on the weather. Always bring enough water to sustain you for the duration of the hike. I would suggest at least 1 liter per every 2 hours. If you get dehydrated easily, or suffer from any health conditions, please consult your doctor before coming out on a hike.