Here’s an exchange I find myself having surprisingly often.
Other Person: I’ve been trying to find a local hiking [slash-paddling-slash-cycling-slash-climbing-slash-other-favorite-activity-here] club but haven’t had any luck. Are there any?
Me: Have you tried Meetup?
OP: Meetup?
Yes, even today, after 12 years, 14.1 million members, 131,119 Meetup groups and 2.65 million monthly RSVPS (members indicating they plan to attend a Meetup activity) there are still people out there unfamiliar with Meetup.com. In short: Meetup is how people gather to play in the internet age. You want to go on a group hike in Charlotte, you join Outdoor Club South: Charlotte. You want to go kayaking in the Carolinas? Simply join Simply Kayaking. You want to do just about anything and you live in the Triangle? Become one of the 5,392 members of the Triangle Hiking & Outdoors Group: they’ve got 20 events currently scheduled and odds are at least one will tickle your adventure fancy.
Finding a group is easy. Go to Meetup.com, click “Find a Meetup Group,” click on your interest and how far you’re willing to drive, and options will appear. If they don’t, if there’s not a group that does what you want to do, start one.
To give you an idea of what’s out there, here’s a list of the 17 Meetup groups I belong to. Click, see what they do, where they go and who they are. Like what they’re about? Click one more time and become a member.
It’s that easy.
- Outdoor Club South: Charlotte
- Outdoor Club South: Greenville, S.C.
- Outdoor Club South: Wilmington
- The Charleston Sea Kayaking Meetup Group
- Extreme Obstacle Course Runners
- Hiking – Charlotte/Piedmont Areas
- Kayak Flatwater Paddlers
- Palmetto Adventure Club
- Raleigh Recreational Hikers
- Raleigh Rock Climbing Meetup
- Raleigh Trail Runners
- Raleigh Weekday Outdoor Activity Group
- Simply Kayaking
- Trailblazer Adventure Racing Club
- Triad Hiking & Outdoors Group
- Triangle Hiking & Outdoors Group
- Triangle Off-Road Cyclists