Early preview. We are building this in the open. The list is still growing, so some groups are missing and some details may be out of date.
hiking, caving, kayaking, birding
36 groups so far
Narrow these down by cost, days and more
Program 路 Central
A birding program for people with disabilities, run by the Pennsylvania Center for Adapted Sports. Each outing visits a park or nature site in the region, mostly on paved or firm paths, and every outing needs its own registration.
Last seen active: October 2026
Club
The young adult group of the Appalachian Mountain Club's Delaware Valley chapter, for people in their 20s and 30s. It runs hikes, bike rides, paddling and social outings, and you do not need an AMC membership to take part.
Last active date not known yet
Nonprofit
An outdoor club with about 4,500 local members that runs more than 800 hikes, paddles, bike rides, backpacking trips and trail work days a year. Most activities are free and led by trained leaders.
Last active date not known yet
Nonprofit 路 Lower North
The Mid-Atlantic office of the National Audubon Society. In Philadelphia it runs the Discovery Center in the Strawberry Mansion neighborhood and leads public bird walks and tours in city parks.
Last seen active: October 2026
Club
A long-running hiking club that goes on short and long hikes in Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, and New Jersey. Members carpool to trailheads, and experienced leaders run the hikes.
Last seen active: October 2026
Friends group 路 West Park
A group that works with the City and the Fairmount Park Conservancy to look after the trails on Belmont Plateau in West Fairmount Park.
Last seen active: October 2026
Nonprofit
A community group that helps Black women get outside for their health and peace of mind, with guided hikes, trail runs, wellness retreats and learning walks.
Last seen active: November 2025
Program
A free bouldering session at Tufas Boulder Lounge in Kensington, held on the first and third Tuesday of each month. Shoe rental is included, and a volunteer leads it.
Last active date not known yet
Program 路 Lower Far Northeast
A one-week overnight summer camp for kids 8 to 15 from the Philadelphia area. Campers hike, swim, paddle on the lake, play sports, make art, and sit around the campfire.
Last seen active: April 2026
Student group
Penn students who enjoy rock climbing. Members climb together at the campus wall, go on trips, and meet at socials.
Last active date not known yet
Nonprofit 路 Lower Far Northeast
A nonprofit membership group that works to keep the Delaware River clean and free-flowing. It runs free learn-to-paddle trips on the river from Glen Foerd in Northeast Philadelphia.
Last seen active: June 2026
Club
A club that runs about 45 public orienteering events a year, where people use a map and compass to find checkpoints in parks. Beginners always get instruction at events.
Last seen active: October 2026
Club
The Philadelphia chapter of a national birding group that makes room for women, LGBTQIA+ people and people of color. Members go on bird walks and outings together and share news through a newsletter.
Last seen active: October 2026
Friends group 路 Upper Northwest
Neighbors who care for Saylor Grove and the stormwater wetland that feeds Monoshone Creek. They keep the area clean and safe and run nature and art education programs.
Last seen active: October 2026
Friends group
A volunteer nonprofit that builds and looks after trails linking Wissahickon Valley Park with Fort Washington State Park. Its current project is a rail trail on old railroad land.
Last seen active: October 2026
Friends group 路 Central
A nonprofit building a three-mile greenway from old rail tracks, in three sections across ten neighborhoods from Northern Liberties to Fairmount Park. The park is free and open every day, and volunteers help with clean-ups and green-ups.
Last seen active: October 2026
Friends group
Volunteers who look after the trails, streams and woods of Wissahickon Valley Park. They hold public service days to clear drains, fix trails, pull invasive plants and pick up litter.
Last seen active: October 2026
Student group
Graduate and professional students at Penn who go on hikes and camping trips together.
Last active date not known yet
Club
A women's hiking and wellness group that runs healing hikes, weekday happy hour hikes, field trips and retreats for women of all fitness levels.
Last active date not known yet
Program
The Philadelphia part of Latino Outdoors, a group that gets Latine people outside for hikes, paddling, and other outdoor activities. Its local team hosts monthly outings around the city and across the state.
Last seen active: September 2026
Student group
A student club for hikers, climbers, bikers, and anyone else who loves the outdoors. It plans trips, builds outdoor skills, and meets weekly to talk over past trips and plan new ones.
Last active date not known yet
Student group
Penn's ski and snowboard club team. Members take five or six weekend trips each winter to race and ski against other East Coast college teams.
Last active date not known yet
Nonprofit 路 Central
A nonprofit that runs sports, recreation and wellness programs for people with disabilities, from rowing and kayaking to yoga and skiing, plus youth camps and volunteer days.
Last seen active: April 2026
Club 路 Lower Northwest
A paddling club founded in 1905 that teaches canoeing, kayaking and stand-up paddleboarding from its boathouse on Ridge Avenue. It runs trips, training and social paddles through the year.
Last seen active: October 2026
Club
A caving club founded in 1947 and part of the National Speleological Society. Members care for caves, explore them, teach others and do research.
Last active date not known yet
Nonprofit 路 Lower North
An outdoor learning school. Its school and youth group programs serve students in grades 6 to 12, and it also runs day programs, multi-day expeditions and scholarship courses.
Last active date not known yet
Club
A nonprofit hiking club, founded in 1931, that leads hikes most Saturdays and Sundays. Most hikes run 5 to 10 miles in Philadelphia and the nearby counties.
Last seen active: June 2026
Club
A community group for queer birders in Philadelphia that holds bird outings roughly once a month. Friends, partners and kids are welcome, and it welcomes people who have never birded.
Last seen active: June 2024
Nonprofit
A nonprofit women's hiking group in the Philadelphia area. It runs regular hikes, fitness challenges and social outings, and it has a youth program called Little Hiking Beauties.
Last seen active: September 2026
Club
A peer-led group for LGBTQIA+ climbers in Philadelphia and nearby areas. It holds regular Queer Climb Night meetups at climbing gyms around the city, open to climbers of all skill levels.
Last active date not known yet
Network or meetup
A partnership that gets more people onto the water in Philadelphia and nearby, especially in communities that have had little access. Its Thursday sunset paddles at Cherry Street Pier in October cost only a $10 seat donation, refunded on arrival, and it lists youth camps and boat building run by partner groups.
Last seen active: September 2026
Nonprofit
Local Sierra Club group for Philadelphia and four nearby counties that works on environmental issues and runs free outings, including day hikes, paddling and bird walks.
Last seen active: July 2023
Club
The Philadelphia area volunteer group of the Sierra Club, covering the city and nearby counties. It leads outdoor trips and conservation work in the region.
Last active date not known yet
Student group 路 University Southwest
A Penn student club for people who want outdoor recreation. The directory lists no trips or dates yet.
Last active date not known yet
Club 路 Lower North
A monthly evening of climbing for women and nonbinary climbers at the Movement gym in Fishtown, held on the second Wednesday at 6 pm.
Last active date not known yet
Club
A local chapter of the Audubon bird network that has led free bird walks in Montgomery County parks and co-hosted walks at Pennypack Park. The most recent walk series we found ended in June 2024.
Last seen active: June 2024
Includes: hiking and trail walks, caving, rock climbing, kayaking and canoeing, birding, camping and outdoor skills.