Outdoor clubs in New York.
13 clubs, and when they meet. Most meet on weekday evenings, around Brooklyn Heights, Central Park, Forest Hills. Most are free to join. The ones without a fixed day are listed below, linked to where they announce. Subscribe to this calendar →
What to expect.
Hiking groups, climbing meetups, cycling clubs, paddling and skating around New York. Outdoor groups are the least likely to meet at the same spot every week, because the route changes, so many are listed with their day and a link to where the week's meet is announced.
Read the week's plan on their page before you go. It will tell you the distance, the pace and what to bring, and it is the only place a weather call is made.
All 13 outdoor clubs in New York.
A to Z, in each club's own words. Every one links to the club, and every day and time is the one the club publishes.
Social rides for people on Brompton folding bikes: scenic rides, food rides and the occasional longer trip, typically rolling out from a Manhattan pier. Brompton bikes only.
Social rides every few weeks, posted on Meetup; Brompton bikes only · Free · meetup.com →Free volunteer-run kayaking from the floating dock between Piers 1 and 2 in Brooklyn Bridge Park: Wednesday and Thursday evenings and Saturdays late May to August, Saturdays only in September. Walk-ups wait for no-shows.
Saturdays, 10am · Brooklyn Heights · Free · bbpboathouse.org →Volunteer-run roller-dance sessions to live DJs at the Skate Circle in Central Park (west of the Bandshell) on weekend afternoons, April through October. Free to skate or watch; bring your own skates.
Weekend afternoons 2:45–6:45pm, April through October, at the Skate Circle west of the Bandshell · Central Park · Free · cpdsa.org →Volunteer-run free kayaking in the protected embayment at Pier 26 in Hudson River Park, weekends all summer plus Tuesday and Thursday evenings in high summer. No reservations, no experience needed, you must be able to swim.
Saturdays and Sundays, 10am · Tribeca · Free · downtownboathouse.org →Saturday-morning hikes through the Forest Park trails in Queens, meeting at Wallenberg Square in Kew Gardens. Big, friendly group; a dollar or two donation is asked but not required.
Saturdays, time varies · Forest Hills · Free · meetup.com →Free walk-up kayaking from the Pier 96 boathouse at 56th Street in Hudson River Park on weekend afternoons late May to mid-October, plus Monday and Tuesday evenings in summer. First come, first served; 18+ or with a guardian.
Saturdays and Sundays, 1pm · Hell's Kitchen · Free · manhattancommunityboathouse.org →Brisk urban and shoreline hikes around the five boroughs (Pelham Bay, Forest Hills Gardens and the like), 'more walk and less talk'. Independent, unaffiliated, no money taken.
Roughly every two to three weeks, weekend mornings around 10:30am; posted on Meetup · Free · meetup.com →Free public canoe and kayak paddles on Newtown Creek and toward the East River, about twice a month on summer weekends, from Manhattan Avenue Street End Park and Bushwick Inlet Park. First come, first served, no gear needed.
Roughly twice a month on summer weekends (June–September), dates posted on the website · Greenpoint · Free · nbcboathouse.org →Volunteer-run inline skating group with roughly weekly weekend skates split by level: beginner sessions on Randall's Island, intermediate bridge and loop skates from downtown. Started 2023, coordinates with the older NYC skate groups.
Roughly weekly weekend skates (beginner and intermediate), posted on Meetup and WhatsApp · Free · meetup.com →Free public kayaking off Louis Valentino Jr. Pier Park in Red Hook on Sunday afternoons June to September, plus Thursday evenings in high summer. Put your name on the list and take a boat out.
Sundays, 1pm · Red Hook · Free · redhookboaters.org →Tuesday-night climbing meetup at Movement Gowanus, pairing up first-timers and regulars, with drinks at Threes Brewing after. The group is free; you pay the gym's day pass.
Tuesdays, 6:45pm · $29 · meetup.com →Hikes in Staten Island's parks and Greenbelt, usually Sunday mornings with occasional weekday-evening walks. Running since 2018 and one of the larger hiking groups in the city.
Several hikes a week, mostly Sunday mornings around 10am plus weekday evenings; posted on Meetup · Staten Island · Free · meetup.com →Weekly social evening bike ride leaving Columbus Circle at 7pm on Thursdays, organised by the environmental group Time's Up!. Any bike, easy pace, free.
Thursdays, 7pm · Midtown · Free · times-up.org →
Questions people actually ask.
How hard are the outings?
Each group grades its own, and the grade is on the week's post, not here. Most hiking and cycling groups run an easy option alongside the main one. Start with the easy one.
Do I need gear?
For hiking, proper footwear, water and layers. For climbing, most meetups are at a gym that rents shoes and a harness. Cycling clubs expect a working bike and a helmet. Anything unusual is on the group's page.
Are they free?
Mostly. Some clubs charge an annual membership that covers insurance, which is normal for cycling and paddling. Gym meetups cost whatever the gym charges for entry.
Every listing links straight to the club. Know a outdoor club in New York we don’t? Add it.