Organized trips for outdoor adventures

August 25, 2024 3:53 PM

Looking for organized outdoor adventure group recommendations.

Does anyone have any suggestions for groups that organize trips for recently retired people? (Doesn't need to be exclusive to that group, but a group that a 60- or 70- something person would feel welcome at?)

Things like backpacking, canoe camping, etc. Thanks.

posted by ambulanceambiance to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation (7 answers total)

I've heard nothing but good things about Road Scholar.
posted by The corpse in the library at 5:11 PM on August 25 [4 favorites]

If you enjoy doing trail work, the Washington Trails Association will take you camping. (It doesn't say it specifically, but in my experience the BCRTs are mostly retired people.)
posted by The corpse in the library at 5:15 PM on August 25

Adventures in Good Company is a wonderful adventure travel company for women. I'm 53 now, and in the last 10 years I've gone on 3 trips with them. I've usually been on the younger side of the group.
posted by OrangeDisk at 6:36 PM on August 25 [1 favorite]

Exodus Travels has some great trips around the world. They're much more affordable than Road Scholar. Also affordable are Sierra Club trips in the US.
posted by Elsie at 3:53 AM on August 26 [2 favorites]

Seconding Sierra Club if you're into backpacking. They probably have other activities too.

AzRaft if floating down the Grand Canyon appeals (you don't have to paddle). There are lots of different outfitters, and trips with different styles (i.e., lots of hiking, no hiking, all paddling, no paddling, music themed, etc.)

Wilderness Travel is great but a bit pricey.
posted by bluesky78987 at 6:19 AM on August 26 [1 favorite]

My ex and I used World Expeditions for a Kilimanjaro summit climb + Tanzanian safari in 2008 and found the service to be really great. Quite affordable compared to many other tour companies, usually because the accommodations that they used were serviceable but not, like, travel magazine luxurious. My ex has continued to use them when she’s done solo travel (hike in Nepal to see snow leopards, trekking in New Zealand, planning an Antarctic expedition with her sister) and she has nothing but good things to say about them. She’s also 52 and has felt quite welcome in all of the groups that she has been in.
posted by bl1nk at 5:57 AM on August 27 [1 favorite]

Where are you located? In my experience, outdoor clubs are 50%+ retirees. I'm more surprised at this point when I'm not the youngest person there.

Also are you looking for a commercial group (someone to organize/guide you on trips) or a club (likeminded individuals with shared interests to organize your own trips)?
posted by yeahwhatever at 12:53 AM on August 28