For those who may not know it, my cohort MaryR & I founded a group called the No. 1 Ladies Hiking Society in 2016. We’re now up to 399 members (just can’t seem to reach 400), & it’s time to plan a big group trip. But we’re an adventurous group, willing to explore ANYWHERE, so where to go…hmmm…

We could certainly go rogue & do all the planning ourselves, OR we could prevent more gray hairs from sprouting atop my head & opt for a company that provides guided group hikes. Guided trips are certainly more expensive but they provide a richer experience & are MUCH easier to plan. Since I’ve been researching options, I thought I’d share some of my favorites so far. Prices below are per person based on double occupancy (a single room will always cost extra) & airfare is NOT included, so keep this in mind if price is your determining factor. Trips are listed in order of my personal favorites:

 

Rogue River Lodge-to-Lodge (Oregon)

Rogue Wilderness 4 days for $1399 (MUST be even-numbered group)

Fly to Medford & shuttle to lodge (about 20min)

Lodge-to-Lodge on the Appalachian Trail

5 days, $1795 per person

Fly to Dulles Airport OR drive to Luray, VA

Olympic & Ranier Tour (Washington)

6 days, starting at $2815 for inn hiking OR $1830 for basecamp

Fly to Seattle & shuttle to Olympia; private group tours available

Middle Fork Salmon Walk (Idaho)

6 days, starting at $1840; basecamp where everything is already prepared for you (including all meals); this is LUXURY TENT CAMPING, not lodge or inn

Fly to Boise & shuttle to Stanley

Guided Inn to Inn Vermont

5 days, starting at $1395; also offers a self-guided option for $795-895

Fly to Burlington (VT) or Albany (NY) or Manchester (NH) & shuttle to Brandon

*Flights will be more expensive for this trip unless you catch a rare deal

Walter Tishma Way Inn-to-Inn (Colorado)

4 or 5 days, starting at $970-1170 (includes breakfast & lunch but NOT dinner)

Self-guided (great way to test out the European inn-to-inn style of walking holiday)

Fly to Denver & shuttle to Estes Park

Grand Canyon & Sedona

4 days, $1800 (+$485 single supplement)

Fly to Flagstaff (they pick you up) or Phoenix (2hr drive)

 

NatureBridge Retreat Center (Olympic National Park)

6 days, starting at $500 for shared cabins (includes all meals)

Fly to Seattle & drive 3hrs to Port Angeles

*I included this because of its price — think of this option as a summer camp for adults in one of THE most BEAUTIFUL parks in the US! Good blog post about a women’s retreat HERE.

 

Wild Women Expeditions

Any of their trips would be AMAZING, but I especially like their trips in Canada.

So what do you think, do any of these appeal to you? Have these inspired you to start planning your own women’s getaway or family adventure? Reply to this post & let me know your thoughts or if you have more suggestions!