OUR STORY
Hike it Baby started in July of 2013 when Founder Shanti Hodges invited a few other new families to join her for a hike. In the first few months, these were casual hikes among friends. As the number of families participating grew, it became apparent that the desire to get outside was much more than Shanti expected. Through the help of an ever-increasing group of hosts and volunteers, Hike it Baby grew from a small group of parents to a large community of families. In 2016 Hike it Baby filed for non-profit status. More information here.
WHO ARE WE?
“Parenthood is an adventure. Bring it outside.” Hike it Baby “parents” are comprised of all and any caregivers of young children. We love nature and we love getting our kids out together in community.
Who is a parent? The definition of parenting by the Merriam Webster dictionary is:
Parenting (noun) par·ent·ing | \ ˈper-ən-tiŋ \
1: the raising of a child by its parents
2: the act or process of becoming a parent
3: the taking care of someone in the manner of a parent
WHERE WE ARE TODAY
We currently have over 300 Hike it Baby branches, and over 200,000 families engaged with us on social media. We’ve seen the number of monthly hikes grow from a dozen to a hundred, to now over 1,500 hikes monthly across North America. This means most cities will have at least a few hikes per week. If you aren’t finding hikes in your city, you can help us get more going locally by hosting hikes or learning about becoming a Hike it Baby Ambassador.
CREATE AN ACCOUNT AND FIND COMMUNITY
Our events are made possible through sponsorship and participant donations. We suggest a donation (any amount!) but please consider this a free offering if it’s not in your current budget. As a platform to gather and grow communities, Hike it Baby offers new parents an opportunity to connect and get into nature with their young children nationwide. Sure, anybody can go hiking, but as a new parent, how many times have you struggled to find new friends who understand what you are going through and who will support you in a judgment-free community that will never leave you behind?
Through our website and social media, we offer organized information that facilitates your family’s journey into nature and helps you find your community. We provide tools like our Family Trail Guide, access to the calendar of hikes, access to our used gear forum, fun bi-annual challenges, great downloads, discounts from partnering brands and a network of friends across the country to hike with! Most importantly, our community members support Hike it Baby as we work to advocate getting more families into nature starting from birth. Together we are raising a generation to love the outdoors.
BECOME AN AMBASSADOR
Hike it Baby has Ambassadors throughout the country in the cities we are active in. If you have an active community already and want to become a volunteer, you can sign up, do our training program and then join in to help encourage your city to get on the trail. Learn More
WHY WE ASK FOR DONATIONS // DONATE TODAY
In 2016 we became a 501c3 nonprofit. While this was a really cool transition from just being a neighborhood hike group, it also was a huge responsibility to uphold. Your assistance is absolutely essential to helping us grow in a healthy, sustainable, supportive way — be an early supporter and join the nation’s first grassroots hiking movement focused on birth to school-age kids. Your contribution supports:
- Creating programs that get more families on trails locally in your city.
- Helping Hike it Baby become a recognized resource for identifying family-friendly trails nationwide.
- Further development on our website so we build out and market our buy/sell area to help all families find used gear.
- Better mobile features so our site is accessible from all devices
- Improved content in the blog, newsletter, and videos
Thank you for your support and for being a part of the Hike it Baby community!
