Merrell began its Hiking Club in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa last year. Now, it’s quickly growing its presence here at home.
The Merrell Hiking Club abroad has reached an online audience of more than 630,000 hikers since December 2021. This year, it’s hoping to bring that enthusiasm back to the States (and Canada).
So what’s all the hype about? Merrell Hiking Club is an online hiking community that’s open to all and offers beta and basic tips for a variety of hikes and trails — all around the globe. So far, Merrell has rolled out 10 trails across the U.S. and plans to have lots more by the end of 2022.
Plus, to make the club as inclusive as possible, Merrell was intentional with how it curated its hikes. It specifically partnered with female hikers, trail runners, climbers, and outdoor leaders throughout the country for each trail it recommends.
That way, you get some local intel for each hike, and the hiking community gets to see more women and more diverse representation.
“We recognize the needs of women hikers are quite diverse,” said Lindsey Lindemulder, brand marketing director at Merrell. “We saw the critical demand for shared expertise and the right product design, and built a community around that insight to connect, empower, and inform women hikers.”
Merrell partnered with “trailblazers” (its term for outdoor leaders), including professional guides and industry advocates like Erin McGrady, Christina Rico, and more. The hope is that they will not only kickstart hikes in the U.S. community but also make an effort to get more women outdoors.
Curated Trails: Explore With Merrell Hiking Club
Currently, there are 24 urban, suburban, and adventure category hikes throughout the U.K., Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Canada. Finally, the Vermont-based Merrell brand will expand its offering in the U.S., with over 25 curated trails this year.
Current U.S. trails curated by Merrell partners include:
- Mount Baldy Loop in Eagle River, AK
- The Steep Ravine Trail in Stinson Beach, CA
- Preacher’s Rock in Suches, GA
- Cloudland Canyon Sitton Gulch Trail in Dade County, GA
- Black Balsam Knob, NC
- Craggy Pinnacle Trail, NC
- The Great Range Traverse in Keene Valley, NY
- The Arizona (Ringbolt) Hot Springs Trail near Las Vegas
- Mount Eisenhower and Mount Pierce in New Hampshire
- Ptarmigan Ridge in Mount Baker, WA
Each trail recommendation includes info like difficulty, time commitment, type of hike, and gear recommendations from each local guide.
Merrell plans to add over a dozen more hikes later this year, including ones in Arizona, Georgia, California, Washington, New Hampshire, New York, Montana, Missouri, Maryland, North Carolina, Colorado, and Hawaii, and Washington, D.C.
Bonus: The new hikes include three in national parks and two in state parks, from the East Coast to the Pacific Northwest.
