It happens to me all the time: I find out about an incredible trail or hiking event the day after it happens. Or, even worse, I’ll see photos on Instagram of spectacular spring wildflowers I meant to hike to once we’re well past peak-bloom.
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One of my 2024 goals is to get outdoors more, and to plan further in advance to make that easier. Aside from putting nature on my calendar like, “Plan bluebells hike this weekend!!!” I’ve also got my eye on some upcoming hiking events, running festivals, and other trail appreciation events. Here are a few you should put on your calendar now, so you don’t forget to buy tickets before they sell out.
P.S. If calendar reminders don’t do the trick for you, try scheduling an email to yourself so it hits your inbox a few weeks or months from now when you’re not expecting it. I find that that helps me pay more attention to a reminder, and take action more immediately.
There are a couple of ways to do this in Gmail:
1. Write yourself an email with the details of the event and/or a link to buy tickets, and schedule it to send at a later date (you can use Gmail or Boomerang for this).
2. “Snooze” or Boomerang an event reminder email to hit your inbox at a time when you know you’ll be able to book straight away.
Obvious but necessary disclosure: The dates, times, prices, locations, etc. of these events may change, and we have no control over them. Sign up for email alerts from the event organizers to make sure you have the most up-to-date information.
Appalachian Trail Days
May 17-19, 2024, Damascus, Virginia
Join Tent City and celebrate the magic of the Appalachian Trail in Damascus, Virginia. Trail enthusiasts will enjoy reunions with those they’ve met on the trail, a packed schedule of live music, and a town-wide yard sale where you might just score a great deal on pre-loved hiking gear.
Love Trails
July 11-14 2024, Gower Peninsula, Wales
Join the waitlist for upcoming tickets to be released in early 2024.
Here, you can do it all: run through some of the UK’s most beautiful terrain, rejuvenate with yoga classes, enjoy live music, make new outdoorsy friends, and take up surfing, SUPing, coasteering, or rock climbing with expert-led, beginner-friendly classes. You might never want to go home.
Átjan Wild Islands Race
Exact dates TBD in September, 2024, Faroe Islands
Start your day with a swim in the frigid ocean. Then, lace up your shoes for the trail run of a lifetime. The Faroe Islands are Iceland’s lesser-known neighbor, and their deep green mountains and lush valleys are unmatched for a five-day festival of music and running.
Fjällräven Classic
Separate events in Denmark (July 3-6), USA (July TBD), Sweden (Aug. 9-16), Germany (Sept. 25-27), UK (September TBD), South Korea (October TBD), Chile (Dec. 2-5) Tickets go on sale March 1, 2024, for all events. Sign up for the newsletter on event pages to get updates about ticket prices, dates, and trail routes as they’re confirmed.
The Fjällräven Classics are a set of unique social backpacking experiences. Each country’s event happens once per year, and involves hundreds to thousands of hikers at all experience levels who trek together on the same path. Don’t worry—you won’t find backpack-to-backpack trail traffic like the summit queues you’ll find on Everest. The start times for each event are staggered so that everyone has space on the trail and can be as social or solo as they’d like. These events are an excellent way to build your outdoor confidence if you’re new to backpacking, and they’re also a fun way to engage with local culture along the trail. In Sweden, you’ll be able to relax in trailside, backcountry saunas, for example, and in Germany you can trade freeze-dried meals for hut lunches of sausage, soup, or fresh, locally-made cheese. The best part is that these events are also a great way to make friends you can travel with year after year.
Jordan Trail Thru-Hike
Dates TBD, Jordan (likely October/November)
Every year, the Jordan Trail Association organizes a supported group thru-hike of the 419-mile trail. You can join for a section or for a full month of hiking the whole trail. Your ticket includes accommodations, meals, and transportation to and from the start and finish. Along the way, you’ll hike through incredible and varied desert landscapes, including hiking right through the ancient city of Petra. Dates for 2024 have not yet been announced, but in 2023 the hike ran from mid-October to mid-November.
