About GayOutdoors

Who We Are

GayOutdoors is a volunteer-powered community for gay and gay-friendly men who want to explore the outdoors, meet people, and build real friendships through shared adventure.

• Friendly events across a range of ability levels
• A welcoming community on the trail and beyond
• Connection in the real world (not just online)

Why We Exist

GayOutdoors exists to build meaningful, real-world community among gay men through shared outdoor adventure, stewardship, and leadership. In a world that often feels isolating and screen-driven, we offer a place to connect face to face on the trail, around the campfire, and through caring for the lands we love. More than an outdoor club, GayOutdoors is a community where friendships form, leaders emerge, and members find purpose, joy, and connection that lasts well beyond the hike.

What We Do

Members organize and join activities year-round, everything from casual walks to big adventures.

• Hiking & winter hiking (microspikes/snowshoes when needed)
• Backpacking & camping
• Paddling, biking, climbing, skiing & snowshoeing
• Social events, Pride hikes, and community meet-ups
• Trail maintenance and stewardship projects

How GayOutdoors Works

Our Story

GayOutdoors began in 1999 to create a visible gay and gay-friendly men's outdoor community. Since then, it has grown through the energy, leadership, and kindness of members who plan events, welcome newcomers, and build friendships that last.

Our founder, Mike Boisvert, began hosting events for Boston's Chiltern Mountain Club in the 1990's, hosting over 200 hikes and adventures in that period — a time when most of us were still closeted, even when encountering straight people during our hiking adventures. With the explosion of the internet in the late 1990's, Mike decided to create a visible gay and gay-friendly men's adventure community that has become one of the world's largest gay outdoors groups. Mike is often referred to as the "Father of the GayOutdoors movement."

Mike began our simple Internet Bulletin Board in 1999 with a simple goal: to bring gay and gay-friendly men together to experience the incredible fun of outdoor adventure and to create an atmosphere that leads to life-long friendships. Two years later Mike met Jon Normand through GayOutdoors and together they took our community to the next level. Since our beginning, Mike and Jon have easily run 400 outdoor adventures on top of what all other GO members run.

We are proud of who we are and promote our visibility by getting involved with Pride Events, making presentations, running "Pride Hikes," and wearing rainbow patches during our adventures. Something incredible happens when you join gay and gay-friendly men on an adventure. You bond. Quickly. Our club has launched hundreds of new friendships…and a few marriages.

New to Hiking?

You are not alone. Many members start with low-stress outings and build confidence over time. Look for beginner-friendly events and ask questions — people are happy to help. All events are rated by difficulty, so look for those rated "easy" or "easy to moderate."