On Saturday, November 9, the community of Pearland, TX, came together to honor veterans and to raise funds to support vets and the families of vets battling PTSD. Thanks to a record number of business sponsors, the sixth annual Pearland Veterans Day Walk netted more than $16,000, which will be distributed to local organizations that provide counseling, direct care, emergency aid and fund research to alleviate suffering from Post Traumatic Stress.

Join HIKE for Mental Health on October 20 near Gatlinburg, TN, to honor the life of Josiah Wandell. This 8.1 mile hike will remember the life of Josiah and celebrate his love for the AT, while also bringing awareness to the need for mental health care and the need to end the stigma that often paralyzes those that suffer. Join us for this moving autumn hike on the Appalachian Trail.

2,500 miles in 31 days! Together, we can #hikeOctober! Wherever you live, whatever your ability, you can join HIKE for Mental Health to #hikeOctober. Add your miles to the effort and together we can reach the goal. October is the perfect month to get moving outside – not too hot, not too cold. Climb a mountain, stroll along a stream, go to the park, or take a walking tour of your city – wherever you are, whether you cover 1 mile or 100, you can join #hikeOctober. (Yes, it’s free.) Click to learn how.

Our Eighth Annual Summit Mt. Washington hike surpassed all expectations, creating friendships and memories that will last a lifetime! More than 120 hikers joined us for our largest ever group trek to the summit of the highest peak in the Northeast. Click to see amazing photos and learn about the new fundraising record our hikers reached!

Last month, thirteen hikers led by volunteer hike organizer Sharon McCarthy, completed a hike for mental health in McDowell Nature Preserve near Charlotte, NC. Here is Sharon’s post-hike report, along with the final fundraising tally – did they make it to their $2,000 goal?

Hikers earlier this month were treated to perfect weather and magnificent views on their round-trip hike to the aptly-named Gertrude’s Nose. Thanks to volunteer hike organizer Matt Erickson for planning and leading this hike in Minnewaska State Park Preserve in upstate New York. Thanks also to the hikers who joined the hike and enjoyed panoramic views of the Hudson River valley.

Be among the first to hike along the newly opened Spring Creek Trail, enjoying the sounds of the bubbling creek and aroma of the cedar forest. Walk in the steps of your ancestors on historic Wilhoite Mill trail along the Duck River. Marvel in the impressive rock formation and relax in the fellowship of your fellow hikers. These are just a few of the attractions of the five-hour Horton Hike for Mental Health in Chapel Hill, TN.

Stroll along well-maintained trails in habitat famous for the diversity of its spring wildflowers. Explore the oldest nature preserve in Mecklenburg County as you watch and listen for pileated woodpeckers and the other 118 species of birds that find refuge amidst the forests, streams and fields of McDowell Nature Preserve. Join a hike for mental health just minutes from uptown Charlotte.

A glorious autumn hike to the summit of majestic Bear Mountain…. Rich aromas of fallen leaves in a mixed deciduous forest…. Panoramic views of the Hudson River Valley….
Brats, sauerkraut, alp-horns, polka music, and more at the end…. What else could you ask for on a HIKE for Mental Health?

Join HIKE for Mental Health on a stunning 6 mile hike near SUNY New Paltz on May 11. The trek on the Gertrude’s Nose Trail in New York’s Minnewaska State Preserve offer a wonderful ridge-line hike with sweeping vistas on the Hudson River Valley.

Since I was 14 I have struggled with depression and some suicidal ideations, and as of 2 and a half years ago I was re-diagnosed with bipolar disorder. And it’s so scary to share that, but I’ve found that sharing our stories begins to put a crack in the stigma. Sharing stories connects us to the people around us to make life bearable. And being listened to saves lives.

Looking to get involved with HIKE for Mental Health from your own home? We are seeking a volunteer to help with outreach for the #hikeOctober program this year. The role involves identifying and contacting hiking and mental health-oriented groups via email and phone to ask them to share the #hikeOctober campaign with their members/audience. The time commitment is 2-3 hours per month from March through October. You must have internet access, be able to do independent Google searches to find information, be organized, and comfortable talking with and writing to strangers.

Bask in breath-taking views of the Presidential Range. Ascent through forest, scrub, and tundra to the highest peak in the northeast. Hike above tree-line and into the clouds. Starting early in the morning, we will hike to the summit of Mt. Washington, enjoying spectacular views of the Presidential Range along the way. This hike is extremely strenuous, five miles of nearly constant uphill hiking. And worth every step! Check it out!

Just in time for the holidays we finished distributing the record-setting proceeds from the fifth annual Pearland Veterans Day Walk. These funds were possible only because hundreds of members of the greater Pearland, TX, community came out on Saturday, November 10 for our fifth annual Veterans Day Walk to honor Texas veterans, to celebrate the freedom their bravery has secured for us, and to raise funds for those still battling Post Traumatic Stress. How much did we raise and where did the money go?

Hey Upstate, here is your chance! Enjoy an easy 2.4 mile loop hike around 30-acre Sesquicentennial Lake. An easy walking on a paved woodland trail with an abundance of flora and fauna… Stroll over boardwalks and listen to the burble of the waterfall.

Our 2018 Oktoberfest hikers did not let a little rain dampen their spirits or shorten their hike at Bear Mountain in upstate New York this … Read more…