We have one goal at Modern Hiker: making it easier for people to get outside.

We started with one person writing about Los Angeles trails in 2006. Since then, we’ve added enthusiastic new voices, expanded our range all over the Southwest, and assembled 9 years’ worth of information on hiking trails, gear, and news — but even though we have lots of reports, it’s not always easy to find what you’re looking for.

That’s why we want to completely rebuild the site from the ground up — with a clean new look, massively increased functionality, and a custom-design search engine that will help you discover both distant trails for future trips and those hidden right in your own backyard.

We already have hundreds of detailed trail guides on Modern Hiker but with this redesign we’ll be adding even more. We’ve found amazing outdoor writers all over the Western United States and added their knowledgeable and unique voices to our team, and we’ll be adding even more as we continue to bring you the best hiking guides anywhere online.

Our new design will be elegant and organized, making it simple to find exactly what you want. Stay up to date on the latest news, see some of our highlighted trails, or check out our new Hike Finder to do some research on your own. The site will automatically show you events and trails near where you live — or let you explore new regions on your own.

Don’t know where you want to hike? Just looking for something new? Our new custom-built Hike Finder is a powerful search engine that will organize our massive trail library to help you find exactly what you’re looking for. You’ll be able to search by time, distance, location, difficulty, and even features like waterfalls, dog-friendliness, or challenging technical trails. See all the results at a glance and then dig into our write-ups for more info.

Once you find those trails, you can save them to your new Modern Hiker user profiles. Keep your favorite trails bookmarked or build a “To-Hike” list, then share those hikes with other Modern Hiker readers and find a new hiking buddy to tackle some peaks together. Show off your gear kits, track your mileage, display your best trail photos, and even get badges for hiking accomplishments.

In addition to making our hike write-ups even easier to read, we’re also revamping all of our gear reviews to highlight every product we get our hands (or feet) on to let you know if it’s worth your hard-earned money.

No one on the Modern Hiker staff is taking living expenses from this campaign - almost every single penny that's donated is going to make the site better for YOU, our readers. 

The vast majority is going directly into web site development. Modern Hiker is 9 years old and has an enormous database of hikes. This isn't just a simple blog that we can slap a new theme on and call it a day - we need to rebuild the site's structure from the ground up, check and upgrade our backlog of trail info to ensure all the proper metadata is encoded, and build a custom-designed search engine that can quickly and easily sift through that data to help you find new trails. In addition, all of the new functionality - including user profiles, bookmarked hikes, social media integration, and location-specific content - will require coding and visual design that currently doesn't exist on the site.

As we expand our coverage, some of these funds will go toward advertisements and outreach events to establish Modern Hiker in new areas - as well as toward finding AND FUNDING our new writers. Good writing from local experts has always been at the core of Modern Hiker, and since we first started adding additional writers we have always paid for that new trail content. It's not only a good way of ensuring that you always have clear and accurate trail guides, but we also believe it's the right thing to do - even in an age where many sites get content for free in exchange for exposure.

A small amount of the funding will go toward offsetting the incorporation and legal fees that are standard for setting up a new business, as well as paying off shipping and production costs for our perks, and credit card and Indiegogo transaction fees.

If you’ve ever tried to find hiking information online, you know it can be like rolling dice. Sometimes you find a gem — other times the information is so confusing you never even make it to the trailhead.

We believe that by offering a consistent, clear, informed, and honest source of trail information, we can help more people safely and responsibly experience these special places — whether they’re deep in the backwoods or right across the street from their house. 

We believe that by inspiring others to get outside, we can truly change lives. Modern Hiker was born out of one person experiencing the transformative power of the wilderness and just wanting to share it with as many people as possible. We want to multiply that experience all over the world, creating a new generation of enthusiasts and advocates to protect our outdoor spaces. 

We also believe everyone who enjoys the outdoors deserves to be well-informed, which is why we have a commitment to teaching outdoor ethics, helping explain outdoor policy that often goes overlooked by mainstream media, and holding outdoor vandals accountable for their actions. 

By supporting Modern Hiker, you are helping us inspire people to get outside, one click at a time.

Q: When will I get my T shirts, stickers, water bottles, and badges?

 As with all crowdfunding campaigns, there’s always a chance that schedules will change, or that things will fall behind. But if this campaign is a hit, and we raise enough, we'll get right to work and start ordering your perks.  Once we receive the orders, we'll mail them straight to you!

Q:  When will I get my hiking and camping gear? (Tents, backpacks, etc..)

Once the campaign is over, we'll call in our orders and ship them straight to your door once we receive them from the manufacturer.

Q:  When will the hikes and camping trips be scheduled and where will they take place?

Once the campaign is finished, we will personally reach out to you via email and give you a list of potential dates and locations for our trips.  We understand that everyone's schedules may vary, so we will try our best to accommodate by giving you several choices to choose from.  The group day hikes and the 1 and 2 night camping trips will most likely be scheduled on a weekend.   The Death Valley Trip cannot be in the summer  because the park is closed then.  The four night Zion trip will most likely be scheduled from Thursday through Sunday.   All hiking and camping trips, apart from the Zion trip, will take place in Southern California.

Q:  How do I get to the hike or camping trip?

Once a hiking and / or camping trip has been scheduled, we will email you directions on where to meet.  Apart from the Zion trip, you are responsible for your own transportation. 

Q:  Do I need to bring my own gear for these hiking and camping trips?

Yes.  Unless specified, be prepared to bring your own gear.  For day hikes, wear hiking shoes, a hat, and sunscreen.   For camping trips, you are expected to bring your own backpack, tent, sleeping bag, flashlight, etc...  We will provide cooking gear and food for our camping trips.  If you have any questions on what to bring, please contact us prior to the trip.

Q: Do I need to bring my own food for the camping trips?

We will provide food for all of our camping trips including award winning meals by Packit Gourmet (www.packitgourmet.com).  Once you choose one of our camping trips, we will send you instructions on how to choose and order your food.  

Q:  How difficult and long will the group led day hikes be?

The group day hikes will be a moderate 3-8 miles long round trip. We'll do our best to provide options for every level hiker, but please come prepared and be in good shape to hike. 

Q:  I signed up for a private hike.  Can I choose my own hike?

We'll have a list of great hikes depending on your hiking level (beginner, intermediate, advanced) and overall preferences.  But, if you'd like to chime in on a hike, please do so and we'll do our best to accommodate.  Please note that apart from the Zion trip, all hikes will take place within Southern California.

Q: Are hiking and camping safe?

We will do our best to accommodate you and keep you safe,  but as  with all hiking and camping trips, there are risks to injury.  By signing up for these hikes and / or camping trips, you understand that you are responsible for your own well being.  Please come prepared and be in sufficient shape to hike and camp.  

Q:  I signed up for the 4 night Death Valley Camping Trip.  What are the details?

First off, congratulations on choosing this epic adventure!!  You and your friend will enjoy a 4 night camping and hiking trip to Death Valley National Park, guided by our Ultalight gear writer and expert Backpacker Bram.   Here are very important details for this trip:

1.  Transportation is included! Backpacker Bram will personally pick you and your friend up, anywhere in Los Angeles county, and will escort both of you to beautiful Death Valley National Park.

2.  All food will be provided!  Feel free to bring your own snacks if you wish.  Also, please let us know if you have any diet restrictions.

3.   You and your friend are responsible for your own gear.  This includes your hiking shoes, backpack, tent, sleeping bag,  warm clothes, flashlight, sun screen, etc.   Prior to the trip, we will send you a checklist of mandatory items that you must bring.

 4. The camping situation will be CAR CAMPING, which means that you will pitch your tent very close to where the car is parked.  Thus, no ultralight, deep valley experience is needed. 

5.  Death Valley has a diverse landscape and we can plan your hikes based on your hiking ability. 

6.  We will do our best to accommodate to your schedule, but the 4 night Death Valley camping trip cannot be in the summer because the park is closed during that time. 

7. We will do our best to accommodate you and keep you safe,  but as  with all hiking and camping trips, there are risks of injury.  By signing up the Death Valley camping trip, you understand that you are responsible for your own well being.