
What we’re about
FreeWalkers.org is a social network dedicated to exploring life on foot, for walkers and hikers interested in participating in long-distance walking events in the Mid-Atlantic region. Membership is free and open to everyone. We support each member's effort to reach their own goals of fitness and enjoyment as we walk together, explore our surroundings, and promote pro-pedestrian interests.
FreeWalkers has thousands of members and hosts dozens of long-distance walking events each year in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and New York, as well as many in Maryland, Delaware and Virginia. Most walks are supported by mass transit for easy access and return, and are between ten and fifty miles in length. Some walks are longer multi-day or shorter distance events. We have all kinds of walks, but we are most known for our longer distance walking events. Some of our walks offer shorter 5k to 10k options.
Walkers are free to move at their own pace and distance. It is not necessary for a walk to be completed or timed, only enjoyed. Our walks expose members to countless locations of scenic beauty, historic importance, and pedestrian convenience, all with the benefit of social support, event organization and the opportunity to engage with interesting fellow walkers.
We are an IRS-approved 501(c)3 non-profit and your tax-free donations help us create free and low-cost walks that are interesting, challenging and open to everyone. We manage multiple regional FreeWalkers groups on Meetup. We do encourage joining freewalkers.org and actively supporting our partners and sponsors who help make these events possible. At our website, you can browse photos of our events, learn about our history and mission, and read about the experiences of some of our walkers.
Look for our many walks every year in greater New York City, many parts of New Jersey including Hudson, Union, Middlesex, Somerset, Union, Morris, Monmouth, Mercer and Burlington County; Southeastern Pennsylvania including Philadelphia, Bucks and Montgomery County; Delaware and greater Washington DC. Join us on nature hikes, city walks, history walking tours, long-distance walks, scenic walks and themed walking outings.
Why you might like to join the FreeWalkers:
• Did you ever wonder how far you could walk?
• Would you like to know more about the places you walk?
• Are you more interested in accomplishing personal goals than winning a race?
• Are you the type of person who can't pass up an interesting challenge or adventure?
• Have you ever longed to get out of your car and experience what a community is really like?
• Do you believe you spend nearly as many calories walking as running but over a longer period of time?
• Are you looking for a sport where social interaction is possible?
• Are you looking for an alternative exercise routine that's both easy on the body and builds endurance?
We look forward to seeing you at our next event. Walk the Walk! It's good for you, good for us and good for the greater community. Get out there for your first FreeWalk, and you will be glad that you did.
Upcoming events (4+)
See all- USA250: Boston Revolutionary WalkBoston Common: Park Street Station, Boston, MA
The FreeWalkers are coming! The FreeWalkers are coming! To Boston!
Start: Boston Common, Park Street Station
Finish: Portal Park
Distance: 8mi
Where to find us: plaza near Park Street Station
Mini: Old Boston history tour
Terrain: paved and gravel
Transit: Amtrak, Greyhound to South Station
Return: less than a mile
Difficulty: Beginner
Category: history, urban
Coordinator: Charles UpdikePlease register for FREE to attend.
It's Patriots Day. Join us on the 250th anniversary of the start of the Revolutionary War. Take an historic and scenic journey around old Boston as we visit the places and discuss the events that led up to the Shot Heard 'Round the World.
Amtrak from NY Penn will get you to the start, up to and including a 7:41am Friday departure arriving at 12:06pm. Greyhound Flixbus from midtown Manhattan departing at 7:30am will get you there as well.
Reserve your hotel room as early as you can, as this is a popular weekend. Suburban hotels with transit connections to Boston may be worth a look.
Highlights:
Boston Common
Massachusetts State House
Park Street Church
Granary Burying Ground
King's Chapel and Burying Ground
Boston Latin School
Old South Meeting House
Old State House:
Boston Massacre Site
Faneuil Hall
Paul Revere House
Old North Church
Copp's Hill Burying Ground
Bunker Hill Monument
USS Constitution
Boston Tea Party Ships and Museum - USA250: Lexington and Concord Battle MarchLexington Visitors' Center, Lexington, MA
Witness the start of the American Revolution and take a contemplative walk around Walden Pond.
Start: Lexington Visitors Center, Lexington, MA
Finish: Lincoln train station, Lincoln, MA
Distance: 16mi
Where to find us: At the corner of Massachusetts Ave and Meriam Street
Terrain: paved and gravel
Transit: Amtrak, Greyhound to South Station
Return: Lincoln to North Station T train
Difficulty: Average
Category: history, nature
Coordinator: Charles UpdikePlease register for FREE to attend.
Watch the 250th reenactment of the Shot Heard 'Round the World and the Battle of Lexington. March as the troops did from Lexington to Concord for the subsequent battle. See the troops in Concord and celebrate the history of the Battle of Concord with a town-wide party. Visit the home and grave of Emerson, walk Walden Pond and visit the site of the wilderness shack of walking philosopher Henry David Thoreau. Relax in Lincoln as we await our train back to Boston, with food, drink, art and a bit more history from April 19. 1775.
REENACTMENT: Battle of Lexington, April 19, 1775
5:30am, Lexington Battle GreenWALK
Lexington to Concord, 7am
Start: Lexington Battle Green
Finish: Concord
Distance: 8miCONCORD EVENTS:
Concord battle ceremony, events, parade
9:30 to 11:30amWALK
Concord history and Walden Pond, 12pm
Start: Concord (exact location TBD)
Finish: Lincoln T station
Distance: 8miReserve your hotel room as early as you can, as this is a popular weekend. Suburban hotels with transit connections to Boston may be worth a look.
For those not staying for the weekend, the recommended departing Amtrak from Boston to NY Penn on Saturday night is the 6:45pm arriving 10:57, or any Greyhound after 6:30pm.
Walk details will be refined as local events are finalized. Additional information will be emailed to all Eventbrite registrants.
Highlights:
Minuteman Commuter trail
Hancock Clarke House
Battle of Lexington
Munroe Tavern
Buckman Tavern
Minuteman National Historic Park
Wright Tavern
Louisa May Alcott's house
Concord battlefield
Old Manse
Emerson's home and grave
Thoreau's grave
Walden Pond
Thoreau cabin
Lincoln
...and more! - Walk with us and Union County Connects (Steve Dunn)Cranford station, Cranford, NJ
Walk with us to promote trail development in Union County for National Trails Day. Options for 3 - 7 or more miles - your choice. Registration on Eventbrite is REQUIRED PLEASE. There is a party at the end of the walk and we need to know who many folks are joining us.
Please register for FREE to attend.Time: 10 am
Start: Cranford Train Station
End points: Finish with the group in Roselle Park and either take a train ( one mile away) back to Cranford Station or walk back. Your choice.
Distance: we will cover about 6-7 miles total to join Union County Connect folks and a few miles back to the station if you choose, or arrange a carpool/Uber back to your car. If you are joining us at Frenchy's Brewery, you must RSVP here as well. [Frencys](1:00 p.m.: Reception at Frenchy’s (please register via this link). https://ticketstripe.com/ctd-frenchys2025)Where to find us: Town side parking lot of the station.
Mini Walk: This event isi a short one.
Terrain: paved and some unfinished rail trails - a bit of brush.
Transit: NJ Transit to Cranford Train Station.
Return: on foot or carpool.
Parking: FREE at the station
Difficulty: Beginner / Intermediate
Category: nature, urban
Coordinator: Cory Storch
Celebrate Trails Day! FreeWalkers is excited to join Stephen Dunn, the Biking Fireman, for this impactful event to promote the development of the Rahway Valley Railroad (RVR) Trail.
When complete, the RVR will connect from Summit all the way to Roselle Park, 7.3 miles of traffic free multi-use path. Let's turn out in force to push its development along!
Partners:
The East Coast Greenway Alliance is a non-profit organization developing a public multi-use 3,000 mile trail from Canada to Key West through New Jersey and New York. Donations and memberships help make this dream trail a reality.
More about FreeWalkers:
Our calendar of walks and hikes | About FreeWalkers | Walker stories | Walking tips
New Jersey walks | Pennsylvania walks | New York City walks - The Kruimer Walk: XNJNew Brunswick Station, New Brunswick, NJ
An easy and enlightening 13-mile walking journey along the East Coast Greenway ending at Metropark Train Station. Part of the 100-mile Cross-Jersey Challenge.
Please register for FREE to attend.
Start: New Brunswick Station
Finish: MetroPark Station
Distance: 13mi
Where to find us: In front on the station on Albany Street.
Terrain: paved
Transit: NJ Transit to New Brunswick
Return: NJ Transit
Parking: Parking available at MetroPark for easy departure or New Brunswick Train station at the start - your choice.
Difficulty: Beginner to intermediate
Category: urban
Coordinator: Charles Updike, 916-225-0569, charlesupdike@gmail.com
Join in on this flat and easy trek between New Brunswick and Metropark in Iselin along the East Coast Greenway. The walk is FREE and open to everyone. Join us early for coffee and donuts at the Dunkin at the start.
It's a suburban walk on sidewalk along some fairly busy roads, through the interesting town of Highland Park and older neighborhoods in Edison. The trail goes through the popular Roosevelt Park and to the new Thomas Edison Center at Menlo Park with its huge monument, museum and grounds.
It's a quirky mixture celebrating the old and new, the industrial and post-industrial.
The walk should only be about 4.5 hours and is the connecting segment between the Great Canal Walk and the The Big Walk thereafter, so that you can complete the Cross-Jersey Walking Challenge.
The Kruimer Walk (previously named the Tween Walk) ends at the newly renovated Thomas Edison Center near Metro Park Station. This was the site of Edison's most famous and productive laboratory. Although the lab buildings are now gone, there remains a woodsy trail to the museum, grounds and newly restored art-deco monument to the genius he was. From there you can walk to Metropark train station to return.The FreeWalkers are again offering the Cross-Jersey Walking Challenge, with a goal of walking the 100 miles of the East Coast Greenway across the entire state at any time during the year. This walk is part of the ECG trail from Trenton to New York City. You have the option of completing the challenge over three to five days. Option 1: Complete the 40-mile Great Canal Walk from Trenton to New Brunswick in one day, or walk the Spring Ahead to Princeton and do the 28-mile Great Canal Walk from Princeton. Option 2: Complete the 50-mile Big Walk in one day, or walk 24 miles of the Big Walk to Elizabeth and complete the remaining 26 miles on the Staten Island Marathon Walk.
Highlights:
- Roosevelt Park
- Thomas Edison CenterSpring 2025 Cross Jersey Challenge
Mar 22 Spring Ahead Walk (optional) 14mi
Apr 5 Great Canal Walk 28/40mi
Apr 27 Kruimer Walk 13mi
May 17 Pauls Big Walk 24/50mi
May 31 Staten Island Marathon Walk (optional) 22/26miPartners:
The East Coast Greenway Alliance is a non-profit organization developing a public multi-use 3,000 mile trail from Canada to Key West through New Jersey and New York. Donations and memberships help make this dream trail a reality.
Circuit Trails is 800 miles of interconnected trails in Greater Philadelphia in the making, already one of America's largest trail networks. Once connected, the Circuit Trails will be one of the nation's premier urban trail networks and it will provide multiple benefits to neighborhoods, communities and the region as a whole.
The 9/11 National Memorial Trail is a network of over 1,300 miles of trails connecting New York City, the Pentagon and Shanksville, Pennsylvania, in tribute to the heroes who perished on September 11, 2001, and the heroes who, in response, answered the call for their country.
The FreeWalkers are again offering the Cross-Jersey Walking Challenge, with a goal of walking the 100 miles of the East Coast Greenway across the entire state at any time during the year. This walk is part of the ECG trail from Trenton to New York City.
