What we’re about
Meet others in Nashville, middle Tennessee, and beyond, interested in backpacking. At regular monthly meetings in the Brentwood REI Community Room, we discuss trails, equipment, tents, hammocks, packs, stoves, cameras and photography, clothing, weather, wildlife, first aid, food, recipes, etc., and find fellow hikers to go backpacking with. Our backpacking trips are multi-day events that require a great deal of work by hike organizers. PLEASE RSVP WITH INTEGRITY; if you can't do that, this might not be the Meetup group for you.
Most of our trips are open to all members on a first-come basis. However, there will be events that are attendance-selective based on difficulty, experience required, past participation in related or similar events, etc. This will be at the discretion of the specific event organizer.
Upcoming events
25
Fall Trip to Hobbs Cabin Campground
Savage Gulf East, 3177 State Road 399, Palmer, TN, USHey everyone! Let's take a fall weekend trip to Savage Gulf. We will meet at 10am central Saturday morning at the Savage Gulf East Trailhead. We will hike the Savage Day Loop and North Rim trails to the Hobbs Cabin campground area. Note: We have reserved some campsites, not the cabin. The total hike is about 16.2 miles with about 1400 feet of elevation gain. This would be an acceptable beginner trip for someone who is acclimated to the mileage.
Well behaved dogs are welcome. The fee is $7 per person for reimbursement of campsite fees. You can Venmo @Lisa-BryerStarmer
This is a "go at your own pace" hike. Everyone should have a map and be able to navigate independently. There is a free map of all State Parks on Avenza.
If I have not hiked with you before, please either message me on Meetup or text me at 615-390-6083. Failure to do so will result being placed on the waitlist. Please let me know if you have any questions. Please RSVP with integrity!
North Rim Trail via Savage Day Trail, Tennessee - 201 Reviews, Map | AllTrails
12 attendees
Night Hike — Mossy Ridge Trail at Percy Warner Park
Vaughn's Gap, 7199 TN-100, Nashville, TN, USLooking to get in better shape for backpacking? Missing the Backpacker Meetup group but don't have time for a trip? Then join us for a 5.8 mile loop through Percy Warner Park!
We'll meet at the Vaughn's Gap parking lot and take the Candy Cane Connector to the main Mossy Ridge (red) trail. We'll spend the next 2+ hours on this moderate trail with frequent elevation gain. This hike can be challenging depending on your fitness level/if you haven't been hiking recently. The pace is set by the group and no one is left behind.
Headlamps/lights are required for this hike. Water, snacks, and appropriate layers for the weather are recommended. I will keep an eye on the weather and may cancel for rain, thunderstorms, or windy conditions.
Alltrails: https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/tennessee/mossy-ridge-trail
Please give yourself enough time to find parking and get to the trailhead – we will start promptly to respect everyone's time. Message me if you're running late!
Dogs are welcome but must be on a leash.
1 attendee- $5.00
Beginner Trip: Twin Arches Loop, November 15-16, 2025
Twin Arches, Twin Arches Lane, Oneida, tn, USPlease read the entire trip description before signing up (Seriously, you should read it).
Join me on a relatively easy hike to enjoy the Big South Fork NRRA. Intro to Backpacking class attendees attend the trip free of charge (if they have not already had their free trip). For all others, it will be $5/person to cover permit fees. You may pay via Venmo (preferred), Paypal, or Cashapp.
Saturday: We will meet at the Twin Arches parking lot at 12:00 noon Central Time (1:00 Eastern Time). From the Twin Arches parking lot we will hike down to see the arches. We will then continue on to Jake's Place and camp there if it's available. If it is not there are a few nice places down the Slave Falls trail. From the trail head this is 2.5-3 miles depending where we camp. For those who would like to see slave falls we can hike the 3-3.5 mile round trip from camp.
Sunday: We will complete the loop, passing Charit Creek Lodge on the way back to the parking lot. This will be about 2-2.5 miles with a good amount of uphill hiking but nothing too difficult. If you're interested in joining me, I plan to stop at Beaty's Wildwood Grocery for a post-hike meal.
Travel plans: We will meet at the trailhead at 12:00 noon central time. This is about a 2.5 hour drive from Nashville. I encourage carpooling, since parking is limited. I will meet anyone interested in carpooling at the Lebanon Home Depot parking lot. We will leave Home Depot at 9:00 AM CDT. Links to Home Depot and Beaty's are below.
This is a dog- and kid-friendly trip, so feel free to bring your well-behaved pups and young relatives.
This is a beginner hike, but please have an idea of the route. It is the twin arches loop with just an offshoot to Slave Falls.
I have posted the links from AllTrails to show the loop and where Slave Falls is.
Twin Arches Loop Trail on AllTrails
Slave Falls Trail on AllTrails
Twin Arches and Slave Falls Loop on AllTrails
Super Important Info:
- Whether you are a free or paid attendee, please contact me within 24 hours of your RSVP to a) confirm your attendance and b) make payment (where applicable). If I do not already have your contact information, please send it at that time. If you're not sure, send it anyway. If you do not contact me when you RSVP, I will move you back to the waitlist.
- Just because the waitlist is full doesn't automatically mean the trip is full. Go ahead and contact me when you RSVP, even if you're on the waitlist. You might be pleasantly surprised.
- Payment info:
Venmo - @BackpackerWill
Paypal - @aretebackpacking
CashApp - $BackpackerWill- Refunds: Up until 7 days before the trip, if you cancel AND someone takes your spot and pays, I will refund your fee. Within 7 days of the trip, there will be no refunds.
Weather - We will go rain or shine, unless there are dangerous storms in the forecast. It could be quite cold, so please let me know if you have any concerns or questions about your gear, or if you need to borrow anything.
Water - We will be camped right next to a stream, so water should be plentiful. Please have a filter, or some other way to purify your water.
Food Storage - Please have a canister, Ursack, or means to hang your food. There are bears and other critters in BSF.
If you have any questions about this hike, please let me know. My phone number is 931-267-9378. Please RSVP with integrity....canceling at the last minute keeps someone else from attending.
12 attendees Night Hike — Mossy Ridge Trail at Percy Warner Park
Vaughn's Gap, 7199 TN-100, Nashville, TN, USLooking to get in better shape for backpacking? Missing the Backpacker Meetup group but don't have time for a trip? Then join us for a 5.8 mile loop through Percy Warner Park!
We'll meet at the Vaughn's Gap parking lot and take the Candy Cane Connector to the main Mossy Ridge (red) trail. We'll spend the next 2+ hours on this moderate trail with frequent elevation gain. This hike can be challenging depending on your fitness level/if you haven't been hiking recently. The pace is set by the group and no one is left behind.
Headlamps/lights are required for this hike. Water, snacks, and appropriate layers for the weather are recommended. I will keep an eye on the weather and may cancel for rain, thunderstorms, or windy conditions.
Alltrails: https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/tennessee/mossy-ridge-trail
Please give yourself enough time to find parking and get to the trailhead – we will start promptly to respect everyone's time. Message me if you're running late!
Dogs are welcome but must be on a leash.
1 attendee
Past events
980
Group links
Organizers
Members
6,734
