Lead a Hike

Every Hike NWA group hike happens because someone said “I’ll lead it.” Leads host hikes through Bella Vista Walks & Hikes, and we set up every hike lead to succeed. You don’t need to be an expert. You just need to enjoy sharing the trail.

Why lead a hike?

Leading is one of the best ways to stay accountable to your own hiking goals—when others are counting on you to show up, you show up. It’s also how newcomers find their footing here, guided by someone friendly at the trailhead who knows the way. Lead as often as fits your life, whether that’s weekly, monthly, or just once to try it out.

What leading looks like

Pick a route using our hike event generator, create a Facebook event for your preferred date/time, then show up the day of the hike before it starts. Once the hike starts, set the pace, keep the group together, and let the trail do the rest.

What we provide

We’ll teach you how to lead a group hike, train you on Komoot so you always have turn-by-turn navigation on the trail, and show you how to find and follow routes in our route library. When you’re ready, we’ll help get the word out through the community.

Who can lead?

Anyone who’s comfortable hiking our trails and happy to hike with others. You don’t need to be fast, and you don’t need to know every trail in NWA.

Ready to lead?

Reach out through our contact form and choose “I’d like to lead a hike.” We’ll get in touch and get you set up.