How Can a Non-Member Join a San Francisco Hiking Club Hike?

Updated

You can try a San Francisco Hiking Club hike without joining: pick an event from the postings on sfhiking.com, then email the listed hike leader (or [email protected]) to say you plan to attend. In that email, state whether you need a ride to the trailhead or can drive others. The site's [Register] button only works for members, so email is the way in for non-members. The club explicitly welcomes anyone to try out a couple of hikes before deciding whether to join.

What to check before you email

Each hike posting includes the meeting location and the expected difficulty, so read the full posting for the event you want rather than assuming a default spot.

  • Meeting points vary. The club generally meets at the Whole Foods at Dolores Street (at Market Street) in San Francisco. Some hikes meet, or alternatively meet, at the Rockridge BART Station in Oakland. The posting for a specific hike is the authority on where that hike meets.
  • Schedule. There is usually an event on Saturdays, and sometimes on Sundays as well.
  • Difficulty. The posting states the expected difficulty; match it to your own fitness and experience before committing.

Step by step for your first hike

  1. Choose an event. Browse the hike postings on sfhiking.com and note the date, time, meeting location, and difficulty.
  2. Email the hike leader. Use the leader named in the posting, or [email protected] if you prefer. Say you are a non-member who would like to attend.
  3. State your transport situation. Tell them whether you need a ride to the trailhead, whether you are willing to drive others, or neither.
  4. Wait for confirmation. You are coordinating by email, not through the website, so don't count on the [Register] button.
  5. Show up at the posted meeting point at the stated time.

What non-members can and cannot access

Item Non-member Member
Try a couple of hikes Yes, after emailing the leader Yes
Register via the website button No Yes
Expanded hike list No Yes
Non-hiking events (e.g., Holiday party) No Yes

The site notes that members get access to a more expansive list of hikes and to non-hiking events such as the club's Holiday party.

Example: planning for the next posted hike

Suppose you want to join the SF city hike listed for 10/31/2026 at 10:00 AM, led by Chuin Phang. You would read that posting for the exact meeting location and difficulty, then email the leader to say you'll attend and whether you need a ride. If you instead chose the East Bay hike on 11/14/2026 at 10:00 AM (Sibley Volcanic and Huckleberry Botanic Regional Preserves, led by Robert H!ckey), you would follow the same steps but plan for an Oakland-area meeting point as described in that posting.

After the trial hikes

If you enjoy hiking with the group, the club asks you to consider becoming a member through the Join menu on the website. Membership questions go to [email protected]; general questions about the club go to [email protected]. The site does not publish membership pricing, so ask by email if cost matters to your decision.