All About Dallas Sierra Club Outings
Sierra Club founder John Muir believed that leading people to explore and enjoy America’s unspoiled natural environment would motivate them to protect wild lands for future generations. That’s still a guiding principle of Sierra Club outings. Outings are for non-members as well as members.
Outing Types:
We organize different types of outings including day-hikes, backpacking, car camping, service outings, Inspiring Connections Outdoors (ICO) and outings classes. Click here for a detailed description of each outing type.
Where Do We Post Our Outings?
We list and describe all Dallas Sierra Club outings on our website and calendar. You can also read about recently scheduled and recent outings by subscribing to our free monthly Outings News newsletter here.
What Makes Dallas Sierra Club Outings Different?
- We limit the number of participants hiking together, generally to twelve, typically fewer for backpacking groups.
- Our outings leaders are volunteers with certifications for outing leadership and first aid training (wilderness first aid if the outings will be remote from emergency first aid responders). Before overnight outings, the outing leader will contact participants who haven’t been on a similar outing for a brief conversation about experience, gear, and readiness. We want an outing to be appropriate for participants so that all have a safe and enjoyable experience.
- We practice “Leave-No-Trace” wilderness ethics. Unless camping in an organized campground with fire rings or grills, we don’t build campfires. We use pocket-sized stoves for cooking. (Consequently, clothes don’t smell of smoke or singe due to flying embers.) We pack out all trash including used toilet paper.
- We offer classes to acquaint prospective campers and backpackers with gear and skills to make outings easier, affordable, and more fun.
Signing Up:
Participation in Dallas Sierra Club outings is not limited to members. Participants need to sign up in advance for outings other than those explicitly stating that no advance registration is required. Most outings and all backpacking trips are limited to 12 or fewer participants, based on the date registration is received. For questions about an outing, contact the leader, who can advise whether an outing appears suitable for you.
Rules: Music players, firearms, and smoking are prohibited on outings. Pets are not allowed except on day-hikes for which pets are specifically authorized in the outing description. Except at campgrounds with permanent fire pits or grills, we don’t build fires.
Carpooling: Carpooling to an outing is encouraged but not required. Sierra Club leaders cannot assign carpools but may provide a list of participants seeking rides or riders. Outing participants are ultimately responsible for arranging their own transportation. If carpooling, you should agree on a meeting place, time, and sharing costs in advance. A popular cost-sharing formula is for all riders and the driver to equally share fuel costs plus a mileage allowance for wear and maintenance.
Participation Agreement:
All outing participants must sign a participation agreement before any Sierra Club outing. The agreement acknowledges inherent risks and protects the Sierra Club from liability. A parent or legal guardian must sign an agreement for a child under age eighteen. You may read the participation agreement in English here or in Spanish here.
Medical Form:
Overnight outings will require a medical information form. The form discloses medical history that might impact your participation. It provides valuable information in the event of an emergency. It’s a participant’s responsibility to inform the leader of any medical problem before the outing.