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Safety First: Utilize resources from Hike Safe to prepare for challenging terrain.
Pace: Look for groups that break into different difficulty levels to ensure a comfortable experience.
Hiking Gains Ground Among Seniors Seeking Health, Adventure, and Connection
A growing number of older adults across the United States are trading sedentary routines for hiking boots, as outdoor recreation becomes one of the fastest-rising lifestyle trends among people aged 60 and older.
From gentle nature walks to more ambitious mountain trails, seniors are embracing hiking not only as a form of exercise but as a pathway to better physical health, mental well-being, and social connection.
A Natural Prescription for Health
Health experts point to hiking as a low-impact activity that delivers high rewards. Regular hiking can improve cardiovascular fitness, strengthen muscles, enhance balance, and reduce the risk of chronic conditions such as heart disease and diabetes. For older adults, it also plays a critical role in maintaining mobility and independence.
Equally important are the mental health benefits. Time spent outdoors has been linked to reduced stress, improved mood, and sharper cognitive function—key factors in healthy aging.
Social Trails: Building Community
One Step at a Time
Beyond the physical benefits, hiking is becoming a social lifeline for many seniors. Organized hiking groups, community meetups, and virtual platforms are helping older adults connect with like-minded adventurers.
“People come for the exercise, but they stay for the friendships,” says one group organizer. “It’s about shared experiences—watching a sunrise, reaching a summit, or simply enjoying nature together.”
This sense of belonging is especially important as social isolation remains a concern among aging populations.
Technology Opens the Trail
Digital platforms are also fueling the trend. Websites and apps now make it easier than ever for seniors to discover nearby trails, join group hikes, and plan outdoor excursions tailored to their ability levels.
Platforms like Get Up And Go: Boomer Style: Events & Community for Boomers are helping curate these experiences specifically for active adults over 60, offering everything from local hikes to destination adventures designed with accessibility and enjoyment in mind.
Safety and Accessibility Lead the Way
As participation grows, so does awareness around safety. Experts recommend that seniors choose trails suited to their fitness level, stay hydrated, wear proper footwear, and hike with companions whenever possible.
Many parks and recreation departments are also expanding accessible trail options, ensuring that more people—regardless of age or ability—can enjoy the outdoors.
A Lifestyle, Not Just an Activity
For many older adults, hiking represents more than exercise—it’s a lifestyle shift. It’s about staying curious, embracing new challenges, and proving that adventure doesn’t have an expiration date.
As one 68-year-old hiker put it, “I may be older, but I’m not done exploring.”
Ski Strong at Any Age: Inside Mammoth’s ‘Ripping Over 50’ Camps
It’s a beautiful day at Mammoth Mountain Ski Area, with blue skies and fresh snow. A group of skiers pause and huddle midway down an intermediate slope, then follow a ski instructor as she makes beautiful, tight, dynamic turns down the mountain. The people in this group are learning how to ski, but they’re a few decades older than their counterparts in the children’s ski school. They’re all in their 50s, 60s, and 70s — part of Mammoth’s Ripping Over 50 ski and snowboard camps, a program based on the belief that skiing is an activity someone can do at age 2 or 92, from their first steps until their last.
These camps are no average ski lessons. They are the brainchild of Mammoth ski instructor and fitness expert Suzanne Nottingham, who designed a research-based curriculum for people over 50 who want to enjoy years — even decades — of movement on snow.
Nottingham, 67, is a personal trainer, motivational speaker, and pioneer in the fitness and group exercise world, with published books and a career as a professional fitness athlete for Nike. As a ski instructor with a Level 3 certification (the highest degree from the Professional Ski Instructors of America), she also teaches people how to ski at Mammoth.
Her Ripping Over 50 camps reflect both of her professional paths and are grounded in her philosophy on aging. She not only wants to open the door to snow sports for an often-overlooked demographic of aging yet active people, but also believes skiing promotes exactly the kind of healthy lifestyle this group needs at this stage of life.
“Pat Goldberg, Suzanne Nottingham, and Bryan Hughes stand in front of Mammoth Mountain at the wrap-up party for the Ripping Over 50 ski camp in March 2025.
Courtesy of Mammoth Mountain”“Ripping is not an ability level or a specific place to ski,” Nottingham said. “Ripping is 100% a state of mind — having faith to trust us as the best in the world. It’s a way of being where you feel exuberant in the moment. I teach people to live happily in the moment.”
Nottingham’s views challenge stereotypes about aging and the idea that skiing and snowboarding are only for young people. Hundreds have joined the camps since the program launched in 2021. The oldest participant so far was 92. While many have experienced physical changes — some with hip or knee replacements, others recovering from injuries — that hasn’t stopped them from making comfortable turns on the mountain. Nottingham believes this is a new generation of aging adults. These are the same people who redefined fitness in the 1980s and 1990s, and she aims to continue that legacy today. “I’m not just breaking but shattering the glass ceiling of what aging looks and feels like by today’s standards,” she said. “It’s not the image of an old person feebly walking across the road. It’s a new way to see aging populations — something the winter sports industry hasn’t embraced yet.”
A New Approach to Ski School
On Tuesday morning, March 18, Nottingham stood before several dozen skiers and snowboarders who had just finished breakfast inside a conference room on the third floor of Mammoth’s Main Lodge. Small in stature but with a commanding, confident presence, she began organizing the participants into groups ranging from beginners to advanced skiers capable of tackling steep slopes.
One thing most participants have in common, Nottingham noted, is an active lifestyle. Regardless of skill level, the core belief of Ripping Over 50 is that snow sports should be physically comfortable at all levels.
She emphasizes benefits like neuroplasticity, bone density, balance, and posture — all of which are positively impacted by skiing.
“There are so many qualities of sliding on snow that improve your everyday movement,” Nottingham explained.
She collaborates with some of Mammoth’s most experienced instructors, each holding top-level certifications. Still, she trains them specifically on how to teach older adults.
According to Nottingham, teaching someone in their 60s is different than teaching someone in their 30s — not because of decline, but because of different needs and learning styles. She strongly rejects the stigmas associated with aging.
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