How Inclusive Communities and Smarter Trail Navigation Are Getting More People Hiking in 2026

Article Summary:

• Strava's biggest hiking update yet — new offline navigation, route discovery, and trail maps for every hiker

• How to download routes for areas with no cell service using Strava's new Offline Routes feature

• Smarter trail discovery powered by Strava's global heatmap, Route Builder with live elevation data, and Off-Route Alerts

• Navigate directly from your wrist with Apple Watch and sync routes to Garmin and COROS devices

• New social sharing tools including Flyover, 3D Activity Maps, and Sticker Stats

• Meet Cory Elliott and The Black Neighborhood — the Bay Area hiking community getting more people onto trails

On a typical Sunday morning, Cory Elliott isn't thinking about pace or mileage. He's thinking about the person who showed up for the first time.

Maybe they've never hiked before. Maybe they were nervous about being too slow, or didn't know anyone, or weren't sure if the outdoors was really a space built for them. By the end of the hike, they're smiling, taking pictures, exchanging numbers, and already talking about the next one.

"The hike is not just about the trail," Cory says. "It's about creating a space where people feel like they belong. It's about people realizing that wellness, nature, and adventure are for them too."

Cory is the Founder and Executive Director of The Black Neighborhood, a Bay Area-based nonprofit that brings people together through hiking, wellness, youth development, and outdoor access. What started as a vision to serve his Richmond, California community has grown into a movement that regularly draws hikers from across Northern California, people of different cities, fitness levels, and walks of life, united by a shared experience on the trail.

A Community Built on the Trail

The Black Neighborhood didn't start with just hiking. It started with a commitment.

"The Black Neighborhood started with a vision — to have a real, tangible, authentic impact in my community," Cory says. "I always knew I wanted to be of service and help create something that supported the community in a meaningful way."

Born and raised in Richmond, Cory grew up seeing both the challenges and strengths of Black communities up close. That perspective shaped everything.

"At its core, The Black Neighborhood is about creating positive, culturally grounded spaces where Black people feel seen, celebrated, supported, and connected."

Today, one of the organization's most visible programs happens on trails across the Bay Area. And the format matters as much as the destination.

"We start by gathering everyone, stretching, and doing a mindfulness meditation," Cory explains. "That part is important because we want people to arrive fully, breathe, release whatever they are carrying, and step into the experience together."

From there, the group heads out — routes range from beginner-friendly walks to challenging climbs, with something for every level. But the goal isn't performance.

"We want it to feel less like a formal event or program and more like a family reunion, or a gathering at grandma's house. No one is a stranger. We are all in this together."

That sense of belonging is what keeps people returning week after week.

"People keep coming back because it feels welcoming and real.”

Why Group Hiking Is Growing — and Who It's For

Hiking clubs are the fastest-growing category on Strava, up 5.8x in 2025 and outpacing run clubs, as more athletes look for ways to combine movement with connection. For Cory, the appeal goes far deeper than fitness.

"Group hiking resonates because people are recognizing the need, the power, and the healing of the outdoors," he says. 

But that access hasn't always been equally felt.

"For Black communities especially, outdoor recreation has not always been marketed to us, built around us, or made to feel culturally welcoming. So when people see a group that looks like them, talks like them, and creates an environment where they feel comfortable, it changes the experience."

New GPS Navigation, Offline Routes, and Trail Discovery Features for Hikers

This summer, Strava is introducing a broad set of new hiking features designed to make outdoor adventures easier to discover, navigate, and share — for every kind of hiker.

The update spans the full outdoor experience. On the planning side, richer trail maps surface clearer points of interest, smarter route search, and — for subscribers — Route Discovery powered by Strava's global heatmap, and a Route Builder with live distance, elevation, and surface feedback. On the trail, new navigation tools include Off-Route Alerts, Route Following on Apple Watch, Smart Watch Route Sync with Garmin, Apple Watch, and COROS devices, Offline Routes for areas with no connectivity, and Live Elevation to help athletes pace climbs in real time. And for sharing, new features like 3D Activity Maps, Activity Replays, Sticker Stats, and Flyover — a cinematic aerial animation of your completed route — give every hike a moment worth sharing with the community.

For communities like The Black Neighborhood, making outdoor experiences more visible is part of what keeps people coming back.

"Strava helps make the experience more visible and more connected," Cory says. "When people share their hikes, photos, maps, and routes, it encourages others to get outside too. It turns one person's movement into an invitation for someone else."

Cory also sees an opportunity for technology to serve both sides of why people hike — together and alone.

"Some people want to connect, join clubs, discover routes, and move with others. Other people want solitude, reflection, and a quieter relationship with the outdoors. Strava can honor both — helping people find community when they want it, and protecting the personal, independent experience when they need that too."

Holding Space for Both

There's an honest irony at the center of what Cory has built. The person who created one of the Bay Area's most welcoming group hiking communities is, at heart, an independent hiker.

"Personally, I do enjoy a more independent style of hiking. Even when I'm with the group, I like moments where I can be quiet, move at my own pace, think, reflect, and take in the environment."

But that personal relationship with the trail is exactly what drove him to build community around it.

"A lot of people need an entry point. They may not feel comfortable going alone. They may not know where to go. They may not feel like the outdoors is a space that was built with them in mind. So the community creates access, safety, and belonging — but we still try to leave room for people to have their own experience."

The trail, he says, can hold all of it.

"Sometimes it's community. Sometimes it's competition. Sometimes it's healing. Sometimes it's solitude."

For anyone considering their first group hike, Cory's message is simple.

"Just show up. You don't have to be in perfect shape. You don't have to know everybody. You don't have to have it all figured out."

Strava's new hiking features are available now on iOS and Android. Route Saves roll out later this summer. Learn more about the latest update here.