Supported backpacking retreats to experience adventure, self, and community.

Baker Road offers multi-day, supported backpacking retreats that traverse serious mileage on established backcountry trail systems. Each experience is structured as a multi-month Cohort, accommodating up to 16 hikers. From the initial kickoff, we emphasize community training, readying each Cohort for both the physical and emotional opportunity ahead of them. Over the course of three to five months, each group and it’s members have the opportunity to grow together, building physical capacity and learning critical backpacking skills that’ll serve them while on trail.

DESTINATION
Most trips occur on the Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail (LHHT), just southeast of Pittsburgh, along the Youghiogheny River Gorge. The trail system includes rugged terrain, steep elevation, and a series of breathtaking vistas. Crossing several parks, the LHHT includes a range of meaningful amenities like camp shelters and pit toilets, making it ideal for first-time and longtime backpackers alike. Baker Road operates several trip formats here with different mileage options, all within a thoughtful four-day, three-night arc, giving Cohort members sufficient time to step into a more natural rhythm before returning home. 

SAFETY
All Cohorts are supported by four to five Baker Road crew members, ensuring rich hospitality and critical safety protocols can be met. On each crew, one to two members will be credentialed safety coordinators, generally an EMT or NOLS certified guide. The remainder, often past Baker Road participants, bring backcountry experience and deep competency in personal development and care. Our crews rotate days on and off the trail, maintaining their readiness for whatever nature offers along the way.

COMMUNITY
Throughout the adventure, Cohort members have the opportunity to share personal experience with one another through Baker Road’s wisdom share format. This is a straightforward community practice where participants share content and wisdom they’ve encountered that has inspired personal growth; perhaps a book passage, song, or self-care practice. Content has ranged from Bruce Springsteen lyrics to Zen koans to biblical scripture and plenty else in between. We protect all faiths, traditions, and perspectives, only ask that hikers limit their shares to personal experience, not advice to others. Whenever possible, these discussions happen at the original gathering spot, around a fire.

Choose your own adventure.

FAQs

  • Unless it’s otherwise noted, our adventures are open to beginners. Though the challenge may feel out of reach now, it’s the Baker Road crew’s promise to meet your conviction with support, hospitality, and grace; ensuring you can hike your own hike out there successfully, however it may transpire. No experience is necessary, just a willingness to invest in yourself and be open to the guidance of the Cohort.

  • You’ll be responsible for your personal gear for the trip. This can feel a bit overwhelming at first, but our first meeting will cover all the requirements, including a full show-and-tell of each item on the provided list. For prior Cohorts, participants have invested between $300 - $1,000. The amount will be based on your existing experience, gear, and patience navigating FB Marketplace. Baker Road has limited rental kits available, if helpful, too.

  • Your investment in this adventure includes all guidance, crew support, group gear, permit fees, trainings, and dinners on the trail. Participants will incur additional costs for their personal gear, trail nutrition, and transportation to the trainings and trip itself.

  • Baker Road backpacking adventures have an offered price of $1,600. We trust the best groups have diverse experiences and often, diverse financial resources; offered pricing is our commitment to this. When you register for an adventure, you’ll select a price within 50% of the offered price of $1,600 ($800 to $2,400), so please hike your own hike and pick your own price.

  • For most of our participants, these adventures necessitate meaningful gains in physical fitness and readiness. We’ve found those that treat the provided training plan with conviction, training thoughtfully 2-4 times per week, have the best experience on the trail. Being considerate of your capacity to do this is important.

    With days of compounded mileage, the experience includes sustained physical output and recovery that many people have not experienced before, especially with additional weight of 20-30 pounds on your back. We do our best to integrate training guidance and experiences to simulate this, but ultimately these experiences are best for those who feel called to test their physical limits and have the capacity to commit to preparation.

  • Absolutely not. While many participants live in Ohio (or close by), we’ve had folks join from as far as Austin, TX and Seattle, WA. Those without easy access to live meetings and trainings work with our crew virtually to ensure readiness.

    We encourage them to make it out to at least one group training experience to meet their Cohort and have accommodations and transportation in Ohio available for reasonable costs.

  • Cool! We’d love to have you. If you’ve already gone self-supported on a backpacking trail, this is going to feel outright luxurious. You’ll only be hauling your daytime nutrition, clothing, and sleeping kit; our crew will shuttle the camp kitchen, make you dinners that don’t belong in the woods, and make sure you’ve got firewood to keep you warm all night. We offer this service so you spend your best energy building relationships and reflecting on your own season of life. Your call if this feels aligned.