Mark Stein is the outings leader and former outings committee chair for the Dallas Sierra Club. Founded in 1892, their mission is to explore, enjoy and protect the wild places of the Earth. He states, “We also work for clean urban environments, including protection of communities that have not had equal access to clean environment. We believe one of the best paths to environmental protection is to get people outdoors with local and out-of-state hikes.”

The Dallas Sierra Club organizes safe, fun hiking and backpacking adventures. “Our leaders are volunteers trained in group management and outdoor emergency care. We generally hike in groups limited to a dozen participants, says Stein. “Requirements vary with the difficulty of each hike. For day hikes, the ability to walk at a moderate pace is generally enough. For overnight outings, leaders ask questions about health and experience to steer participants to a hike appropriate for them.”

He explains that for people to prepare, physically and mentally, Experience is the best teacher. “We offer one or two Backpacking 101 classes each year for ‘never-ever’ and ‘years ago’ backpackers.” During trips, participants are expected to respect each other, the leader and the environment, practicing “leave no trace” outdoor hiking and camping protocols.

Upcoming trips in April include easy backpacking in the Ouachita Mountains of Oklahoma, camping and hiking at Colorado Bend State Park, and a day hike with Master Naturalist and author Amy Martin at the Lewisville Lake Environmental Learning Center. In June, there will be a set of day hikes in the new Valles Caldera National Preserve and nightly camping at Bandelier National Monument, in New Mexico.

Stein shares, “I’ve always been a walker. Hiking and backpacking with the Sierra Club motivates me to keep exploring new trails and showing people how much fun outings can be. I love being outdoors, but equally love the road trips and getting to know people on the way, on the trails and in camps. Backpacking is a team experience that builds friends. If people find they enjoy hiking or backpacking, odds are that they’ll continue those healthy activities.”

He explains, “Our outing leaders screen new participants before an overnight outing, discussing whether they have physical fitness and appropriate gear to enjoy the outing and be safe. Sometimes we steer people to start with an easier outing, acquire different gear or attend our class for new backpackers.”

As for mounting challenges in North Texas, he says, “Let’s face it. Our landscapes withing a couple hours of Dallas are generally easy for hiking unless hiking all day or in summer heat. Consequently, multi-day outings to the Big Bend, Texas Hill Country, New Mexico, Colorado, Arkansas and Oklahoma are popular with us because they introduce mountains, different temperatures or more extensive trails. In recent years, we’ve focused on day hikes, backpacking, and combinations of serial day hiking and camping. We’re an environmental conservation organization that does healthy outings. We don’t pretend fitness is our primary objective.”

For more information, visit SierraClub.org/texas/dallas.