#hikeOctober is a month long celebration of the outdoors and the ways it can heal us. We hike because it is great for our own mental health; we hike to raise awareness of the stigma of mental illness; and we hike to raise money for mental health research and trail conservancy.

HIKE for Mental Health is an all-volunteer organization dedicated to overcoming the stigma of mental illness, promoting the benefits of outdoor activity, and conserving wilderness trails. Our hikeOctober planning team is a diverse group of men and women around the country who volunteer their time throughout the year to organize and promote this campaign, including team lead Brayden Donnelly and team members Brielle Brack, Cristen Heavens, and Shianne Purvis.

Since our first #hikeOctober in 2017, the #hikeOctober community has raised $74,984, hiked 19,200 miles, and brought together 814 participants! We have had involvement from nearly every state in the US and even hikers from various countries around the world. And, since we started keeping track in 2020, our all-volunteer team has logged nearly 1,000 hours of volunteer effort. Numbers like these show the incredible effort that can be made when passionate people get together for a common goal. So, please join the #hikeOctober campaign to see how you can make a difference!

You can hike or walk as little or as much as you want. It is completely up to you. Once you sign up, you will be able to add your hiking mileage to the #hikeOctober community total. As you add more hikes, you will receive online “badges” to share your achievements with friends via social media. Let’s see how far we can hike together this year!

Anywhere you want! Any hike or walk during October in honor of the campaign can be part of our #hikeOctober. A 20 mile backpacking trip or a 2 mile walk in the town park – it’s all good! Take one big trip, or walk a little every day. You decide how you want to #hikeOctober and how you’ll make a difference.

No, it is completely free. Remember to share the news with your friends and encourage them to take part.

When you sign up, you get to personalize a fundraising page. By sharing your page with others, you build awareness and give them an opportunity to make a donation to the campaign. There is no minimum fundraising requirement to participate, but everyone who reaches $250 or more by the end of October will receive a cool, quick-dry HIKE for Mental Health hiking shirt.

HIKE for Mental Health is a recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded on the vision of a world in which everyone, including those who suffer mental illness, can find the simple joy of living. Our mission is to alleviate the suffering of those afflicted by mental illness, eliminate the associated stigma, and to foster responsible use of wilderness trails. As an all-volunteer organization, we distribute 100% of contributions raised by our hikers.

• 80 cents from every dollar funds scientific research to understand, prevent, and treat mental illness
• 20 cents maintains and preserves wilderness trails

Your donations are tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowed by the IRS. To learn more, visit hikeformentalhealth.org.

After you sign up, you can update your mileage anytime by scrolling to the alphabetical list at the bottom of this page, and clicking the “update” link next to your mileage.

You can view our full slate of hikes anytime on our hike schedule page.