Whether you live in an urban center or you just prefer to live car-free, getting to the great outdoors without your own wheels can seem daunting. But, take heart. There are plenty of options to take you from your front door to the trail without owning a car.<\/p>\n
Take the Bus or Train or Shuttle<\/strong><\/p>\n I live in Boulder, Colorado, where reaching the great outdoors without a car is surprisingly easy. You can hop on the bus to the foothills, Eldora Ski Area, or even Red Rocks Park to hike or catch a show. So, take some time to familiarize yourself with your bus, light rail system, or shuttle. For example, from New York City you can reach Palisades Park in New Jersey by bus or the gorgeous Hudson River Valley and the Catskills and even the Appalachian Trail by train. If you\u2019re in Chicago, take the South Shore Commuter line to the magnificent Indiana Dunes on Lake Michigan. If you’re heading to a ski resort, see\u00a0if the resort offers a\u00a0shuttle. If you\u2019re in the Bay Area, check out transitandtrails.org<\/a> for a huge list of trails accessible by public transportation. If you don\u2019t want to leave the seven square miles of San Francisco proper, take a dramatic urban hike with Urban Hiker SF<\/a>.<\/p>\n Cultivate a Friendship with a Car Owner<\/strong><\/p>\n A friend in need is a friend indeed. But, a friend with a car is better! Call a friend and organize a weekend camping trip or day hike in your local state park. Offer to pay for the gas or pack a picnic lunch to show your appreciation.<\/p>\n Join a Community\u00a0Group or Outdoor Organization<\/strong><\/p>\n Community groups\u00a0are a great resource for finding hiking, skiing and paddling groups in your area. Once you join, you\u2019ll find it easy to carpool with other members. But, you don\u2019t have to limit yourself to community groups. Almost every major city has numerous sports associations and clubs. For example, the Hoosier Canoe and Kayak Club<\/a> in Indianapolis holds weekly group paddles and classes throughout the year, and the group welcomes novices. The group often carpools or even caravans to put-in locations.<\/p>\n Rent a Car or Join a Car Share<\/strong><\/p>\n You could always rent a car for the day or weekend, but if you\u2019re in a larger city, consider joining a\u00a0local car share. For a monthly fee\u00a0you can become a member and rent cars by the hour, gas and insurance included. The pickup and drop off locations are conveniently scattered across each city, meaning you could drive to one location, drop off the car, and pick it up at a different location a few hours later.<\/p>\n There\u2019s an App for That<\/strong><\/p>\n You\u2019re probably familiar with local rideshare or taxi options, but if you\u2019re in the Bay Area, Los Angeles, San Diego, Seattle, Boston, Chicago, Charlotte, or Washington, D.C., check out a peer-to-peer transportation network that connects people who want to share rides. Like local rideshare and taxi options, drivers are pre-screened and GPS-tracked, but what sets peer-to-peer apart is the \u201cShared Rides\u201d function. You can find a person who\u2019s already driving to the location you\u2019re heading to and pay 50% less for your trip than a normal ride. If you\u2019re in Colorado and looking to head to the mountains to ski, check out skicarpool.org<\/a> or theskilift.org<\/a> to find drivers going your way. Much like Craigslist rideshare, these are services that just connect you with drivers. You work out your own rate individually and the drivers aren\u2019t pre-screened.<\/p>\n So, whether you\u2019re car-free for environmental or financial reasons, you can find a way to reach the great outdoors.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Whether you live in an urban center or you just prefer to live car-free, getting to the great outdoors without your own wheels can seem daunting. But, take heart. There are plenty of options to take you from your front door to the trail without owning a car. Take the Bus or Train or Shuttle […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":2991,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,387,388],"tags":[8,327,66,12,138],"internal-tag":[1672,1673,1684],"class_list":["post-2956","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-camp","category-hike","category-travel","tag-hike","tag-jennifer-davis-flynn","tag-tips","tag-travel","tag-united-states","internal-tag-pre-redirect-camp","internal-tag-pre-redirect-hike","internal-tag-pre-redirect-travel"],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","canonical_url":"https:\/\/rei.com\/blog\/camp\/getting-nature-without-car","smart_links":{"inbound":0,"outbound":0},"traffic_boost_suggestions_count":0,"meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"Getting to Nature Without a Car","url":"http:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/camp\/getting-nature-without-car","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"http:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/camp\/getting-nature-without-car"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2015\/01\/Mason-042914-0181-e1447951035520.jpg?resize=150%2C150","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2015\/01\/Mason-042914-0181-e1447951035520.jpg?fit=1500%2C1000"},"articleSection":"Camp","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Angela Crampton"}],"creator":["Angela Crampton"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Uncommon Path \u2013 An REI Co-op Publication","logo":""},"keywords":["hike","jennifer davis-flynn","tips","travel","united states"],"dateCreated":"2015-01-20T15:00:07Z","datePublished":"2015-01-20T15:00:07Z","dateModified":"2018-11-12T06:36:20Z"},"rendered":"