Want to get outside more? Start with the people.

Oct 13

4 min read

Finding outdoor groups, making new friends and understanding why nature and connection help us feel better.

You want to get outside more. Try something new. Find friends who are up for a walk, a ski day or a weekend adventure.

But where do you meet them?

The Pacific Northwest has plenty of outdoor places to explore. Finding people to go with can take a little more figuring out—especially when you’re starting over, your friends have different interests or you don’t know which groups would welcome you.

That’s why Andrea Hamilton started Women’s Outdoor Connection in 2023. Its mission is simple: connecting women with the outdoors and each other.

It’s a mission shaped by her own experience. Returning to skiing after losing her husband brought Hamilton new friendships, a teaching role and eventually ownership of Powder Poobah, the Northwest snow forecast newsletter. Each step began with someone she met along the way.

Now she helps other women make those first connections—with each other and with groups that lead outdoor adventures throughout the year.

There’s science behind why nature and supportive relationships can help us feel better. There’s also a practical question: How do we make more room for both in everyday life?

Women’s Outdoor Connection explores that question through its annual gathering, smaller events such as film nights and an online resource list of outdoor communities worth knowing.

Why we feel better outside

For Hamilton, skiing brings more than time on the snow. Movement, laughter and being with people she enjoys help quiet the demands of everyday life.

There’s a sensory side to it, too. In her writing about the scent of snow, RN, author and educator Holly Brandenberger explores how a familiar smell can bring back memories of winter and time outside. Her work on scent and focus also invites readers to pause and pay attention to what they notice.

Read about scent and attention.

There’s research behind that familiar feeling—and some of it began in Japan.

Shinrin-yoku, often translated as forest bathing, means taking in the atmosphere of the forest. Japan introduced the term in 1982. No bath required. The idea is to slow down and notice what’s around you: the trees, the sounds, the air, the feel of being there.

A landmark Japanese study, published in a 2010 journal issue, compared forest and city settings across 24 locations. Among 280 young adult men, researchers found lower cortisol levels, pulse rates and blood pressure in forest settings, along with nervous-system activity associated with relaxation. These were short-term findings in a specific population, but they helped establish a scientific basis for forest bathing.

Read the Japanese study.

More recently, a 2025 review in Frontiers in Public Health brought together research published through December 2024. It found evidence suggesting that forest bathing may help reduce stress and anxiety and improve mood. The research is promising, though studies vary in quality and larger, well-designed trials are still needed.

Read the 2025 review.

For someone with a full calendar, the useful idea is simple: spending time in nature deserves a place on it. You can start with a quiet walk and a little attention to what’s around you.

Check out our friend Mileva Hujev, Human Nature Immersion. She's a certified Forest Bathing Guide in the Seattle-Kirkland area. It's definitely worth signing up for a walk.

And why connection matters

Supportive relationships can also help people respond to stress and reduce its harmful effects, according to the U.S. Surgeon General’s advisory on social connection.

Explore the advisory.

In everyday life, that support might look like someone inviting you on a walk, welcoming you into a group or offering to try something new alongside you.

Seattle Chamber of Connection offers a practical framework called the Six Points of Connection. It encourages people to build relationships with neighbors, make time for one-on-one interactions, find places to become a regular, join communities of identity and shared activity, and contribute through service. Explore the six points.

Its idea of a community of play fits naturally with Women’s Outdoor Connection: find people who enjoy doing something you enjoy, then keep showing up. A hiking group, a ski clinic or a volunteer outing can give people a reason to meet again.

A starting point for adventures all year

Women’s Outdoor Connection hosts one big annual event, along with smaller gatherings such as film nights. Throughout the year, it shares and promotes its partner groups.

The partners lead the hikes, clinics, outings and trips. Women’s Outdoor Connection helps people discover those opportunities and make the first introduction.

Its online resource list, Community Worth Knowing, helps women explore Seattle-area and Northwest outdoor communities beyond the gathering. Powder Poobah keeps skiers and snowboarders connected to the Northwest snow forecast.

One conversation can lead to your next adventure.

A first step you can take this week

Choose one activity you’d like to do more often. Explore the resource list and find a group that offers it. Ask about the next outing, whether it suits your experience level and what you need to bring.

If you meet someone you enjoy talking with, suggest a specific next plan: a walk, another group outing or a film night. Give the connection somewhere to go.

You don’t need to figure out a whole year of adventures. Start with one invitation.

Join the 2026 gathering at REI Seattle

Women’s Outdoor Connection’s fifth gathering takes place October 23–24, 2026, at REI Seattle, 222 Yale Avenue North. Meet the people behind 20 outdoor groups, discover their outings and find others who want to get outside. Whether or not you can attend, our online resources offer a place to start.

Friday, October 23 | 6–8 p.m. | $25: “Why we feel better outside — The power of nature and belonging.” A social evening and speaker panel, open to women and men. Oktoberfest food and beverages included.
Saturday, October 24 | 11 a.m.–4 p.m. | $45: Meet 20 outdoor groups, join small-group conversations and find people to get outside with. Lunch, beverages, dessert included.
Come solo or bring a friend: Icebreakers and time to mingle help get conversations started.
One big annual gathering: Choose Friday, Saturday or both.

Explore the gathering and get tickets

Friday’s panel features