The Melanin Base Camp book is here! Melanin Base Camp: Real-Life Adventurers Building a More Inclusive Outdoors is a celebration of underrepresented BIPOC adventurers that will challenge you to rethink what outdoorsy looks like. Get your copy today!
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Welcome to Melanin Base Camp: your home base for diversity in outdoor recreation and environmental justice. Our purpose is to inspire you with weekly content from Black, Latinx, Asian, Indigenous and Queer People of Color who love the outdoors. Join the movement and help us #diversifyoutdoors.
Recent Articles
If your outdoor plans routinely struggle to make it out of the group chat, thatβs okay. Iβm still finding my own comfort with the outdoors. Nature can feel intimidating, but it gets easier when you know what to expect. So letβs explore five of my favorite urban green spaces to help you get outside this summer.
We kicked off from the South Kaibab Trailhead at 4:30 AM, in the dark, our headlamps lighting the way. The morning was coolβperfect hiking weatherβand the sky was just starting to hint at the sunrise. The trail drops fast, and within minutes we weaved our way down steep switchbacks, passing early-bird day hikers and the occasional runner already charging uphill.
Summer is here and prices couldnβt be higher! Recession indicators are everywhere, federal student loan repayments are back on and rent is rising in major cities across the U.S. But you donβt want to spend all your time at home either. Here are eight ways to get outside for free (or close enough) while making friends, building community and learning new hobbies. Letβs go!
Over the past five days, we shared our anxieties and fears about this moment. Not one of us could say that we felt absolutely confident in our abilities to get to the top. However, I remembered the one promise we all made each other. βIf you keep going, I will, tooβ.
Do you live in Washington DC? Are you looking for a challenging day hike within reach of the city? Then you should check out North Fork Mountain.
Itβs less than 3 hrs away which means you can start and end the day at home in your own bed. But Iβll also cover camping and cabin options for people who donβt like long road trips.
Travel safety begins long before you board the plane. If you limit your planning to scrolling through TikTok for beautiful beaches or cozy coffee shops, you may be in for a surprise. Itβs important to understand the cultural attitudes of your destination, especially toward race, gender, and sexuality. In some places, you may attract curious stares; in others, you could encounter microaggressions or discrimination.
Iβve been seeing chiros since I was 12 to help manage my Ehler-Danlos syndrome, a hypermobility disorder that makes me more susceptible to injury and joint dislocations. They have been a life saver for me and the only reason Iβve been able to maintain my athletic abilities. Since Iβve moved quite a bit over the past 25 years, Iβve had to regularly find a new chiropractor. Here are a few tips to help you find the best chiropractor for you.
Recently, there was a good weather window at Hueco Tanks- some cool weather in April. I really wanted to take advantage of this so I decided that my nearly 2 year old son, Hans Sven would join me! It would be our first mother-son trip. My husband was nervous to be separated from him, and wondered how would I keep him safe while climbing and hiking. Not afraid of a challenge, I made a plan and was excited to show Hans Sven my favorite place in the entire world!
But donβt worry!βyou can always rent from a private equity firm. Because their goal is to maximize short-term profits, they can be terrible landlords. Many raise rents, skip maintenance and avoid long-term upgrades or improvements.
Check out our Featured Bloggers page to hear firsthand accounts from Black, Latinx, Asian, Indigenous and 2SLGBTQ+ people who love the outdoors!
Want to learn how to kayak? Planning a weekend hiking trip or a visit to a national park? Check out our Trip Reports page for relatable content from our team of outdoor bloggers. We tackle how to get started and what type of gear youβll need. You can also read interviews with grassroots activists, environmentalists and educators as well as longform articles on complex issues like race, gender, sexuality and disability in the outdoor community.
Looking for gear to purchase? Before you do, check out our Gear Reviews page.
Join the conversation at Around the Bonfire and submit your own article to the blog.
Finally check out our Diversify Outdoors page to connect with other affinity groups, influencers, bloggers and nonprofit organizations promoting diversity in the Outdoors. Learn more at DiversifyOutdoors.com! And donβt forget to follow us on Facebook and on Instagram where #melaninbasecamp and #diversifyoutdoors have been used over 60K and 160K times respectively.
FEATURED BLOGGERS


Eugene is a Korean-American dirt chasing cyclist, video editor and filmmaker. You can find him on the road/bike with his dog, behind the lens or working in the backcountry.
Esther Park is on a mission to help women in skydiving fit inβliterally.
She left a comfortable job in scientific sales after a life-changing skydiving accident. Since then, she founded a company, Girls in Sky Places, to help women find correctly-sized gear.