About Houston Women's Hiking
Several years ago Bridgette Mongeon would go hiking alone. Before going into a train she would text her daughter Christina (Chris) and let her know she was going in. When she came out of the trail, she'd text again to let Chris know she was safe.
Chris encouraged Bridgette to start a group and Houston Women's Hiking Facebook group was born. Bridgette never could have imagined it would grow to over 13,000 women.
Today Chris and Bridgette admin the group, but it would not exist without all of the incredible women leading hikes, paddles and camping trips in the Houston area and beyond.
How It Works
Any woman is welcome to join our private Facebook group. Each new member is required to answer a series of questions before they are admitted to the group.
Members post hikes and events in the Event section of our Facebook group. Events are by default women only, but members are welcome to host kid and all family events too.
All hiking, paddling, camping and all Houston Women Hiking events are at your own risk.
Annual Events
Houston Women's Hiking does host Official Annual Events including at least two women only camping trips and one all family camping trip.
Women only camping trips are just that, no men, no kids. They are truly amazing and sacred times of getting to know each other in the woods, around the campfire, on hikes or paddling.
All family camping trips are just that, all family. This is a great time for kids and the men in our lives to bond.
Our Mission
Our mission at Houston Women's Hiking is first and foremost to encourage women to go outside and explore. We hope to foster an environment of encouragement, safety and acceptance. Many women end up recovering from emotional or physical injuries on the trails and great friendships have formed out of our group.
We are also committed to our local green spaces. We've partnered with both Texas State Parks and the Houston Audubon Society to help preserve our green spaces and spread awareness.
About the Houston Women's Hiking Admins
Bridgette Mongeon
Bridgette is an avid camper, hiker and kayaker. She started Houston Women's Hiking because she had a desire to hike but didn't always want to hike alone. What was birthed out of a simple need has grown into more than Bridgette could have ever imagined, uniting women from all walks of life across Houston around one common thing; exploring the outdoors.
When Bridgette is not on the trail she is a writer, educator, sculptor and artist. You can find her pieces across houston including the Alice In Wonderland sculpture Move One Place On at Evelyn's Park in Bellaire, and Eve at Generation Park near Lake Houston. You can find more of her work at CreativeSculpture.com
Christina (Chris) Sizemore
Christina (Chris) Sizemore is an avid camper, paddle boarder and hiker. Along with her family, they have a personal mission of visiting every state park in Texas and as many National Parks as possible. She and her family are a Kids Who Explore Explorer Family and she is a contributing writer for Houston Moms.
When she is not out hiking or paddling Chris is a marketing consultant for her company Market Creativity, helping brands communicate their message to their potential consumer. She's also a writer and content creator on her blog Stronger Than Fire and Instagram.
About our Houston Women's Hiking Hike Leaders
Our hike leaders are our members. Anyone is welcome to lead a hike or event. We host regular hike leader training zooms to help educate our members on best practices and safety.
We definitely have some veteran hike leaders. Different leaders host different kinds of hikes.
- Recovery hikes are slower paced for those recovering from injuries.
- Themed hikes are fun hikes where our hikers dress up.
- Training hikes are for those looking to train for a larger backpacking adventure.
- Beginner hikes are just that, for the beginner.
- Advanced hikes might be longer or more strenuous.
- Mindfulness hikes usually ask hikers to take time to take in the beauty of the outdoors, sometimes they end with yoga or meditation.
Remember all of our hikes and events are at your own risk. Hike leaders, HWH admins, and HWH members are not responsible for injury, damage to personal property, financial damages, or death.