about

About girl gotta hike

Girl Gotta Hike encourages women of all ages to get away from the grind and connect with the ground - online, on-air and via guided hikes and backpacking trips in and around NYC. It’s your resource for information, encouragement, camaraderie and confidence that will help you reach your personal summits. From short day hikes near home to multi-day backpacking trips, the Girl Gotta Hike community has your back and will be cheering you on every step of the way.

Interviews with fellow female adventurers and entrepreneurs on Girl Gotta Hike The Podcast celebrate the strength it takes to endure the specific challenges women face in conquering their outdoor goals, businesses and day-to-day life. Blog posts provide tips on anything from gear choice, to navigating trailhead logistics to ensuring safety on trail. Media recommendations showcase what other awesome women have written, filmed and created about their adventures and videos (coming soon!) offer advice on how to use gear & how to store it in a tiny NYC-sized apartment.

Many women have wanderlust for the woods but find that taking time for themselves in this era of over-connectedness is a challenge unto itself. By purposefully stepping outside and breathing in open air, Girl Gotta Hike believes the mental and physical benefits of hiking help us to recharge and be more present in the everyday, at home, at work-from-home, and with our relationships.

Welcome all to Girl Gotta Hike.

About Melissa "Click!" Goodwin

Founder girl gotta hike, photographer, pocaster, writer & licensed Hiking guide

• Basecamp: Brooklyn & Pine Hill, New York

• Trail Name: Click!

• Long Distance Treks: The Appalachian Trail (2011), The John Muir Trail (2016), The Long Trail (2017), Mt. Everest Base Camp (2018), The Hundred-Mile Wilderness (2019), Northville-Placid Trail (2020), The Wonderland Trail (2021), Section hike of the Pacific Crest Trail (2022)

• Catskill 3500 Peaks bagged: 32 of 33 (plus all 4 winter peaks)

• Dayhiking and overnight miles to date: too many to count!

As a city-dweller who also loves being outside in nature, it takes real desire to navigate getting out of the city and into the woods. It’s a challenge that I enjoy conquering because I know the rewards are sweet.

I will talk trail with anyone who asks. After returning from my six-month thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail, my husband and friends noticed how much I loved helping others get on trail. After willfully lending gear and taking friends & acquaintances out on overnights, they encouraged me to share my knowledge with other adventurous women in a more public forum. For a few years I hesitated, focusing on what I thought were the ways I should be making money in NYC.

And then it hit me – life is short and the only thing I should be doing is what I love.

I love sharing experiences through photography. I love exploring story through podcast interviews and blog posts, and I absolutely love encouraging other women to get out and hike! The camaraderie in the hiking community is incredible and the friendships born on trail are some of those that I cherish most. I want nothing more than to be outside helping other women recognize they power they have within themselves too.

To see more of Melissa's photography, click here.