Top 5 Outdoor Influencers You Should Follow To Inspire Your Next Adventure

There are a few reasons why influencers grow so popular. They help people discover new places or products that they would have never otherwise learned about. Watching influencers also sometimes provides ideas when you're stuck, such as examples of where to travel, how to organize, how to be more productive, or even places in your area you didn't know existed. Sometimes, it's fun to see people do things you dream about doing but haven't quite yet braved trying, or the chats surrounding the influencer can help you create a community of like-minded individuals. 

Outdoor influencers are a small branch of the category who focus on creating content around activities and equipment focused on enjoying the outdoors. The definition is rather vague, and that's because there are so many different groups and specialties. Unfortunately, they're not all the same, with some influencers only caring about money and making content. If you're going to follow people promoting the great outdoors, you probably want those you can connect with, and who actually enjoy and care about being outside. 

For example, though not technically specializing in the great outdoors, Tony Xia Chuan is a travel influencer based in Japan who recommends not hiking to Mount Fuji. He does this because he is aware of how the sheer number of hikers is negatively impacting the mountain, as well as making locals unhappy. These kinds of influencers are the ones you want to focus on and follow. However, they can be pretty hard to find among the crowd of bog-standard influencers. The five below are ones who truly enjoy the great outdoors. Some not only share their outdoor experiences, but promote sustainability and offer safety tips and tricks for beginners. 

Unlikely Hikers (@unlikelyhikers) is a group dedicated to showing that anyone can be outdoorsy and have fun. They challenge the notion of a stereotypical hiker by showcasing individuals from diverse backgrounds, including those in the LGBTQ+ community, neurodivergent individuals, people with disabilities, minorities, and plus-sized folks. In fact, their motto is "Nature is infinitely diverse and so are we."

While there are a few core members, it's not simply a family or one influencer, but a whole group of people who came together over their feelings of not belonging to the outdoor crowd, despite being passionate about hiking and enjoying nature. As Reddit user xo_Mia-Clare_xx says, "I follow Unlikely Hikers on IG and they are great with tips and support system for people that you wouldn't assume hike, great organization. They are based in Oregon if you're in that area, they do meet ups." They explore various places in the state, such as the hike along an Oregon hiking trail where you can enjoy stunning waterfall views on a budget. 

Unlikely Hikers discuss a lot of barriers that people face when trying to enjoy the great outdoors, such as rude and secretive hikers, a lack of representation, the cost of gear, clothing, entrance fees and rides, the difficulty in finding accessible hikes, and general nervousness about being unprepared. Not only does Unlikely Hikers have an Instagram account, but a website as well if you want to support the group, look at their events, or just learn more about this interesting team. They also offer occasional group hikes so you don't have to go alone. 

Kristen May is active on both Instagram and a TikTok, letting her followers choose which platform they prefer to follow her on. She is a hiker with cats who loves to share information about hiking and traveling as a woman, and even some personal stories focused on living in a trailer, such as simple tips for parking your RV for free overnight.

 She also works hard to promote "leave no trace" principles, where people pack out exactly what they bring in, leaving no trash behind and taking nothing with them. Kristen is also very focused on wildlife, encouraging her followers to behave in ways that don't disturb local animals or harm nature. Additionally, she truly practices what she preaches, and also takes care to be kind and courteous while hiking and enjoying the outside world.

She spends her videos breaking through a lot of arguments to do with being outdoors, such as if a short or flat trail counts as a hike, what constitutes camping, and whether beginners can still be considered hikers. For someone trying to get more into enjoying the outdoors, wanting ideas for living in an RV full-time, or new inspiration for where to go for their next hike, Kristen May is a great influencer to follow. As some of her followers state, such as thatautumn.girl on Threads, "Kristen I'm so happy I found your page a few years ago." 

Pattie Gonia (@pattiegonia) is an outdoor influencer unlike any you've seen before. Pattie is a drag queen who hosts environmental shows that focus on raising awareness of common problems with nature — just like Patagonia. Many of the shows also include panels, meetings, and activities based around the theme and feature various politicians, activists, scientists, and more. As of January 2025, she has over 712,000 followers on her Instagram.

Her fame came unexpectedly. After facing familial backlash for dressing in drag, Pattie faced serious depression. In an attempt to feel better, Wyn, the legal name of this queen when not dressed in drag, went hiking with some friends. While camping, they posted a video on Instagram of being on the trail in high heels. "I woke up to a video I thought would have 30 views that had 3 million views," they said in an interview with AP.

That's not the only impressive feat for this environmental activist. At the beginning of 2024, she was declared to be "Traveler of the Year" by National Geographic. Pattie also helped co-found The Outdoorist Oath, which focuses on action-based commitments for the planet and all people that live on it. Her Instagram features not only herself hiking and enjoying the great outdoors, but ways to do so sustainably. If one, or several, of these topics interest you, then Pattie is the perfect outdoor influencer to follow, as you will be learning about the world in no time. As Redditor accountredditmy put it simply, "I love Pattiegonia!!!!"

Foresty Forest is a YouTube channel run by a man who travels around Canada in his van. Although not much is known about his personal life, Foresty often explores off the beaten path to try and get to new and stunning places. His RV also features him biking and camping with his dog, Rocko. Foresty's videos feature a little of everything, from his 'failures' while exploring, food he makes, upgrades in his camper, new equipment he wants to try, and even having lazy days in the RV when the weather is too rough to explore. 

Reddit user swampboy62 praised Foresty on the platform, writing, "Combines backcountry travel with Canadian van life with mountain scrambling. Add in his great drone footage of the mountains and it's the best I've found on YT." However, though he is impressive to watch, it's worth mentioning that he's not always the safest, and shouldn't necessarily be copied as far as methods and gear. He also doesn't follow many of the safety tips you need to know before your next mountain adventure, which leads to some people worrying he will hurt himself or be a bad influence on new explorers.

For many of his earlier videos, he's seen without a helmet in some dangerous situations. Of course, he is highly aware of the risks. While he does a fair amount of research before beginning his adventures, since he is going through some unexplored areas, he is always facing the unknown, and without any backup. It's worth remembering that his behavior shouldn't be recreated unless you fully understand and accept the risks like he does and know when to back out for your safety.

Mediocre Amateur (@dannycbryson) has both an Instagram and a YouTube, allowing you to see stunning videos and photos of their hikes. This group is made up of two men; Danny and Blake. Their goal is to share their passion for adventure and they're not your typical outdoor influencers focused on hiking and exploring. They enjoy the more extreme adventures, allowing people to see some impressive hikes that others might not get the chance to explore. 

The two travel to various mountain ranges, partaking in ice climbing, caving, sand boarding, rock climbing, and other dangerous outdoor sports only true thrillseekers are brave enough to try. They created their name because although they are long-time outdoor enthusiasts, there is always more to try and learn. If you want to see the world from the top of mountains, but don't have the ability to do so or are scared of getting started, these down-to-earth explorers will help you out. 

CommissarWalsh on Reddit described, in part, why they like this group so much. "They do such awesome stuff and the cinematography work is always top notch and gorgeous."

Number of followers doesn't necessarily mean an influencer is actually all that great. Sometimes, they're more popular due to a specific stance or belief, or just because they know how to market themselves. Therefore, going solely based on followers wouldn't accurately show the top outdoor influencers to follow.

Like with most things, word of mouth is often the best way to find someone actually reputable and influential. For that reason, Outdoor Guide used a mix of sources like Reddit and comments on the influencer's pages to determine if followers felt they learned a lot from them and if they were actually trustworthy.

Of course, influencers are popular because people live vicariously through them, and get a chance to learn about new places and experiences. However, they are also somewhat relatable and usually are someone the viewer can connect with. These influencers above work well for those who fit into a minority based on their gender, sexual orientation, color, and income, so there's someone for many individuals here. However, millions of other influencers dominate the space as well, so if these five don't connect with you, you have plenty more to check out.