Outdoor Afro Made an App That's Building Black Community in the Outdoors

Outdoor Afro has been building toward this for more than 17 years through group hikes, camping trips, birdwatching events, and leadership training for local guides. The Oakland-based organization has used these events to grow a national network of leaders, volunteers, and participants rooted in a simple idea: people are more likely to get outside when they feel a sense of belonging once they get there.

The organization used social media platforms like Meetup and Facebook to expand its network across nearly 60 cities, but staying connected through third-party networks became limiting as the companies that control them began to shape visibility and access in ways that didn't reflect Outdoor Afro's values, or the needs of its participants. For founder and CEO Rue Mapp, building something in-house created a way forward—and a more direct and equitable system for finding and sharing opportunities to get outside more easily.

“We wanted a dedicated space where people could connect in a way that felt aligned with our values,” she told Field Mag. “A lot of platforms are designed to hold your attention. This one is designed to send you outside.”

Outdoor Afro founder and CEO Rue Mapp | Courtesy Outdoor Afro

That intention shapes how the app works. It focuses on shared experience over solo performance. Events are local and recurring. Leaders are visible and accessible. Participation includes both joining and creating. After creating an account, users land on a home screen that surfaces nearby events, from group hikes and park meetups to skill-building workshops and weekend trips. They can explore nature spots vetted by the app community, join guided outings led by trained volunteers, or apply for programs like Outdoor Afro’s swim scholarship. Over time, the same system allows them to host gatherings of their own.

This is where the app stands apart. Many outdoor tools make it easy to share stats or routes within a digital network. Few are built to bring people together in person. Outdoor Afro shifts the focus from interaction on a screen to connection in a physical space. In doing so, it expands access, and creates leadership opportunities for those who otherwise wouldn't have the opportunity. Someone who arrives as a first-time participant can grow into a connector for others. Leadership becomes something that can be practiced and shared. “It’s about making sure people don’t just show up,” Mapp says. “They feel ownership in the experience.”

Mapp says the app's goal is to create a clear path from discovery to action to impact. Instead of starting with where you want to go, it begins with who you might go with. That framing reflects a broader cultural shift. People are looking for familiarity, presence, and a reason to return. And the approach is already resonating—the Outdoor Afro app has earned early recognition from Apple, which highlighted it as one of its “Apps We Love."

The app succeeds because it extends the work that Outdoor Afro has spent years doing—building trust, relationships, and cultural relevance—into a new format, carrying forward what already exists into a new platform of their own making. It's also notable as a clear invitation to a focused community for Black people, though not an exclusive one. People come from different backgrounds and experiences, connected by a shared desire to spend time outside and to do so together.

“What we’re building is a bridge,” Mapp says. “Between people and the outdoors, and between people and each other.”