The Wilderness Network of Georgia was formed in 1992 as a safe space for gay and bisexual men in Atlanta to find community outside the nightlife scene. Today, the group is the oldest outdoor organization for queer men in Atlanta, encouraging its 195 members to try new activities and connect in the great outdoors.
“I have so many friends that I’ve made over the years [in WNG],” Martin Downing, the president of WNG, told Georgia Voice. “It’s just a really important social aspect of my life.”
WNG is a volunteer-run organization whose members organize and lead outdoor activities throughout the year. These activities are catered to a variety of skill and interest levels, including more high-intensity activities like backpacking, overnight camping, and caving, and more accessible events like urban hikes, monthly Beltline clean-ups, and quarterly potlucks.
The group recently visited Ossabaw Island and Mammoth Cave National Park in Kentucky, took a guided tour of the Mechanical Riverfront Kingdom in Decatur, and whitewater rafted on the Broad River. Its next event is Tray Mountain day hike.
WNG’s annual trips include an overnight visit to the Len Foote Hike Inn on the Appalachian Trail, a three-day canoe trip into the Okefenokee Swamp, backpacking on Cumberland Island, seeing the synchronized lighting bugs in the Great Smoky Mountains, and a trip to Sapelo Island.
While WNG is still a safe space for gay and bi men, Downing says that the needs for members have changed over the last three decades with the increased acceptance of gay men in the mainstream.
“I think it’s more of a safe space to explore people’s interest in the outdoors and challenging themselves,” he said.
Prospective members can try out the group with a 30-pday free trial, then membership costs $25 a year. Most activities are free, but participants will have to cover applicable campground, park, or lodging fees. Those who are interested can request to join through the group’s Meetup page, and more information can be found on the WNG website.
