Men’s Hikes

In our highly technological interconnected world, there’s a place to unplug from the world and reconnect with God through fellowship and worship on the trail. If you are interested in going on a journey in faith through the outdoors, reach out. I’m looking to connect guys that want to go on a Christian Men’s Hike and need a group to go with. If you are planning a Men’s Hike, please connect with me as well.

Les Sease
Men’s Hike Coordinator
Anglican Diocese of South Carolina

To connect with Les Sease about the Men’s Hike Ministry, click the link below:

Men’s Hike Ministry Information

Upcoming 2025 Hike

Diocesan Men’s Hike May 15–18

Men: We’ve got a hike coming up May 15–18 at Kings Mountain State Park, and you’re invited! This will be a King’s Camp-style hike—we’ll set up base camp once and take day hikes from there. Plans include hikes through Kings Mountain National Military Park and the surrounding trails. One day, we’ll drive over to Crowders Mountain for a more challenging route. This is a great hike for fathers and sons to enjoy together.

Hope to see you on the trail,

Bill Read. Contact Bill Read me@billread.com

Why do men hike?

Several churches in our Diocese sponsor Men’s Hikes. Why do they do it? The Rev. Shay Gaillard, Rector of St. Helena’s, Beaufort, shed some light on the subject in a recent note to his parish:

“Why is your rector away this weekend for four days of backpacking? Aren’t there more important things that need to be done? It may seem to defy logic until you understand exactly what happens on the Men’s Hike. Seven men from St. Helena’s are hiking a portion of the Foothills Trail even as you receive this newsletter. This hike is more than just a walk in the woods; it is a spiritual journey.

What really happens on a Men’s Hike that makes it so worthwhile? Here are three reasons why I am hiking this weekend:

Men walk together. We don’t just walk together up the mountain, but we learn to walk together in daily life as Christian brothers. We learn what it means to “bear one another’s burdens.”
Men worship together in nature’s cathedral. The picture of men around the fire singing to God’s glory is another facet of the Men’s Hike. Many of us are not sure how to worship until we get outside the four walls of the church building. Being on a hike teaches us what it means to worship.
Men’s lives are made new by Jesus Christ on the hike. Over the last ten years of leading men’s hikes, my own life and the lives of countless others have been transformed by the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ.

These are just a few of the reasons why I hike. I look forward to sharing with you the stories of God’s work while we were in the woods. Please pray for us through this weekend — for safety, protection, and an encounter with the Living God.

With gratitude,
Shay+

Diocesan Churches with Established Hiking Ministries

St. Paul’s, Summerville
The Rev. Tyler Prescott

The Parish Church of St. Helena’s, Beaufort
The Rev. Shay Gaillard

Bill Read with men on assistance trip in Arden, NC

Diocesan Men’s Group Pivots from Hiking to Relief Assistance

November 5: What had originally been scheduled as a fall Diocesan Men’s Hike was transformed, this past month, into a Hurricane Helene Assistance trip. Seventeen men from 11 different churches travelled to the Lutheridge Camp and Conference Center in Arden, NC, to help make it ready for them to reopen. “We had a group that planned to go hiking,” says Les Sease, Diocesan Coordinator for Men’s Hikes, who organized the trip. “But the trails were closed so we pivoted. I’m ...
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Diocese Holds Men’s Spring Hike

“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life … that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.” 1 John 1: 1-4 During the second weekend of May 2022 ...
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Six Parishes Join Together for Fall Men’s Hike

A dozen men from six different parishes joined together to hike a portion of the Foothills Trail in upper South Carolina, October 21-24, 2021. The Rev. Jeremy Shelton led us on the trail with a study on Jonah. Like Jonah, the hike gave us an adventure and a message to share. The 25-mile hike on the Foothills Trail from Upper Whitewater Falls took us from North Carolina into South Carolina, to the border of Georgia along the Chattooga River and ...
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The Lost Soles Men’s Hike

Sure, There’s the Physical Aspect, but it’s Much, Much More Despite the restrictions put on indoor ministries, due to COVID-19, the Men’s Hike ministry is still going strong. A Men’s Hike is a wonderful, safe way to do ministry outdoors. This past November, 19 men of various ages and backgrounds joined in St. Paul’s, Summerville’s Men’s Hike at Walnut Bottom just outside of Waynesville, North Carolina. We began our journey departing Summerville at 7 a.m. on Thursday, November 12, and ...
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Looking for a Men’s Hike? Planning a Men’s Hike? Let’s Connect!

This article was originally shared December 2019. In our highly technological interconnected world, there is a place you can unplug from it all and reconnect with God through fellowship and worship on the trail. If you are interested in going on a journey in faith through the outdoors, reach out to me. I’m looking to connect guys who want to go on a Christian Men’s Hike and need a group to go with. If you are planning a Men’s Hike ...
Read More