A new report from Opening Up the Outdoors documents the exclusion of People of Color from outdoor spaces in Germany – and urges the industry to help dismantle the barriers.

“I think there is an assumption that the outdoors is for all – that it is open and free for anyone who wants to access it, and there are no limits,” says Yasmin Dufournet, Council Member at Opening Up the Outdoors (OUTO).

This assumption, she suspected, was rarely held by People of Color (POC). Yet while years of anecdotal evidence had pointed to widespread exclusion, little research had been conducted to measure the scale or consistency of these experiences in Germany.

The OUTO report “Belonging Without Barriers” set out to fill that gap, with one of its central aims being to test how well personal accounts would hold up against broader, systematic data. It turned out that they did – and with striking clarity.

“What surprised me the most was the consistency and alignment across our diverse panel of respondents, and how strongly this data aligned with the narratives we had been hearing for years,” says Dufournet.

“This report demonstrates that getting outside is hard for People of Color, and this is far more than just overcoming practical challenges.”

Culture as the biggest obstacle

Her colleague and fellow OUTO Council Member, Paris Bethel, agrees that the data tells a very different story than the “nature is for all” narrative, and calls into question what many might mistake to be the main barrier to participation.

“The most significant barrier for People of Color in Germany’s outdoors isn’t access, knowledge, or the conversation – it’s the culture,” explains Bethel, who continues:

“70% of People of Color say the atmosphere in outdoor culture feels unwelcoming.”

Black Hike Hamburg wants to help make it more “normal” for People of Color to be a part of the outdoor community (Credit: Black Hike Hamburg).

Black Hike Hamburg

And this negative culture has serious consequences. Black Hike Hamburg is a grassroots initiative supporting People of Color to get out and experience Germany’s outdoor spaces. When organizers Djenna Wehenpohl and Julia Schwartz are asked whether their group experiences outdoor culture as “unwelcoming,” the response is clear.

“Definitely. We have heard quite often from participants that they wouldn’t go hiking by themselves, because they wouldn’t feel welcome or even safe in those spaces.”

Each month, around 25–30 community members meet up to hike in and around Hamburg. Their aim is to find places that are accessible by public transport, and to ensure a safe and calm experience where nobody feels overwhelmed.

Sometimes trips are energetic, some are more calm. Either way, according to Schwartz it seems to be hitting a sweet spot:

“Each time we have a good mix of regular and new participants, so there are new people joining the community constantly. The last few months we even had the problem that our hikes were booked out very quickly, to be honest. Which is great but also not great, you know?”

Creating confidence, building community

According to Schwartz, these hikes are having a massive positive effect on how the community members feel about belonging in the outdoors. And for many, these outings may be their very first foray into outdoor activity in Germany.

“This has also allowed us to dream bigger, beyond our much-beloved flatlands of Hamburg,” shares Schwartz.

“Participants have started imagining hikes further up in the mountains, longer hiking excursions, and retreats and journeys they might want to do in community.”

Djenna Wehenpohl (left) and Julia Schwartz (right), co-founders of Black Hike Hamburg. (Credit: Vivian Mule)

The outdoor industry: cause and solution

For Wehenpohl and Schwartz, the idea that the outdoors should belong to everyone feels self-evident. But in her experience, People of Color don’t tend to hear or see that they can be part of those spaces as well. The OUTO report points to the role of the outdoor industry in shaping these dynamics, often reinforcing participation barriers without realizing it. As Bethel explains:

“Outdoor culture today is shaped by longstanding norms, traditions, and codes – defined and reinforced by the outdoor industry. The issue is that these norms have been created without having diverse voices at the table.”

This results in People of Color feeling unwelcome in outdoor spaces – not just due to perception, but because of repeated experiences like being stared at, judged, or subjected to discriminatory remarks, which collectively send a message that they don’t belong.

Despite its contribution to the problem, Dufournet notes that the industry can also be part of the solution. And here she finds reason for optimism in the small steps the industry has already made, including recognition that barriers exist and an earnest willingness to address them:

“To dismantle a problem, you first need to understand it. For too long, the outdoor industry hasn’t had access to the data or stories needed to see the full picture. With this report, that’s no longer the case.”

“Thinking big”

Credit: Black Hike Hamburg

By giving voice – in the form of hard data – to the experiences of many People of Color in Germany, the report provides visibility to the barriers of outdoor inclusion. In its own way, Black Hike Hamburg similarly seeks to promote visibility by making it more “normal” to see People of Color within the outdoor community.

“We move with the idealistic hope in mind that one day the outdoors will actually, naturally and without structural barriers, be for everyone,” shares Wehenpohl.

To accelerate this vision, she calls upon the wider outdoor community to join in on the effort by involving People of Color in the conversation and creating visibility for a diverse outdoors. In the meantime, they plan on continuing to push for greater diversity in outdoor spaces.

“We don’t want anybody to be excluded, as we’ve experienced exclusion before. We just want to add something to the outdoors that’s been missing – us,” explains Wehenpohl.

“We’re basically taking up space by creating our own space.”

People of color in Germany

According to the OUTO report, People of Color respondents experience:

• 65 % report discrimination in outdoor spaces, ranging from verbal abuse to subtle exclusion
• 70 % describe outdoor spaces as unwelcoming
• 60 % say outdoor narratives feel alienating and do not reflect their identities or experiences (vs. 32% of white respondents)
• 68 % prefer social, group-based outdoor activities, contrasting with the 63% of white participants who prefer solitary experiences
• 61 % say reaching outdoor spaces is a challenge – on par with white respondents

Read the full “Belonging Without Barriers” report.

Lead Photo: Black Hike Hamburg