About the AOC > General Info

AOC Founders Todd Biggs, Dawn Cain, Phil Tuck, Stacia Gessner Amy Pickwick, Dawnmarie Oyler, Katherine Martin

The Atlanta Outdoor Club (AOC) was founded in the late Fall of 2000, when Amy Pickwick began scouring the Web for an outdoor club in the Atlanta area that was for all ages, was close to the city, and held events of all sorts (hiking, canoeing, biking, etc.) When the Web didn't seem to offer any answers, Amy decided to use her web development knowledge to form an online meeting and information place for a club. Today, the club has 3553 registered members, approximately 40% male and 60% female, and caters to active adults over 21 years old (the majority of members are in their 20's or 30's). Most participants are also recent transplants to Atlanta looking to make a few new outdoor friends. More information available on our statistics page.

Although many of our members are active-minded singles, the AOC is not a singles club. Couples are always welcome to join and participate either together or individually.

Since its inception, the AOC has had 2 primary objectives: 1) to help outdoor enthusiasts share expertise and make new friends through outdoor events, and 2) to educate outdoor enthusiasts on Georgia and the Southeast and the environment.

The AOC hosts more than 200 events over the course of each year including:

• Outdoor Events - hiking, backpacking, camping, mountain biking, and paddling trips, etc.
• Monthly Social - where members & non-members alike can socialize and interact with officers and volunteers, hear about upcoming events, ask questions and learn more about the club.

The AOC is 100% volunteer run. Volunteer positions include various aspects of running the club as well as coordinating events (meet our volunteer team). Outdoor events can be led by any member, so long as they have some level of expertise in the area and have been active in the club for a period of time. We attempt to have events suitable for all levels of experience. Regardless, the AOC’s goal is to make all events fun and adventurous, but safe, for all members.

The AOC does not have annual dues or membership fees. Participants only pay for the events they participate in and the majority of our events are free although member support, in the form of both time and monetary donations, is solicited to keep the club running. Funds collected are recycled back into the club for purchases of equipment, maintaining the website, or supporting an event.

The website is the backbone of the AOC. Individuals can sign up for membership online in a matter of minutes. They can network with other members, interact with the volunteers, and register for upcoming events. The lack of overhead required by a physical office permits the club to continue to offer free memberships.

Our FAQ or Membership Info pages contain the answers to the questions we hear most often from those who are signing up for membership.

Any questions for which you cannot easily find the answers online should be sent in via our online form or directly to info@atlantaoutdoorclub.com.