One Long Beach man is trying to get people into nature through hiking to explore the “renaissance for the outdoors.”
Hike, Explore, Repeat will host a community potluck and picnic at Heartwell Park in Long Beach on July 1. The Long Beach-based hiking group will kick off the summer by inviting residents to make friends, explore their surroundings and stay active by connecting them with like-minded folks.
The main message of Hike, Explore, Repeat is “to get people into the outdoors,” said the group’s founder Rigel Gutierrez Perez. What started out as Instagram posts of his hiking adventures has burgeoned into a community-gathering, nature-trekking hiking group that comes together every other weekend.
Perez was once what he called a “solo hiker,” someone who ventures through hiking trails and national parks alone, but posts about his adventures on social media. He would often receive messages to host hiking groups of his journeys, but the pandemic quickly provided more interest as people found solace from lockdowns in the outdoors.
A group of outdoor enthusiasts join for Hike, Explore, Repeat’s biweekly hikes. (Courtesy of Rigel Gutierrez Perez) 
A group of outdoor enthusiasts join for Hike, Explore, Repeat’s biweekly hikes. (Courtesy of Rigel Gutierrez Perez) 
A group of outdoor enthusiasts join for Hike, Explore, Repeat’s biweekly hikes. (Courtesy of Rigel Gutierrez Perez) 
A group of outdoor enthusiasts join for Hike, Explore, Repeat’s biweekly hikes and community volunteer events. (Courtesy of Rigel Gutierrez Perez)
According to a People and Nature survey, 46% of people said they were spending more time outdoors during the pandemic than before in July 2020.
Perez started Hike, Explore, Repeat in April 2021 to connect people through nature. As a longtime Long Beach resident, he said he’s hoping to get more people from the city involved through their community picnic.
In the past few years, Hike, Explore, Repeat has traveled through Griffith Park, Malibu trails, Strawberry Peak, Zion National Park and many other Southern California scenic spots.
The group has been partnering with other nature and social clubs during hikes such as the Los Angeles Social Club, Los Angeles Friends and the La Muerte Comedy Show for large group hikes and community outreach. The groups had gathered for food drives, community cleanups, homelessness outreach and other social events.
“If we work together we grow together,” Perez said.
Perez said their recent hike at Griffith Park with other organizations brought over 700 eager explorers, and their local hikes often bring over 50 people together.
Since most of Hike, Explore, Repeat’s hikes are beyond Long Beach’s bounds, Perez said members will carpool to locations and help each other with gas money to get everyone together.
Hike, Explore, Repeat also does “urban hikes” through city landscapes, where they stop at local businesses for coffee or lunch during their miles-long trek. Perez said he is soon planning a Long Beach urban hike, as the group has already done a hike from Santa Monica to Venice.
“When people think of hikes they think oceans, mountains … they never think about an urban hike around the neighborhood,” Perez said.
The group’s next long-distance hike will be in San Diego on July 15. For now, Perez is posting regular meetups on the @Hike.Explore.Repeat Instagram page.
The community meeting at Heartwell Park is meant to bring Long Beach residents along for the next stage of exploration. The picnic will feature games and a potluck-style buffet and residents are asked to register on Eventbrite.
Residents can message the Hike, Explore, Repeat page to notify what dish they plan to bring, though it’s not necessary to attend.
The picnic will be at Heartwell Park (5801 Parkcrest St.) starting at 11 a.m. and free to attend.
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