For more than 15 years, Blue Ridge Hiking Company has been helping people discover the beauty of the Southern Appalachians, one trail at a time. What began as a guided hiking company has grown into a trusted resource for outdoor adventures, offering guided day hikes, overnight backpacking trips, Wilderness First Aid courses, gear rentals, shuttle services, and The Bunkhouse in Hot Springs. Whether someone is taking their very first hike or preparing for a multi-day backpacking trip, Blue Ridge Hiking Company is committed to helping people explore the outdoors with confidence.
In 2023, Lindsey Barr stepped into the role of owner after serving as the company’s manager for several years. Drawn to Blue Ridge Hiking Company’s mission of making the outdoors more welcoming and accessible, Lindsey has continued to build on that foundation while expanding opportunities for hikers of all backgrounds and experience levels. Their leadership reflects a deep love for Western North Carolina, a commitment to inclusivity, and a belief that the outdoors should be a place where everyone belongs.
In this OBA Member Spotlight, we talk with Lindsey about the journey from manager to owner, what makes Blue Ridge Hiking Company unique, and how community, stewardship, and a passion for connecting people with nature continue to shape the company’s future.
1. Blue Ridge Hiking Company has been helping people explore the Southern Appalachians for more than 15 years. In 2023, you took the exciting step of purchasing the business. What inspired you to become the new owner, and what has that transition been like?
I joined the Blue Ridge Hiking Company team in February 2019 as the manager under the company’s founder, Jennifer Pharr Davis. Over the following few years, I grew to love BRHC’s approach to guiding, especially its approach to inclusivity. It aligned perfectly with my passion for helping to create more welcoming spaces for women and LGBTQ+ folks in the outdoors. We had also grown so much within my first few years with the business – adding both a curated outdoor shop in downtown Asheville and an Appalachian Trail bunkhouse in Hot Springs. When Jennifer approached me in the summer of 2022 to discuss selling the business, it felt like a no brainer for me to buy it. It was the best way to ensure that the business stayed true to the mission we’d grown in the long term. Receiving support and encouragement from our team of guides reinforced my guy instinct that this was the right decision. Because I was already managing day-to-day operations, the transition has actually been pretty straightforward. The biggest change has been how much harder it is for me to unplug from work mode when I leave the office. It’s also been really rewarding for me to continue to shape BRHC in a more intentional way than as manager.
2. From guided day hikes and overnight backpacking trips to Wilderness First Aid trainings, gear rentals, shuttle services, and The Bunkhouse in Hot Springs, Blue Ridge Hiking Company supports adventurers in so many ways. What sets your company apart in the outdoor industry?
There are three primary things that really set us apart within the outdoor industry:
Our passion for Southern Appalachia generally and Western NC specifically. Many other larger guide services operate nationally or internationally, and guides may not have a deeper connection to the place they’re guiding. I am from central-western North Carolina, we only offer trips in Western NC (and a little bit into TN), and our guides all live here. Our guide team loves this place deeply, and gives back by doing things like trail maintenance, river cleanups, and volunteering within the community.
The variety of what we offer. Whether someone is outdoor-curious or a seasoned backpacker, we have services to support their adventures and items in our shop that fit their needs.
Our focus on inclusivity. We offer a variety of affinity group trips, including trips for women, LGBTQ+ folks, and seniors. We have a scholarship program and a discount for locals to make trips more affordable. We use lightweight cottage industry gear on our backpacking trips to ensure lighter packs so more people can participate comfortably. Our private trips are fully customizable, so we can plan for and embrace hikers of all abilities and experience levels.
3. Western North Carolina is home to some of the country’s most iconic hiking destinations. How has being part of the Outdoor Business Alliance helped you connect with the local outdoor community and supported your journey as a business owner?
We initially joined OBA via the Waypoint Accelerator program at Mountain BizWorks, which was an incredibly valuable experience for me! Through connections we’ve made at OBA, we’ve developed relationships with brands we use on trips and the attorney I used when I bought BRHC. As the outdoor industry in this region learned to pivot through COVID and Helene, having other business owners to commiserate with and bounce ideas off of was comforting. OBA has also opened up opportunities like attending the Outdoor NC Guide Summit I attended this spring.
4. Since taking ownership, is there a recent program, partnership, expansion, or milestone that you’re especially proud of? We’d love to hear what’s been most exciting as you continue growing Blue Ridge Hiking Company.
Is it too cliche to say I’m especially proud of surviving and recovering from Helene!?
In all seriousness, I think I’m most proud of the team that I’ve built. I hired a full time manager this season, which feels like a huge accomplishment! The last couple seasons we’ve seen the lowest guide turnover we’ve ever seen, and being able to watch them grow as individuals and as a group has been incredibly rewarding. I truly believe we have the best guide team in the southeast!
5. For someone interested in building a career in outdoor guiding, education, or adventure tourism, what advice would you give about turning a passion for the outdoors into a successful business?
The first piece of advice is to take a close look at where your passions lie, your strengths, and your limitations. When I started working in the outdoor industry, it wasn’t because I had a passion for the outdoors. I was passionate about introducing people who hadn’t traditionally seen themselves represented in outdoor media to the outdoors in a welcoming and empowering way. That distinction is key!
One of the most difficult adjustments for new guides to make is to understand that guiding is about what is best for the clients, not about what the guide wants. It isn’t enough to love hiking, although that is incredibly important! You have to know how to introduce new hikers to the outdoors in a safe and approachable way, how to pivot your plans on the fly in the event of inclement weather or trail closures, how to adapt your itinerary to different skill levels, what to do in the event of an injury. Refining those skills is what makes for a successful guide.
