How to Have a Low-Key Adventure Elopement Without Hiking
Table of Contents:
- Can You Elope Outdoors Without Hiking?
- How to Find an Accessible Elopement Ceremony Location
- Outdoor Adventure Elopement Ideas That Don’t Require a Hike
There’s this common misconception out there that if you want to have an adventurous, outdoor elopement, it HAS to involve some sort of crazy epic hike.
You know what we’re talking about—you’ve seen the photos of couples standing atop a wild mountain summit in their elopement attire, after embarking on a 20-mile backpacking trek, plastered all over Pinterest.
And hey—there’s no doubt that it’s a suuuper cool way to elope. But it’s not the only way to have an amazing day out in the wilderness! In fact, you can absolutely have an unforgettable, exhilarating outdoor adventure elopement without even downloading AllTrails 😉
In this guide, we’ll be walking you through how to plan a rad adventure elopement sans hiking: picking a great ceremony spot that’s easily accessible, finding the best drive-up viewpoints, planning activities that are a bit more low-key, etc.
We hope you’ll see that your elopement can be totally wild, rugged, and picturesque even if you don’t want to hit the trails 🔥
Can You Elope Outdoors Without Hiking?
Let us stop you right there: you can do absolutely anything the hell you want when you elope. No need to ask us (or Google, or your friends, or anyone) for permission—it’s all about what feels right to you & your unique relationship.
Alright, we’ll hop off our soapbox now and get back to the actual question, haha!
Ever since elopements started becoming more mainstream (especially after the pandemic), we’ve seen a ton of shifts and evolutions in the industry, one of the most popular trends being epic outdoor adventure elopements in breathtaking destinations.
With that has come an increase in couples who want to hike on their elopement day—which is awesome, don’t get us wrong—but we’ve started to see couples think that this is now the only way to elope, or the “right” way that they’re supposed to elope. And that couldn’t be further from the truth!
The definition of elopement is simply to “run away secretly in order to get married, especially without parental consent.” And while that may be a little bit outdated, nowhere does it say anything about going on a hike or summiting a mountain 😉
So if you’re wondering whether or not you can elope outdoors without hiking, the answer is a resounding YES. You can absolutely plan an unforgettable, adventurous outdoor elopement without stepping foot on a trail if you don’t want to!
Instead, your day could involve a lakeside picnic, or maybe a romantic drive along a scenic highway, where you find a beautiful overlook to stop and watch the sunset. There are seriously so many gorgeous locations around the world where you can enjoy nature, and admire the natural beauty of the world without breaking a sweat. So next, we’re going to share how you can find the perfect one for you!
How to Find an Accessible Elopement Ceremony Location
We’ve divided this blog up into two parts: one about finding a place for your ceremony that doesn’t require hiking, and one about planning adventurous, non-hiking activities. For those of you who would rather your journey to your ceremony be easier, we’ve compiled a list of a few alternative ways to access beautiful ceremony views—minus the effort!
Obviously, the options available to you will depend on where you’re eloping, but we’ve mostly considered places like national parks, state parks, mountain towns, etc. that would typically encourage more hiking.
Drive-up overlooks/viewpoints
If you don’t want to hike, the easiest way to get gorgeous views is by finding an overlook or viewpoint that you can simply drive up to! This could look like stopping on the literal side of the road at a picturesque spot, or maybe finding a scenic entrance to a national park where you can park your car. Oftentimes if you’re driving through the mountains, you can easily find a pullout where it’s safe to park and hop out to enjoy the views that surround you, and bam—that could be where you get out your vow books and tie the knot.
For national park elopements, you can look up the park’s website ahead of time to find popular overlooks, viewpoints, and parking lots with great views!
Gondola rides
Taking a gondola ride is definitely our favorite way to experience amazing scenery without lacing up the hiking boots. We shoot a lot in little mountain towns around Colorado, many of which have scenic gondolas you can take up to the top of a mountain—like the San Sophia Gondola in Telluride, which one of our couples recently rode. This gondola takes you up to a spectacular event site at Telluride Ski Resort, with the best views of the Colorado Rockies that you could ask for. The best part is, you get to enjoy the views on the ride up and down, as well as once you arrive at your destination!
ADA-accessible trails
For couples who are down to walk a little ways, but want to keep things light and easy (or who have mobility restrictions), we recommend searching for ADA-accessible/wheelchair-friendly trails in the area. This way, you can check out a trail that won’t require much physical exercise—it should be fairly flat, on smooth terrain (such as a paved trail), and easy to get to. You can find routes by using a website like AllTrails, and filtering it to show only ADA-accessible options.
Alternatively, if you don’t need a specifically ADA or wheelchair-accessible route but still want to get out on the trails, you could filter your search to show only Easy trails under a certain mileage. For example, an easy trail under 0.5mi to a beautiful waterfall might be something you’re up for, versus a longer, harder hike to a mountaintop.
Outdoor Adventure Elopement Ideas That Don’t Require a Hike
Just because you don’t want to hike, doesn’t mean your elopement day can’t be infused with a sense of adventure! Below, we’ve listed our favorite adventure elopement ideas that’ll have you exploring the great outdoors & embracing the wild beauty around you—no hiking required.
Helicopter/plane tours
Where are all our thrill seekers at?😏 If the word “adventure” is calling to your soul, buuut you don’t want your quads to be sore after climbing a mountain, how about a helicopter or plane tour instead? This is a once-in-a-lifetime way to see the area you’re eloping from a totally different perspective, and it’s easy AF on the legs! Whether you want to take a helicopter ride to a remote glacier in Alaska, book a seaplane tour over a big city, or see the lush mountains of Hawaii from above, this is the kind of adventure you will NEVER forget.
Off-roading tours
4×4, Jeep, and ATV off-roading tours are perfectttt for couples who want to elope in the rugged wilderness, especially places that aren’t accessible by foot or regular vehicles. You don’t need to worry about packing the right hiking gear or lugging a backpack through the mountains—just hop into a Jeep, sit back, and enjoy the adventure! There are plenty of off-roading tour companies around national parks and other touristy outdoor destinations, ranging from all-day trips to short tours for a little sightseeing.
Scenic train rides
If you’re eloping somewhere where trains operate, or that has a scenic railroad, train tours are an awesome and unique way to see the sights—without having to hike, or even drive yourself around. Different railroads offer different types of routes; some with just a simple ride where you enjoy the scenery from the train, and some with opportunities to stop and get out along the way.
Alaska, for example, has tons of scenic train tours that venture along the 470-mile-long Alaska Railroad, operating in places like Denali, Fairbanks, Anchorage, and more. You can find routes that take you past glaciers, along the Kenai Peninsula, or through the Alaskan backcountry! How rad would that be to include in your elopement itinerary?
Paddleboarding & kayaking
Nothing beats getting out on the water on a warm, summer day, feeling a fresh breeze in your hair and taking in gorgeous views around you. Whether you’re in the mountains and have access to a crystal clear alpine lake, or you’re eloping near a winding river with opportunities to hop in with a paddleboard or kayak, this is the perfect way to have a more low-key outdoor adventure! One of our couples, Katie & Leo, paddle boarded on the Merced River during their Yosemite elopement and it was pretty killer—see the pics at the top of this blog post☀️
Whitewater rafting
Wanna kick the adventure up a notch? Book a whitewater rafting trip and get your heart rate up a lil’ on your big day! You’ll get a combination of incredible views (canyons, waterfalls, greenery, etc.) and exhilarating adventures—unless you’d prefer a more chill rafting trip, which is also totally an option depending on where you elope. A few of the best whitewater rafting locations around the U.S. include the Colorado River in Arizona, the Salmon River in Idaho, and the Rogue River in Oregon.
Ziplining
How FUN would it be to include a zipline adventure in your elopement timeline?? It’s the perfect way to fulfill all your adrenaline-junkie desires without having to put in any real effort, other than hanging on for your dear life high up in the sky. We’re totally biased because Hawaii is one of our FAVORITE destinations on the planet, but Oahu has some killer zipline tours that are insanely beautiful for elopements—Kualoa Ranch being the most iconic and popular on the island! 🤙
Waterfall chasing & swimming
Not sure why that song says “don’t go chasin’ waterfalls,” because you definitely should go chasing waterfalls. . . especiallyyy on your elopement day. Find a waterfall that doesn’t require a long hike and where you’re allowed to swim, and bam—you’ve got a magical day ahead of you! There’s something about being by an epic waterfall that just makes you feel so small and in awe of the world around you, inspired by the beauty of the Earth; plus it’s just FUN to strip down outta your elopement attire and go for a swim. In our experience, Hawaii and Iceland are def two of the best options for a waterfall elopement!
Okay sooo, what do you think? What are we going to be doing during your adventure elopement?! Maybe some swimming, ziplining, rafting, hopping in a helicopter, all of the above. . . 👀
No matter what your dream day looks like, we’d be stoked to tag along for the ride (or the walk, or the hike) and capture the moments you share along the way. Because you know what they say: the adventure is allll about the journey, not the destination. It may be cheesy AF, but we totally agree, and we’ll document every part of that journey for you to look back on.
Reach out to book your adventure elopement photo + video now! And be sure to let us know which of these ideas you might want to use for your day ✌️
Want an even bigger list of memorable elopement ideas to pull from? Check out our guide to 60 Unique Elopement Ideas For Your Dream Day, where we’ve compiled lists of activities, ceremony ideas, activities to do with family, nontraditional attire inspiration, money-saving tips, and so much more.
