About Wildwood Hiking Company

Wildwood Hiking Company's Mission:

Wildwood Hiking Company's mission is to help others enjoy and connect with nature by guiding safe and memorable outdoor adventures.

We believe that everyone can benefit from spending more time outdoors, and that anyone can enjoy the wilderness, regardless of background, experience, or fitness level.  We welcome all hikers at Wildwood!

About Your Guide:

Wildwood Hiking Company was founded in 2023 by Nicole Markovich after thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail in 2022.  Nicole, trail name "Droplet", grew up in central Illinois and had always been an avid hiker and camper.  She was a high school science teacher for nine years, always looking forward to the summers when she could spend time traveling, camping, fishing, gardening, bird watching, and exploring the outdoors.  In 2022, she took a leave of absence from her teaching career to backpack the entire length of the Appalachian Trail, over 2,000 miles of mountainous terrain traveling through 14 states and extending all the way from Georgia to Maine!  She completely fell in love with backpacking during those 6 months- the breath-taking views, the closeness to nature, the simplicity of living on trail, and the physical and mental challenge of carrying your entire life in a backpack. 

She felt wild and free, and right at home in the woods.

Nicole had always wanted to run her own business, and it wasn't until after completing the 6 month trek through the Appalachians that she knew what she wanted to do.  At the end of 2022, she ended her teaching career and made the move to Tennessee to be closer to the mountains, the woods and everything wild it has to offer.  It was then that she decided to start Wildwood Hiking Company, to help others connect with nature and feel the beauty, the simplicity, the joy, and the challenge of backpacking that she had come to know and love.