The Overlooked Problem in Outdoor Travel and the Woman Solving It

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Yesterday morning, I was walking in the woods at Wild Woods Retreat when an idea landed so clearly it stopped me mid-step.

I’m studying forest therapy right now, and one concept keeps pulling at me.
Sit spots.

Not benches you rush past. Not places to scroll. Places you choose on purpose. Places you return to. Places where you let the woods do some of the thinking for you.

So here’s what we’re going to do.

We’re going to build 42 benches throughout the land. All different. Built from what we have. Timber, pallets, mill ends, whatever wants to become something useful.

Each bench will have one single word burned into it. No explanation. No instructions. Just a word you sit with. Literally.

You choose the spot. You choose the word. You stay long enough for it to work on you.

(There’s a reason for the number. I won’t explain it. If you know, you know. If you don’t, you will. Eventually. People will sit and quietly contemplate some big things out there.)

We’re considering making this a small crowdfunding project. Nothing fancy. Possibly $50 to sponsor a bench, with your name attached to it as part of the story of the land. If that idea makes your ears perk up and you want first dibs before we officially launch anything, just reply to this email and say so.

No pressure. Just curiosity.

Speaking of curiosity.

Today’s feature feels like a natural extension of this idea. Because some people build access to the woods with benches and sit spots. Others do it by removing invisible barriers most people don’t even realize are there.

Which brings me to Megan Lee.

Megan is the founder of GuideR, and she’s quietly solving a problem that keeps a lot of people inside when they would rather be out there. She’s building practical, human access to outdoor experiences by supporting guides and travelers at the same time.

If you’ve ever wanted the outdoors to feel easier to enter, this one’s for you.

Let’s get into it.

Megan Lee Built the Easy Button for Outdoor Adventure

Megan Lee got married on a glacier in Alaska.

No venue tour. No seating chart. No champagne tower wobbling in the wind.

A glacier. A camper van. And a quiet certainty that this was exactly right.

That detail matters, because it explains how Megan thinks. She does not add steps for the sake of appearances. She removes them. Relentlessly.

Which is why she built GuideR, a platform designed to help people get outside without turning the experience into a research project, a stress test, or a silent confidence exam.

Because wanting adventure is common. Knowing how to access it is not.

The Outdoor Industry Has a Friction Problem

The outdoors is supposed to restore you.

Instead, for many people, it overwhelms them before they ever leave the house.

Too many browser tabs.
Too many unknowns.
Too many moments of, “Am I even the kind of person who does this?”

Outdoor culture tends to swing between two extremes. Highly curated highlight reels or hardcore grit narratives that make discomfort feel like a prerequisite for belonging.

Megan noticed what gets lost in the middle.

People who want guidance.
People who want safety.
People who want clarity without being talked down to.

And people who absolutely do not want to cobble together permits, transportation, gear, and logistics across twelve websites while hoping they didn’t miss something critical.

That is the gap GuideR fills.

Accessible Is Not a Dirty Word

Accessibility is often misunderstood.

It gets flattened into a checkbox conversation about equipment and ramps. Important, yes. But incomplete.

Megan takes a broader view.

Accessibility also means emotional safety. Transparency. Knowing what you are signing up for. Understanding the terrain, the pace, the expectations, and the support available.

It means acknowledging that not everyone feels safe outdoors by default. Or confident. Or physically capable of doing things the way glossy outdoor media implies they should.

GuideR was built with that reality in mind.

Clear filters. Honest descriptions. Tags for experience level, time commitment, and accessibility needs. No vague bravado.

Just information that lets people make good decisions.

The Guides Are the Point

Megan is very clear about something most marketplaces get wrong.

GuideR has two audiences, but one matters first.

The guides.

Fly fishing guides. Sailing captains. Rock climbing guides. Forest therapy practitioners. Wellness retreat leaders. The people who actually create the experiences everyone else romanticizes.

Most of them are small operators. Deep expertise. Long days. Minimal interest in becoming marketers, copywriters, or booking software experts.

Here is a statistic Megan likes to point out.
Roughly 65 percent of guides and outfitters still do not offer online booking.

Not because they are behind. Because they are busy doing the work.

GuideR takes the pressure off. Guides onboard through a vetting process that prioritizes safety and credibility. Profiles get built. Tours get listed. Booking gets handled.

Often in a couple of hours.

Less admin. More guiding. That is the point.

How It Works Without the Headache

From the traveler side, GuideR behaves like a functional adult.

You choose a location.
You select dates.
You filter based on what matters to you.

Beginner friendly.
Price range.
Time commitment.
Accessibility needs.

Then you book.

No cold emails.
No awkward DMs.
No guessing if someone will get back to you.

The platform has been live for just over a year and already operates in 12 states, with strong hubs forming in places like Asheville, Denver, Alaska, and California.

Growth is intentional. Curated. Thoughtful.

Because flooding people with endless options does not create freedom. It creates decision paralysis.

A Founder Who Knows Plans Change

Megan’s relationship with the outdoors is personal, not performative.

She used to hike thirty miles in a day. No problem. Then knee injuries and surgery changed what was possible.

Now, sometimes adventure looks like a short walk. A scenic overlook. Ten minutes outside.

Still valid. Still restorative. Still counts.

That lived experience shows up in GuideR’s tone. There is no shaming here. No hierarchy of worth based on mileage or difficulty.

Adventure is not a contest.

Marketing That Reflects Reality

Megan is candid about learning marketing the hard way.

Early assumptions did not hold. Messaging evolved. Strategy sharpened.

One of GuideR’s newest initiatives is the Roamer Affiliate Collective, an affiliate program built for the businesses already serving outdoor travelers.

Travel agents.
Lodging owners.
Airbnb hosts.
Shuttle services.
Event planners.
Outdoor retailers.

It works because it mirrors how people actually plan trips. Experiences are rarely booked in isolation. They are bundled around where you stay, how you move, and who you trust.

GuideR becomes the connective tissue.

What Megan Is Really Building

This is not about turning everyone into an adrenaline junkie.

It is about lowering the barrier to entry.

About giving people a way in that feels sane, supported, and human.

A paved trail can change someone’s life.
A guided fly fishing trip can reset a nervous system.
A wellness retreat can bring someone back into their body.

Megan Lee is building for all of that.

Quietly. Thoughtfully. Effectively.

Want to Connect With Megan?

Explore guided adventures, learn about the Roamer Affiliate Collective, or connect with Megan at https://GuideR.com

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