The first hiking club in the U.S. was the White Mountain Club, formed in Maine in 1873. It was followed in 1876 by the Appalachian Mountain Club, whose members built the first hiking trail on Mount Washington in 1879. Hiking as a recreational activity did not become widely popular until the early 20th century.

The National Ski Association was founded in Michigan in 1905. The first resort-based ski school opened in New Hampshire in 1929, and ski events were part of the 1932 winter Olympics at Lake Placid, NY.