The Rhein-Taunus-Klub was founded on July 27, 1882 as the "Wiesbadener Rhein- und Taunus-Club". The purpose of the club was the creation of hiking trails and viewpoints in the western Taunus and Rheingau mountains, the publication of hiking maps and guides and the organization of hikes and social events. Today, the Ludwig-Schwenck-Hütte on the Grauen Stein, the Robert-Weber-Hütte on the Teufelskadrich and the barbecue hut on the Platte are still owned by the club. In 1883, the Rhein-Taunus-Klub was a founding member of the German Hiking Association and in 1980 of the Hiking Association of Hesse.

Together with partner clubs in Bad Schwalbach and Eltville, the club maintains a hiking trail network of 950 km. It is an expert contact for municipalities and state surveying offices and organizes hikes and excursions. It is also involved in the Wiesbaden Hiking Days, which were organized in 2016 for the 49th year by the Sports Office of the City of Wiesbaden in cooperation with clubs.

The Rhein-Taunus-Klub has been awarded several city plaques from the state capital of Wiesbaden and received the Eichendorff plaque from German President Karl Carstens in 1984.