Going for a short nature walk does not have to mean rushing through a portion of a longer hike in order to fit it in within a limited time frame. Rather, you can choose a route of an appropriate length that will give you time to stop and look at things of interest along the way, to reach your destination before nightfall, and to get back home in time for other commitments. The biggest challenge of going for a short nature walk is to plan a route of the right length to begin with, and to allow enough time for various aspects of the trip, such as traveling to and from the starting point, and for any delays along the way.<\/p>\n
The total time available for an outing must include time for a change of shoes, study of a map, finding the trail and return to the car. The seemingly easy trail can be an absolute nuisance if it takes too long to complete within the confines of a very small window of time.<\/p>\n
Set an exact departure time and an exact return time. This way you can still have time for unexpected events, such as a locked gate, dirty paths, animal watching, detours or even mistakes on your part. The following illustration gives you an idea of how little time you actually have for a short hike.<\/p>\n
Remember that your useful walking time may be less than the total time you have outside. This does not need to be a constraint however and simply means that you need to choose a route which will not become a chore after a number of interruptions along the way.<\/p>\n
Hiking distance is but one factor that must be taken into account when planning a short hike. Steep terrain, rough surface, wet or slushy sections, and many switchbacks can make for a very tiring short hike. Consider the trails in your area. The route with the 'easiest' surface and fewest turns is best for a short, rush-of-the-outdoors-type-of-hike.<\/p>\n
Short loops of easy hiking are best on well-trodden, easy-to-follow paths, with clear junctions, and few or no hazardous features. Short out-and-backs are the simplest type of route for early turn-arounds. For unfamiliar areas, short out-and-backs can also reduce the number of decisions regarding navigation.<\/p>\n
Just because a trail is short does not mean that the descriptions of "uneven", "seasonal", "rugged", "steep" or "unmaintained" do not apply. In fact they are likely to have a greater impact on your hiking than on a longer, slower paced hike in dry conditions.<\/p>\n
The trailhead for your short nature walk must be easily accessible. Consider the distance you must travel from your car to the start of your walk, how you will lock up your car, and whether the trailhead is easily recognizable. These are very important considerations when your whole walk is to be of short duration.<\/p>\n
It is also wise to check for any gates that may be locked, or for any other restrictions or closures by the land manager, such as the fish and wildlife agency, prior to your trip and check for the latest information just prior to your outing.<\/p>\n
Choose green spaces near your home for short outings. Perhaps there is a natural area close by or even a well-maintained public path that will enable you to get out for as long as you need on any given day.<\/p>\n
Wind, cold, heat, rain and poor visibility all quickly change the character of a short walking trip and can make a pleasant outing very uncomfortable indeed. Recent weather too must be taken into account – a short walk may well have wet or slippy leaves on paths several days after rain.<\/p>\n
Do you notice that your clothing is becoming wet, your hands are becoming sticky, you are becoming fatigued at an irregular rate, your visibility is becoming worse, or that your feet are becoming problems that demand constant attention? Then you should cut your loss and go home.<\/p>\n
Be aware of the hours of daylight available and leave enough time to complete and retrace your route before it gets dark. If your walk is in a hunting area or other multi-use land be aware of the date and times of seasons and follow relevant rules and signs. Make sure you are visible when walking in areas where there are others about and avoid entering closed areas or disregarding signs and closures.<\/p>\n
Most importantly, don't underestimate a short distance. Pack light, wear suitable footwear (tripping and falling are easy to prevent with decent soles and tread), bring a simple water, snack, first aid, and any personal medications, charge your phone, and perhaps a small light (for late returns).<\/p>\n
Don't over load yourself with equipment for a short outing. A large pack with extra unnecessary items for a short walk can make the walk harder than it needs to be. On the other hand, for a short walk don't go with nothing in case you go the wrong way, the weather changes or you have a minor injury.<\/p>\n
When out wildlife watching or nature observing, bring the minimum of binoculars and try not to allow them to get in the way. Also be aware of the lawful seasons for hunting on the land through which you are walking, and be respectful of all access restrictions and property boundaries. Verify current information with all the relevant official authorities before heading out the door.<\/p>\n
Deciding upon a turn around time for a short walk before you set off ensures that you don't end up going out for a longer than anticipated time. It's easy to be tempted to continue on when things are going so well and you reach a bend in the trail. Set a time and stick to it.<\/p>\n
If you're walking with other people, agree a suitable pace and places to stop along the way before you set off. Make sure that everyone knows how to get back to the cars as well as along the route. If you're walking alone, tell someone where you're going and when you expect to get back. This is particularly important if you're going to unfamiliar ground and there's going to be poor phone signal.<\/p>\n
Leave the area as you found it. Stay on the surface of trail where possible. Keep dogs under control and in compliance with local rules and regulations. Pack out all waste and do your best not to disturb plants, nests, animal tracks and wildlife during your short nature walk.<\/p>\n
While longer routes and more challenging adventures can be rewarding on occasion, for short nature walks the best path is that which can be walked and rewalked many times and remains a viable and enjoyable option under a variety of different circumstances. By this measure a short nature walk should be easy to start and to finish in good time and of a nature to be respectful of the place that you are visiting to walk.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Going for a short nature walk does not have to mean rushing through a portion of a longer hike in order to fit it in within a limited time frame. Rather, you can choose a route of an appropriate length that will give you time to stop and look at things of interest along the…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":49,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[3],"tags":[19,21,23,20,10,18,22],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.outdoorsatisfactions.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.outdoorsatisfactions.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.outdoorsatisfactions.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.outdoorsatisfactions.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.outdoorsatisfactions.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=50"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.outdoorsatisfactions.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.outdoorsatisfactions.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/49"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.outdoorsatisfactions.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=50"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.outdoorsatisfactions.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=50"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.outdoorsatisfactions.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=50"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}