For as much cheer and joy as the holidays bring, they also can be hectic, stressful and emotionally overwhelming. There’s the rush to get ready, traditions to adhere to, and the parties and family gatherings.
Once you’ve greeted the big day, exchanged gifts and maybe stretched your waistline a bit with home-baked treats and a spirituous toast or two, you might be wondering “What now?” — especially if you still have guests in town.
Maybe something on the wholesome, outdoorsy side is just the thing for a house full of stir-crazy relatives and kids home from school.
A walk or hike might fit the bill.
Whether you get everybody out of the house for a spontaneous walk through the neighborhood or go for a hike that takes a little more planning, the outdoor activity can be good for the body and mind.
“Time in nature can lead to health benefits through contact with the natural elements, participation in physical activity, restoration of mental and emotional health, and time with social contacts,” according to the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine.
A bit of history
Many people have been flocking to state and county parks to start off the new year on a healthy foot since at least 1992, when Patrick Flynn, supervisor of the Blue Hills Reservation state park in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, gave launch to the First Day Hikes program now offered across the country.
The North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation is holding a First Day Hike this year at Morrow Mountain State Park, a 5,881-acre expanse within the Uwharrie mountain system. Although the once-coastal mountain range spans just Randolph, Montgomery and Stanly counties, a park ranger will guide hikers along the 3 Rivers Trail beginning at 10 a.m. on New Year’s Day from the boathouse parking lot in Albemarle.
North Carolina is full of geographical diversity — from the mountains to the coast and the variety of woodlands, sand hills and rolling regions between.
Researchers recommend “awe walks,” where you take time to note the many wonders in the vast outdoors around us, “to promote prosocial positive emotions in older adults.” They can also be an antidote for the post-holiday blues and letdowns or a resolute reset toward healthier routines and habits.
If you’re near the coast or have time for a day trip, you might want to take a hike in the Croatan National Forest and see the tupelo and cypress trees, many covered with Spanish moss. (Make sure you check for alerts and fire danger status before you go.)
Or try the 5.5 mile loop trail through the Brunswick Nature Preserve, described as “truly an environmental oasis worthy of exploration.”
If you’re in the western part of the state, it’s wise to check before setting out for some of the state parks. Many have reopened at least partially since the remnants of Hurricane Helene wreaked havoc on the region, according to the state’s parks and recreation division, but websites will have more details.
Palmer McIntyre and Hollis Oberlies, two trail lovers from Greensboro, have written Trails and Treats, a book with an extensive, curated list of places to hike or run — and even get a bite to eat. The book covers the mountains, the Triad, Triangle and the region around Charlotte.
Overlooks, ornaments and flatlands
Members of the NC Health News team had some recommendations for you in 2024. Here are some of them again.
Rose Hoban, NC Health News founder, editor and human mom to Marconi, the team’s four-legged chief morale officer, is a fan of Occoneechee Mountain State Natural Area in Orange County near downtown Hillsborough. “My husband and I head out there several times each year, bringing our dog and often walking with some friends,” Rose said.
“What I love about Occoneechee (other than the way the name rolls off the tongue) is that it’s got a little of everything,” Rose added. “A cool cliff for climbing. A river to walk along. A mountain overlook that, at 867 feet, is the highest point in Orange County. (I always prefer a hike that gets you to a place where you can see the horizon.) When you get to the top, the view looks north. Slightly to the east you’ll see the steeples and rooftops of Hillsborough peeking through the trees.”
The mountain trail is about three miles long, Rose said, “enough to work up a thirst for that thermos of hot chocolate you stashed in the car for the end of your walk.”
If you’ve ever seen squirrels running around, gathering provisions, you know Rose is not the only one stashing things away at the park. If you want to know more about how and where the squirrels there are stockpiling their haul, this Squirrel It Away event and short hike in Hillsborough on Tuesday, Dec. 30, could be illuminating. It starts at 11 a.m. at the Occoneechee Mountain State Natural Area picnic spot at 625 Virginia Cates Road.
Will Atwater, an avid runner who writes about environmental health issues and is fleet-footed enough to go for miles along wooded trails without wiping out on hidden tree roots and stumps, recommends Eno River State Park. If he’s around the Triangle, he likes to hit the trail with his running mate Joe Maxwell.
Will and Joe also are masters of the Philosopher’s Way Trail Race, an annual 10-miler (scheduled again this spring) at Carolina North Forest in Chapel Hill. Will likes the main trails through the wooded area only several miles from the main UNC Chapel Hill campus.
Winston-Salem native Rachel Crumpler, who covers prison and gender health, likes the Muddy Creek Greenway in her home town.
“This is a serene trail where you’re bound to cross paths with a dog or two!” Rachel said. “It’s especially great because it’s completely flat for people like me who don’t like a hill.”
Grace Vitaglione, who wrote many stories about legislative and aging issues before leaving NC Health News this summer to live abroad, shared her favorite spot to run: The American Tobacco Trail, a 22-mile rails-to-trails project that goes through Durham, Chatham and Wake counties, has many trailheads.
Grace suggested starting at the New Hope Church Road Trailhead at 2575 New Hope Church Road in Cary. It’s relatively flat, according to Grace, and has either granite screenings or asphalt as the surface, depending on the section.
Festive bonus last year, Grace added: “Passersby decorated a tree on the side of the trail with small ornaments.”
Let us know if they’re there again this year.
Emily Vespa, a 2024 N.C. State University graduate and NC Health News alum with a wealth of news experience as editor of Technician, her college newspaper, suggested Rough Ridge Overlook Trail, a 1.2-mile “out-and-back trail” near Blowing Rock. Her sister hiked it after Helene, she said. “It’s open!”
Emily, who has written about the mental health impacts that Helene has had on college students, had not been on the trail for several years and wondered how much the landscape had changed in the wake of the storm.
“This hike is a great return on investment; it’s a moderate climb with incredible views,” Emily said last year. “There’s a spot near the top with a rock that juts out in front of the mountainscape that makes for a really cool photo too.”
Whether you find your way onto one of the team’s recommended trails or pathways, have a favorite of your own or want to try somewhere different to explore, health researchers tout many positives of hikes and outdoor activities.“Benefits may be immediate, such as decreased blood pressure, decreased stress levels, enhanced immune system functioning, and restored attention, or transpire over time, such as weight loss, decreased depression, and overall wellness,” according to the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine.
This article first appeared on North Carolina Health News and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
