Visiting Your Local Parks and Walking Trails

When it comes to nature…you don’t have to travel far to enjoy it. We like visiting our local parks and walking trails. They’re the perfect outlet when you need to get out of the house and into fresh air. Not to mention…the daily physical activity that our bodies need. It doesn’t matter if it’s a neighborhood park, a state park or a national park. Just get out there and enjoy it.

We have a little park about 15 minutes from our home called Schiavoni Park. It has paved walking trails and all trails are an easy walk. Some of the walk is in the sunshine while other areas are completely shaded. It runs alongside the Swatara creek and has a free frisbee golf course that you can enjoy. Dogs are welcome but they need to be kept on a leash.

Best time to visit your local parks? During the summer season you want to visit during the morning or early evening hours when the temperatures are a bit cooler. Always visit with a buddy…never go alone. I recommend taking a light-weight backpack with a few bottles of water, snacks, sunscreen, bug spray and if you have one available, a mini first aid kit.

One of the best tips that I can give you when visiting ANY park…is that you always let someone know when you’re leaving, when you’ll be back and exactly where you’re going. Have them call to check on you to make sure that you returned. They can notify authorities if you don’t return on time. Always better to be safe than sorry…especially in the world that we live in today.