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YahooAlmost every outdoor place with open public space has hiking trails. A lot of people who are just discovering this activity (that is such a nice way to enjoy the world and improve health) have trouble locating the best paths for wilderness walks equal to their experience and fitness level. If you are a beginner, you might think that finding trails requires expert knowledge of local terrain or a GPS locator. However, even experienced mountaineers have trouble getting the information they need, and relying on satellite guidance is often overkill.
Bashing and splashing your way through the wilderness can be a miserable, if not dangerous experience. There are many fun and safe trails near you. The steps below outline the most-used methods for finding the best wilderness treks in your area. They are organized by reliability and convenience, with the best first and the worst last.
Look for official national, state, county, and city parks media. Many government parks distribute some kind of free pamphlet or flier that shows the location and length of the trails they maintain. You can usually get ahold of these booklets by calling or visiting the headquarters of the organization, which takes care of the area you want to hike in. Most of these institutions put their pamphlets online, too.
Get books at a library or bookstore. Books are a great way to find hiking trails near your home. Just make sure they have been published recently. Getting up-to-date info is important because wilderness routes can change or disappear quickly. You can find hiking books in a couple of places.
Go to your library and ask a librarian to help you find non-fiction books on hiking. They will take you to the shelves containing the travel and outdoor recreation information for your area. Libraries organize their items by nationally standardized call numbers. So any subject should be easy to find there. This information is usually current, accurate and free, but you will have to give the items back when your checkout time has expired.
While you may spend up to $30 on a single book at a store, you can access that item's trail information when you want, for as long as you like. You may, however, find that hiking data in a given book is time-sensitive. So you may have to buy an updated copy of your chosen text every year. Bookstores do not organize their bookshelves in any standardized way. You may have to enlist the help of a clerk to find what you are looking for.
Locate membership websites. A few Internet sites charge users for accurate, updated information on hiking routes. These sites compile trail data from many sources. They are very convenient and trustworthy--if you do not mind paying their membership fees. However, if you are looking for free information, which may not be as reliable, you can try other Internet sources.
Search for free blogs and webpages. Many hikers have extensive knowledge of wilderness treks. These individuals offer their expertise for free via amateur webpages and blogs. Their sites often include road directions, written descriptions, pictures, and homemade maps to guide fellow trail-goers. Unfortunately, this information is not usually updated often enough. So you might find inaccurate or unsafe facts about a trail within these sources.
Go to a search engine like Google and type keywords like "hiking trails" or the name of your state into the text box. You will find plenty of free or fee websites this way.
Troll for trails. This is the last and least effective way to locate hiking trails. It involves driving around wilderness areas, looking for trailheads on public property, and asking local residents for help. Do not even bother using this step if you are shy or unadventurous. Unless you like to take risks, trolling should be a last resort--even if you are familiar with the area.
