Fighting Off A Bout Of Holiday Cabin Fever? A Hike Could Be The Cure

By Anne Blythe

A version of this story initially was published connected Dec. 26, 2024. We’ve tweaked it ever truthful somewhat and offered it up again successful lawsuit you’re reasoning astir a vacation hike successful nan last days of 2025 aliases early successful 2026.

For arsenic overmuch cheer and joyousness arsenic nan holidays bring, they besides tin beryllium hectic, stressful and emotionally overwhelming. There’s nan unreserved to get ready, traditions to adhere to, and nan parties and family gatherings.

Once you’ve greeted nan large day, exchanged gifts and possibly stretched your waistline a spot pinch home-baked treats and a spirituous toast aliases two, you mightiness beryllium wondering “What now?” — particularly if you still person guests successful town.

Maybe thing connected nan wholesome, outdoorsy broadside is conscionable nan point for a location afloat of stir-crazy relatives and kids location from school. 

A locomotion aliases hike mightiness fresh nan bill.

Whether you get everybody retired of nan location for a spontaneous locomotion done nan vicinity aliases spell for a hike that takes a small much planning, nan outdoor activity tin beryllium bully for nan assemblage and mind.

“Time successful quality tin lead to wellness benefits done interaction pinch nan earthy elements, information successful beingness activity, restoration of intelligence and affectional health, and clip pinch societal contacts,” according to the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine.

A spot of history

Many group person been flocking to authorities and region parks to commencement disconnected nan caller twelvemonth connected a patient ft since astatine slightest 1992, when Patrick Flynn, supervisor of nan Blue Hills Reservation authorities parkland successful Norfolk County, Massachusetts, gave motorboat to nan First Day Hikes programme now offered crossed nan country.

The North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation is holding a First Day Hike this twelvemonth astatine Morrow Mountain State Park, a 5,881-acre expanse wrong nan Uwharrie upland system. Although nan once-coastal upland scope spans conscionable Randolph, Montgomery and Stanly counties, a parkland ranger will guideline hikers on nan 3 Rivers Trail opening astatine 10 a.m. connected New Year’s Day from nan boathouse parking batch successful Albemarle.

North Carolina is afloat of geographical diverseness — from nan mountains to nan seashore and nan assortment of woodlands, soil hills and rolling regions between.

Researchers urge “awe walks,” wherever you return clip to statement nan galore wonders successful nan immense outdoors astir us, “to beforehand prosocial affirmative emotions successful older adults.” They tin besides beryllium an antidote for nan post-holiday blues and letdowns aliases a resolute reset toward healthier routines and habits.

If you’re adjacent nan seashore aliases person clip for a time trip, you mightiness want to return a hike successful nan Croatan National Forest and spot nan tupelo and cypress trees, galore covered pinch Spanish moss. (Make judge you check for alerts and occurrence threat status earlier you go.)

Or effort nan 5.5 mile loop way done nan Brunswick Nature Preserve, described arsenic “truly an biology oasis worthy of exploration.”

If you’re successful nan occidental portion of nan state, it’s wise to cheque earlier mounting retired for immoderate of nan authorities parks. Many person reopened astatine slightest partially since nan remnants of Hurricane Helene wreaked havoc connected nan region, according to the state’s parks and recreation division, but websites will person much details.

Palmer McIntyre and Hollis Oberlies, 2 way lovers from Greensboro, person written Trails and Treats, a book pinch an extensive, curated database of places to hike aliases tally — and moreover get a wound to eat. The book covers nan mountains, nan Triad, Triangle and nan region astir Charlotte.

Overlooks, ornaments and flatlands

Members of nan NC Health News squad had immoderate recommendations for you successful 2024. Here are immoderate of them again.

Rose Hoban, NC Health News founder, editor and quality mom to Marconi, nan team’s four-legged main morale officer, is simply a instrumentality of Occoneechee Mountain State Natural Area successful Orange County adjacent downtown Hillsborough. “My hubby and I caput retired location respective times each year, bringing our canine and often stepping pinch immoderate friends,” Rose said.

“What I emotion astir Occoneechee (other than nan measurement nan sanction rolls disconnected nan tongue) is that it’s sewage a small of everything,” Rose added. “A cool cliff for climbing. A stream to locomotion along. A upland place that, astatine 867 feet, is nan highest constituent successful Orange County. (I ever for illustration a hike that gets you to a spot wherever you tin spot nan horizon.) When you get to nan top, nan position looks north. Slightly to nan eastbound you’ll spot nan steeples and rooftops of Hillsborough peeking done nan trees.”

The upland way is astir 3 miles long, Rose said, “enough to activity up a thirst for that thermos of basking cocoa you stashed successful nan car for nan extremity of your walk.”

If you’ve ever seen squirrels moving around, gathering provisions, you cognize Rose is not nan only 1 stashing things distant astatine nan park. If you want to cognize much astir really and wherever nan squirrels location are stockpiling their haul, this Squirrel It Away event and short hike successful Hillsborough connected Tuesday, Dec. 30, could beryllium illuminating. It starts astatine 11 a.m. astatine nan Occoneechee Mountain State Natural Area picnic spot astatine 625 Virginia Cates Road.

The place astatine Occoneechee Mountain State Natural Area looks northbound towards Hillsborough. The earthy area features complete 3 miles of trails, arsenic good arsenic sportfishing and picnic areas. The park’s way web besides connects to nan paved Hillsborough Riverwalk trail, which extends eastbound on nan Eno River towards downtown Hillsborough. Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Will Atwater, an avid runner who writes astir biology wellness issues and is fleet-footed capable to spell for miles on wooded trails without wiping retired connected hidden character roots and stumps, recommends Eno River State Park. If he’s astir nan Triangle, he likes to deed nan way pinch his moving mate Joe Maxwell.

Will and Joe besides are masters of nan Philosopher’s Way Trail Race, an yearly 10-miler (scheduled again  this spring) astatine Carolina North Forest successful Chapel Hill. Will likes nan main trails done nan wooded area only respective miles from nan main UNC Chapel Hill campus.

Winston-Salem autochthonal Rachel Crumpler, who covers situation and gender health, likes nan Muddy Creek Greenway in her location town. 

“This is simply a serene way wherever you’re bound to transverse paths pinch a canine aliases two!” Rachel said. “It’s particularly awesome because it’s wholly level for group for illustration maine who don’t for illustration a hill.”

Grace Vitaglione, who wrote galore stories astir legislative and aging issues earlier leaving NC Health News this summertime to unrecorded abroad, shared her favourite spot to run: The American Tobacco Trail, a 22-mile rails-to-trails task that goes done Durham, Chatham and Wake counties, has galore trailheads.

Grace suggested starting astatine nan New Hope Church Road Trailhead astatine 2575 New Hope Church Road successful Cary. It’s comparatively flat, according to Grace, and has either granite screenings aliases asphalt arsenic nan surface, depending connected nan section.

Festive prize past year, Grace added: “Passersby dressed up a character connected nan broadside of nan way pinch mini ornaments.” 

Let america cognize if they’re location again this year.

Emily Vespa, a 2024 N.C. State University postgraduate and NC Health News alum pinch a wealthiness of news acquisition arsenic editor of Technician, her assemblage newspaper, suggested Rough Ridge Overlook Trail, a 1.2-mile “out-and-back trail” adjacent Blowing Rock. Her sister hiked it aft Helene, she said. “It’s open!”

Emily, who has written astir nan mental wellness impacts that Helene has had connected assemblage students, had not been connected nan way for respective years and wondered really overmuch nan scenery had changed successful nan aftermath of nan storm.

“This hike is simply a awesome return connected investment; it’s a mean climb pinch unthinkable views,” Emily said past year. “There’s a spot adjacent nan apical pinch a stone that juts retired successful beforehand of nan mountainscape that makes for a really cool photograph too.”

Whether you find your measurement onto 1 of nan team’s recommended trails aliases pathways, person a favourite of your ain aliases want to effort location different to explore, wellness researchers tout galore positives of hikes and outdoor activities.“Benefits whitethorn beryllium immediate, specified arsenic decreased humor pressure, decreased accent levels, enhanced immune strategy functioning, and restored attention, aliases transpire complete time, specified arsenic weight loss, decreased depression, and wide wellness,” according to the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine.

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