If you're new to hiking, check out this quick guide with tips to help you pick a trail, plan a hike, choose the right clothing, pack necessary gear and travel safely and comfortably in the outdoors.
By Marcus Woolf
Whether you’re looking for a new way to get fit, or seeking ways to reduce stress, find inspiration or share quality time with your family, a walk in the woods could be the perfect solution.
While day hikes burn hundreds of calories per hour, they also decrease tension and boost your mood, according to a study published in Environmental Science & Technology. In 2012, researchers even found that hikers enjoy a 50-percent increase in their creativity and ability to solve problems.
For families, a day hike provides an opportunity to share an adventure and build relationships. Plus, hiking offers kids a healthier alternative to sitting in front of electronic screens for hours.
Whether you’re hitting the trail for exercise or taking the family on a fun outing, 2 you should do some homework to prep for your first day hike. To get you started, we’ve provided pointers to help you plan your trip, pack the right gear, dress for the outdoors and stay comfortable on the trail.
Where to Go
The Huntsville metro area offers a great variety of hiking areas, including Monte Sano State Park, several nature preserves, and more than a dozen greenways. Whether you’re new to hiking or an expert, you’ll find hikes that suit you. In Monte Sano State Park, you can stroll on level trails that traverse a mountain plateau and provide lofty views of a wide ravine. For a greater challenge, descend a steep and rocky path to reach the base of McKay Hollow and explore streams in secluded woods.
Several Land Trust of North Alabama preserves also offer diverse trails. For the perfect kid-friendly hike, walk the Wildflower Trail in the Monte Sano Preserve. This path skirts the shallow waters of Fagan Creek, where kids can play in shallow pools. For a rugged trek, head to the Land Trust Green Mountain Preserve, where several trails explore Alum Hollow and wind among waterfalls and rushing streams.
If you prefer a paved path, enjoy a quiet walk on one of the many greenways in Huntsville and Madison. These trails pass through forested corridors and provide the perfect place to get some exercise while surrounded by nature. No matter what kind of trail you prefer, you’ll find plenty of options in the Huntsville metro area.
Choosing a Trail
Once you’ve picked a place for a day hike, you need to choose a particular trail or route. Many places have short trails that you can walk in less than an hour and longer paths that will take you a few hours or most of a day. In addition, you’ll probably find that different trails explore a variety of terrain, from flat ground to rolling hills to steep slopes. When you first start day hiking, go for something on the shorter side that covers easy ground.
Keep in mind the types of people who will be hiking and what they can handle physically. If the hike will include kids, folks who are out of shape, or people with physical limitations, avoid strenuous trails with steep ups and downs. Some parks and other natural areas have maps that indicate the difficulty levels of specific routes, but you can also consult online guides and guidebooks, or get advice from a park ranger or other official.
If you have a topographic map of the area you’re hiking, examine the changes in elevation to see the difficulty of the trail. (Just look online for map-reading tutorials.) To avoid getting lost, you should always carry a map, and it’s wise to develop map-reading skills.
Be conservative when estimating what people can handle or how far they can hike. First-time hikers often try to tackle more than they can handle, and they often don’t have a good idea of their pace. People will generally do about 2 miles per hour, but your pace will slow considerably on trails with lots of climbing and descending.
Staying Safe and Comfortable
Share your itinerary
If you’re going on a long day hike or hiking alone, tell a friend or family member which park or natural area you’re going to, which hiking route you plan to take, and how long you plan to be outdoors. Should something happen, this will allow people to locate you more quickly.
Dress in layers
The key to staying comfortable outdoors is avoiding getting too hot or cold. If you carry multiple layers, you can add or remove garments during your hike to adjust for changes in weather or your body temperature. Remember that you’re going to warm up quickly as you start hiking, so it’s OK to start out being a bit cool. If you hit the trail wearing all your layers, you might get hot quickly.
Hydrate
One of the most important things you can do to stay comfortable and healthy is to drink water. Plan to carry all the water you will need for the day—typically 1 to 2 quarts, depending on the weather. (You might need more for hot, humid conditions.) Don’t count on getting water from streams unless you confirm that they’re flowing, and always filter or treat water taken from a natural source.
Hiking with kids
If you’re going to hike with kids, get youngsters involved in the planning to build excitement. Also, allow them to carry their own gear, such as a small backpack. When it’s time to head out, let them load their pack with something lightweight, such as a snack. Remember that kids will expend a lot of energy on the trail and love to eat, so pack lots of snacks.
When you hike with young kids, plan to go a relatively short distance. It’s easy for kids to get worn out and bored, especially if a trail doesn’t include some fascinating feature, like a big waterfall.
If possible, choose a trail that does allow you to have the goal of reaching something impressive, whether it’s a waterfall, cave or other cool feature. If that’s not possible, make a list of things for the kids to find and do a scavenger during the hike. Or, you could do some geocaching, a hi-tech treasure hunt where you use a GPS or smartphone to locate a hidden object or container, known as a cache.
Because kids are unpredictable, you should be flexible when hiking with them. If kids don’t want to continue, you’re better off cutting the trip short rather than forcing them to be miserable and reach some planned goal or destination.
Don't Leave Valuables in Your Vehicle
In Huntsville, people rarely break into cars at trailheads, but it does happen. So, before you hit the trail, make sure you've removed all valuable items from your vehicle. Also, double-check to ensure you've locked the doors.
Essential Gear and Clothing
You don’t have to invest a ton of money to do day hikes, but you should be aware of certain items that significantly increase your comfort and safety on the trail.
Essential Gear
If you’re going to hike for a short time on a well-marked, well-used path where it’s almost impossible to get lost, you don’t have to carry all of the items below. For long treks, or hikes in wilder areas, consider carrying the following important items:
Hydration: Hydration reservoir (such as a CamelBak system) or water bottles
First-aid kit: Buy a pre-assembled kit, or build your own, and include special medications for individuals, such as prescription medicine.
Map and compass or GPS: You can navigate using a GPS or a phone app, but electronics can fail, and batteries can die. So, it’s always good to have a backup paper map and a non-digital compass. (Browse Youtube for map and compass tutorials.)
Headlamp: A headlamp is better than a standard flashlight because it allows you to use both hands while performing tasks in the dark.
Toilet kit and trowel: You can use a gallon plastic bag to hold your toilet supplies. Include in the kit toilet paper (sealed in its own plastic bag), baby wipes, hand sanitizer and a small sealable plastic bag to hold used toilet paper. (Always pack out used toilet paper, rather than burying it.) If you’re unsure how to use the bathroom outdoors, visit the Leave No Trace website for instructions.
Firestarter: In an emergency, a firestarter kit will allow you to create a fire to help stay warm, cook food or purify water.
Stove & fuel: (This is only for extended hikes in cool or cold weather. With a stove, you can quickly make hot drinks to raise a person’s core temperature and prevent hypothermia.)
Knife: Great for repairing gear, creating tinder for a fire, and prepping meals
Whistle: If you need to signal people for help, the sound of a whistle will be louder and carry much farther than your voice. Some daypacks have a sternum strap with a built-in whistle.
**Sunscreen: Carry this if you plan to hike on trails exposed to the sun for an extended period. (Many greenway paths get lots of sun.) When you first apply sunscreen, do it when your skin is cool and dry. After a couple of hours of hiking, apply another layer.
**Bug repellent: This might be a good option if you hike in summer when mosquitoes tend to be bad in Alabama. You can also wear long pants to protect your legs and ankles.
Clothing
If you go for a short walk in warm weather, you can wear pretty much anything, including cotton tops and bottoms, provided that you have appropriate footwear (see below). But, if you take a longer hike in fall, winter or early spring in a humid place like Alabama, you’ll be safer and more comfortable if you avoid wearing cotton-only clothes, whether it’s underwear or a T-shirt. When cotton gets wet, it holds moisture and takes a long time to dry. If you hike in cool or cold weather, and your cotton clothes get damp from sweat, they will rob you of body heat. If you get injured or lost on the trail and spend hours in the woods, wet clothes could cause you to develop hypothermia.
Be aware that outdoor clothing manufacturers are making more items that blend cotton with synthetic materials or wool, and many of these items will dry quickly and function well outdoors.
Your hiking outfit
As mentioned above, dress in layers. Below is a list of clothing you could wear during a day hike. Ideally, each item should be made of synthetic fabric, wool, a wool/synthetic blend, or a synthetic/cotton blend.
Boxers or briefs
Bra
Shorts or pants (Long pants will help protect you from tics in the spring and also protect you from poison ivy, which sometimes lines the trails.)
T-shirt
Long-sleeve shirt
Socks
Hat
Choosing the right shoes
You don’t have to buy expensive hiking shoes, but wear something that provides good traction and stability on uneven ground with rocks and roots. If your ankles get injured easily, consider boots that rise above your ankles.
If you hike during a rainy period, or your route will take you across streams, wear shoes that you don’t mind getting wet and muddy. In the South, you don’t need waterproof shoes or boots if you’re hiking in warm weather. While waterproof systems like Gore-Tex keep out water, they don’t work well in high humidity, and the waterproof material traps hot air and moisture in your footwear.
If you purchase new hiking shoes made of thick leather or other stiff material, break them in gradually rather than wearing them for the first time on a long hike. This will help prevent blisters. Also, avoid wearing cotton socks, because they will hold moisture and cause blisters.
Extras clothing to carry in your pack
Waterproof jacket
Fleece jacket or warm sweater made of wool or synthetic natural
Wool or synthetic (fleece) warm hat
Gloves
Trail Etiquette
With more and more people getting out and enjoying our trails, it's more important than ever to treat the environment and fellow hikers with proper care and respect. When you hike, be considerate of those who will follow you. They deserve the same high-quality experience you are seeking. To minimize your impact on the environment, follow these guidelines created by Leave No Trace, a nonprofit organization that educates people about these issues:
• Plan ahead and prepare. Know the regulations and special concerns for the area you’ll visit. Schedule your trip to avoid high times of use, and visit in small groups when possible.
• Dispose of waste properly. If you pack it in, pack it out. This means carrying out all trash, leftover food and litter. Deposit solid human waste in catholes dug six to eight inches deep, at least 200 feet from water and trails. Cover and disguise the cathole when finished. Pack out toilet paper and other hygiene products.
• Leave what you find. Examine but do not touch cultural or historic artifacts. Leave rocks, plants and other natural objects as you find them.
• Respect wildlife. Observe wildlife from a distance, and do not follow or approach any animals. Never feed wildlife—feeding damages their health, alters natural behaviors, and exposes them to predators and other dangers. Protect wildlife and your food by storing rations and trash securely.
• Respect other visitors and protect the quality of their experience. Be courteous and yield to others on the trail. Take breaks away from trails and other hikers.
• In almost all hiking areas, pets are required to be on a leash. Be sure to follow all rules regarding pets, and pack out any poop.
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