I have a cool free app on my phone called Oh, Ranger! Park Finder (itunes store / website). It allows you to search for national, state, and local parks in an area and filter your search based on the activities that you want the parks to have (bicycling, hiking, camping, climbing, tennis, etc.).
I used the app to find a park near my office today. Northeast Park in Kentwood, MI is less than 10 minutes away. It is not much to look at when you arrive in the parking lot. There is a play ground and a baseball diamond with a paved bike/walking path. But if you start walking that path, you quickly discover off-shoot loops of boardwalk, dirt paths, and more natural areas that explore this marshy city land.
I don't think many people walk through here. I didn't see another human during my lunch hour stroll, and the wildlife was fully moved in until I started clomping down the boardwalks. I spotted wild turkeys and froze for a few minutes letting a deer try to figure out what I was.
I was able to explore the surprising length of trails in under an hour and walked about 2 miles total.
I love learning about little gems of nature like this to escape to. I feel most like I'm doing what I was made for when I'm on a trail in the woods. I don't know exactly why, but I love it.
I will certainly be using Oh, Ranger! to explore more parks in my own town and when I travel. So much fun!
No comments:
Post a Comment