Hiking with Michelle Rakotomalala and Hannah Hartman

When city life gets to be a bit too much, it often means a good hike in Mother Nature is called for. Sometimes, the best adventures are ones that don’t cost money. With fresh air, beautiful scenery, and a mind that gets clearer with every step, it’s easy to see why so many people enjoy this pastime.   

Abigail Wise over at Huffington Post posted this great article talking about the health benefits of hiking. Did you know that 1 hour of hiking can burn 500 calories? In all honesty, for all the gym-phobes out there like me, an excuse to get my exercise in outside of the gym is a bonus!

On top of that, Wise says that “tramping through the trails on a regular basis decreases blood pressure and cholesterol. Logging cardio in the form of hiking can lower blood pressure by four to 10 points, and reduce the danger of heart disease, diabetes and strokes for those at high-risk.”

Cathy at GoodHiker suggests that “getting active for just 150 minutes a week – doing “moderate-intensity” aerobic exercise such as moderate hiking or brisk walking” is enough to reap most of the benefits from a good hike. So plan a hike out at the hills near your home; bring your kids, a friend, or your pet and bring along a healthy meal to much on at the end of your hike for a great morning or afternoon adventure.

Below, you’ll find links for some recommended hikes near major cities!

Los Angeles

New York City

San Francisco

Houston

Chicago

Orlando

Bustle has a fantastic listicle about snacks you can take on your next hike. I’m eyeing those frozen grapes and no bake peanut butter cookies.

Also, a big thank you to Michelle Rakotomalala over at Sweet.Rakoteet for these incredible photos with her model Hannah Hartman. They shot these over at Fort Harrison State Park in Indianapolis, aren’t they incredible? Hannah is wearing our Happy Camper tee in heather grey and Stamps tee in charcoal