Ideas for National Get Outdoors Day:
Saturday, June 10th

With contributions from community members across the Upper Valley

In honor of this Saturday’s National Get Outdoors Day (6/10), an annual highlight of June’s Great Outdoors Month, we’re uplifting some fun ways to recreate throughout the Upper Valley. These suggestions were thoughtfully submitted from your Upper Valley friends and neighbors. Feel free to leave a comment on this post to share your favorite way to Get Outdoors in the Upper Valley- we’d love to hear from you!

A view of Mt. Moosilauke

“One of my favorite places to be outside is Green Woodlands in the winter, for its unique combination of wilderness, groomed trails and the opportunity to build community with like-minded skiers (and with views like this one of Mt Moosilauke!)” – Jay

Peak experiences

“Whether it’s all the trails up and over Lyme’s Pinnacle or mountains in the Cascades of Washington, my favorite peak experiences are when I can find views of other mountains.” – Sarah

Post Pond

“Swimming in, kayaking on or reading by Post Pond.” – Liz

Lucca

“I love exploring Grant Brook in the winter with my dog Lucca.” – Kati

Summer carpentry

“In the fall and winter I hike almost every day, but in the spring and summer I spend most of my time working on projects around our property. Mainly outside painting and carpentry. ” – Tim

Summer projects

The Garden in Bloom

“This is my favorite time of year to be outside, looking around to see what has come back in the gardens (and what hasn’t!) The resilience of plants and their will to live never ceases to thrill and amaze me. Now I’ve gotta get back to mulching…”

– Kim

It’s paradise

“I enjoy the numerous hiking spots in the Upper Valley with my pup, family and friends. There are beautiful views, streams, floral and fauna – it’s paradise.” – Kathy

Volunteering at a World Cup race

Hiking with friends

“I walk 3 miles every day in spring, summer, and fall. During the winter I ski three or four days a week. I also do some hiking and biking with the Granite Grannies and Meet Up groups.”

– Fran

“Kathy and I love living around here due to the outdoor opportunities.  These include biking, gardening and simply taking a walk.” – John

“Big surprise, my favorite outdoor activity in the Upper Valley is bird watching. It takes me out of my daily routine and puts me in the world of birds, a place of which we are both a part but in different ways. They live it, and I truly am an observer as I watch them forage, raise their young, interact with their own kind or other species. It creates in me a sense of wonder that supersedes, if only for a few moments, the cares and worries of my day.” – Blake

“It is said that “Nature itself is the best physician.” I agree. A walk in the woods invites you to be who you are, to know your way of being – especially if you’re barefoot, because it invites a more immediate and intimate connection between the earth and your mind (i.e your nervous system). In fact, the sensory nerve fibers in your feet set a precedent for the rest of your anatomy. As the equestrian saying goes, “no hoof, no horse” – this is true for humans too.” -Jackson

“The Pinnacle.  So many ways to hike up, around, and down.” –Jennifer

“In all seasons, I really enjoy walking “in the wilds” and taking photographs of the wonders I discover. But spring is my favorite season for this; to witness the softening earth, the loosening waters and the world coming alive is sublime!” -Stephanie

Exercise with your furry friend(s)

Riding the roads, trails and fields in Lyme

I love being outside with my animals. Whether it’s riding my horse on the roads and trails around Acorn Hill or walking my dogs, being outside with my furry friends brings me joy. – Shelby

The Wild Mountain Mamas urged us to “Go for a Hike” in May. Read Nancy Copeland’s Wellness Wednesday post about hiking with friends on the beautiful Welch-Dickey trail, with two peaks and great views for a big stretch of the walk.

Thanks to Rob Gurwitt from Daybreak for allowing us to share the “Hiking Close to Home Archives”, a collection of hikes all across the Upper Valley for you to explore and enjoy! Click here to check it out! To subscribe to Daybreak click here.

A huge thank you to Russell Hirschler, Executive Director of the Upper Valley Trails Alliance, for letting us share the most comprehensive FREE list of trails for VT and NH.  Click here for your next adventure!

A bit beyond the Upper Valley-

One way you can enjoy the day is by taking advantage of a Fee Free day at the USDA Forest Service‘s White Mountain National Forest (NH) and Green Mountain and Finger Lakes National Forests (VT). Actually, there are two days throughout June that are Fee Free: National Get Outdoors Day and Juneteenth. Learn more at the USDA Forest Service’s website here.

If you have a wellness themed topic you would like to share or learn more about, and/or blog/vlog about as an expert in a health/wellness related field, please reach out to shelby@cclyme.org. 

Shelby Wood
Manager of Volunteer Participation
CommunityCare of Lyme
Shelby@cclyme.org
802-468-7776