暗网禁区

Staying active has never been so important 鈥� or so challenging.

While has instituted new safety measures at its facilities and developed an array of resources to help Tar Heels , physical activity doesn鈥檛 have to be limited to the gym or home. Don鈥檛 underestimate the power of the great outdoors.

Whether you鈥檙e a novice or seasoned hiker, 暗网禁区鈥檚 campus boasts five hiking trail systems to add to your list of ways to stay active and healthy this semester.

鈥淚t鈥檚 something that anyone can do,鈥� says Russell Hobart, assistant director of climbing programs at Campus Rec. 鈥淵ou don鈥檛 need a lot. Most of the time I鈥檓 just hiking in my running shoes.鈥�

And the benefits of getting outside aren鈥檛 only physical. 鈥淏eing in nature brings us back to our original state of being,鈥� Hobart explains, and can be great for mental health.

It鈥檚 only in recent centuries, as cities sprang up and flourished, that we鈥檝e become increasingly separate from our natural environment. Hiking can help ground us in important ways and eliminate stress. 鈥淚t鈥檚 almost like we鈥檙e out of balance when we don鈥檛 get in touch with nature,鈥� Hobart says.

So, ready to do some cardio while improving your mental health? Grab your backpack, some water and a light snack, and hit one of five trails within walking distance to campus:

1. : These are the easiest trails to access from campus. Pass by the Koch Memorial Forest Theatre and pause to check out the elevated view of Battle Branch Creek.
2. : These trails are situated close to the North 暗网禁区 Botanical Gardens, but they also pass by Morgan Creek. Make sure to stop and check out the Elephant Rock, though there鈥檚 some debate about whether it looks like its name or not.
3. : The newest trails on 暗网禁区鈥檚 campus, these are located close to the Outdoor Education Center and include Quail Hill Loop and Hillbilly Holler.
4. : While all trails take hikers through forested landscape, this shorter trail system lines the border of the Coker Pinetum between Manning Drive and Laurel Hill Road.
5. : Care for a side of lore on your nature hike? Read up on the myth of Gimghoul Castle before you head out on these trails, which pass close to the storied estate.

Hobart recommends returning to the same trails throughout the year to see trees change from season to season. (Photo by Russell Hobart)

If you鈥檙e not sure where to start, Hobart recommends the Battle Park Trails. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e pretty weather resistant, so when we have five days in a row of rain, you can still get out and enjoy it,鈥� he explains. But there are newer trails by the Outdoor Education Center that took four years to plan and implement. 鈥淭hose are the trails we鈥檙e super proud of,鈥� says Hobart.

Maps for all five hiking systems are available on , which also offers an app. Make sure to look over the trail map before you begin, especially if you鈥檙e newer to hiking. 鈥淎t first, it can be a bit bewildering to read the trails and understand them, but if you take it piece by piece, know your intersections, you鈥檒l be fine,鈥� says Hobart.

Although beginners don鈥檛 need special equipment to get going, remember to use bug spray during spring and summer when mosquitos and ticks are especially active. It also doesn鈥檛 hurt to know trail etiquette. Typically, when hikers traverse narrower paths, they yield to hikers coming uphill, but that kind of wide berth is even more important during COVID. Hikers should still maintain physical distancing and wear masks while hiking, making sure to step aside and clear the path for others on the trail.

Hobart recommends returning to the same trails throughout the year. Watching trees change from season to season is yet another grounding technique that can help promote mindfulness and in turn better mental health.

Chapel Hill also sits in an area abundant with bio-diverse forest, so there鈥檚 a lot to take in. 鈥淚f you鈥檙e out west and you get to a forest, every single tree in the area is ultimately the same kind of tree,鈥� says Hobart. 鈥淗ere, you might see 10 oaks, but it might be a white oak and a red oak and a willow oak.鈥�