Hiking at Robert H. Treman State Park in Ithaca, NY

Last fall Derek and I spent a long weekend at the Finger Lakes. I had never been there before so when I was planning what our weekend would look like I was mostly putting wineries on the list but then I realized we would be there during peak fall foliage season and I immediately added hiking to our itinerary. Nature is something I've always turned to during difficult times and last year was obviously extremely difficult, so I was looking forward to spending some time on a trail more than ever. We were originally planning to hike at Watkins Glen which is known for an incredible gorge trail but then we heard about how busy it had been this past year which isn't surprising. I had read reports that visitors in state and national parks had increased by 88% compared to the previous year. I guess everyone was looking for refuge in nature. So we had to think about options that would give us a satisfying hike without the crowds and that's when we found out about Robert H. Treman state park after talking to a few Ithaca locals. As you can see, this hike wasn't disappointing at all. 

 

Like I said, I've always turned to the outdoors during difficult times. When I'm home in Philly, I try to plan an afternoon of hiking at Wissahickon Park if I've had a bad week and I regularly go for runs in Fairmount Park along the Schuylkill River to ease anxiety. Being outdoors reduces my stress tenfold, especially when I allow myself to turn my phone on airplane mode and reduce the amount of distractions around me. This past year a lot of my mental health was anchored to my time outdoors. Every trip I took was centered around beautiful, forested areas or national parks and it was always an instant mood booster. Nature has truly brought me more peace this past year than anything else. Where have you found peace during this past year?