I love to hike and trail run. It is my happy place to connect with nature and have some “me” time. I recently moved to a new city and have been really enjoying all the local parks and nature trails they offer. While they aren’t miles long, I’m glad I’ve given them a chance because they are hidden gems in my neighborhood.

Last weekend we decided to go to Malone Park, a nearby park with a nice playground my son loves to go to. I hadn’t gotten my usual walk in for the day, and decided to google and see if there were any walking trails nearby. To my luck, I found that there were supposed to be hiking trails at the park. I had never noticed the trail before, so I decided it was time to check it out.

I left my husband and son at the playground and ventured to find the trail. It was a nice short wooded trail, with a little creek that ran alongside it. I was pleasantly surprised how secluded it felt, despite being tucked in between baseball fields, a parking lot, and the local recycling center. The walk took me about 15 minutes and then I was back to the park to play with my kiddo.

Next time you want to get out and enjoy nature, but don’t want to travel far, look into your local parks. You never know what hidden gem you may discover.