Summer Hiking

This summer your vacation plans may include some hiking, as it is so easy to just go camping, or hiking instead of spending money on flying somewhere and hotel rooms.

Remember to consider yourself like a guest at someone's house, and be respectful towards nature during your visit. There are things to remember while hiking to minimize the damage of your presence. For instance, taking your pet monkey as shown in the picture (or maybe that's a dog), raises your level of ecological impact. Other examples include to remember to stay on the trails. Stepping on flowers and into the fields of flora and fauna is damaging. In case you were wondering, you can actually kill some flowers by stepping on them. Picking at trees, moss and bark is damaging to the trees. And of course it goes without saying that you shouldn't litter. Even throwing rocks or sticks seems harmless enough, but it's really not. You run the risk of disturbing animals, and when they feel threatened they just might come looking for you! More tips on HIKING TIPS

There are little worlds in every group of living things witnessed along your hike. What appears to be some rocks or a fallen branch somewhere is actually home to living creatures and plants. Like the saying goes, take a picture, it'll last longer!

Just like the scale of impact would imply, mountain bikes cause the most damage, hikers cause some damage and then there are the Barefoot Hikers! Yes, people are causing 'virtually no trail erosion' BAREFOOT HIKERS hiking trails in their bare feet. Sounds like good times.

If you don't know where to hike check out www.localhikes.com and get going!