Essential Hiking Safety Tips Hiking is one of the best ways to spend time in nature. Open windows? Do you really want peace and quiet? Beautiful scenery? All OK, go ahead. Hiking is a great way to go outside and enjoy nature, but it also has some serious concerns. risks. Christine Hoyer, a warden and backcountry management director at Great Smoky Mountain National Park, tells SELF, "No matter how experienced someone are or where you're going, unforeseen events can and will happen in a natural setting." Fortunately, there are several things you can do to lessen the likelihood of having an accident while hiking and to prepare yourself to deal with one if one does occur. You may improve your chances of having a great time and staying safe by being well-prepared, as Hoyer puts it. You may be prepared and travel safely by following these professional safety guidelines. Always remember to stick to them before setting out on a hike. Consult a park ranger. The best places to go hiking are found in national or state parks. Rangers staff them, and they're a treasure of knowledge about how to keep safe in that area. It's a good idea to phone the park's office, check the NPS website, or stop even by desk before you go out on your hike. Hoyer recommends contacting the park service in advance to learn about "large and little creatures," hazardous plant and animal life, and improvements made to the ground, such as downed branches or rock falls. The park service can provide you advice on how to conserve the ecosystem and how to be safe in the wilderness. Bring least one friend. EMT Tod Schimelpfenig, a fellow of the Academy of Wild life Medicine and the director of the wilderness medicine curriculum at
Essential Hiking Safety Tips Hiking is one of the best ways to spend time in nature. Open windows? Do you really want peace and quiet? Beautiful scenery? All OK, go ahead. Hiking is a great way to go outside and enjoy nature, but it also has some serious concerns. risks. Christine Hoyer, a wardenRead more