When President Clinton designated a Great Outdoors Week in 1998, it didn’t take too long before its popularity burst through the confines of a mere seven days into a full month. Last June, almost 900,000 people participated in Great Outdoors Month™ events at more than 15,000 sites across the country.
In honor of Great Outdoors Month, your friends at LandCentral will be sending out emails throughout June, featuring properties that are great for camping, fishing or are near to national parks.
- Explore a new trail – American Trails has a terrific database of hiking trails, searchable by state. From flat to challenging, everyone can find a trail that suits there need for wanderlust. Some trails offer amazing vistas, bird watching and historical landmarks. Other trails satisfy a need for speed for mountain bikers. There’s something for every kind of hiker.
- Find nature in your town – The National Wildlife Federation can guide you to parks, trails, sanctuaries and outdoors spaces right in your neighborhood. Just type in your zip code, or the area you want to explore, and a map pops open with addresses, phone numbers and a wealth of useful information.
- Go camping – Whether it’s off in the wilderness or in your own backyard, there’s nothing like the experience of sleeping under the stars. Thankfully, June generally offers an escape from the rain, but camping is all about being prepared. That’s part of the fun. Here is a list of some camping essentials, and Go Camping America has a database of campgrounds that can be searched by needed amenities, such as cell service.
- Go fishing – How serendipitous that National Fishing and Boating Week (June 6–14) kicks off Great Outdoors Week. Boating is ranked one of the top-three, stress-relieving activities. During National Fishing and Boating Week, most states offer free fishing days. These are days where anglers are allowed to fish on public bodies of water without a fishing license. It also has a searchable database of where you can get out on the water to cast a line.
Of course others will prefer a more blood-pumping water activity, such as waterskiing, wake boarding or parasailing — although it’s probably best to stay clear of anglers when you’re doing it.
Again, it doesn’t matter what you do, be it a picnic with your kids, sunning on a beach, touring a garden or hiking a glorious trail … the important thing is to get out there, get some fresh air, and live as nature intended.
LandCentral also has many properties great for each of these activities; own you’re own piece of the great outdoors: