АНУ-ын Аризона муж улсын Флагстафф хотын ойролцоох Barefoot Trail нь хөл нүцгэн алхаж, байгальтай холбогдох боломжийг олгодог өвөрмөц аяллын маршрут юм.
Гранд Каньоны халуун цаг агаарт 40 миль явган аялал хийсний дараа хөлөө амраахыг хүссэн аялагчдад зориулсан энэхүү нэг милийн урттай зам нь АНУ-ын анхны “газардуулга” буюу байгальтай шууд харьцах зориулалттай маршрут гэдгээрээ онцлогтой. Паркийн менежер Бетзи Спирогийн тайлбарласнаар, энэ нь өдөр тутмын стрессээс ангижирч, байгалийн мэдрэмжийг авах, бясалгал хийх, хөлний рефлексологийн дасгал хийхэд тохиромжтой орчин юм. Зам дагуу хүүхдүүдэд зориулсан тоглоомын талбай, сонирхолтой биетүүд байрлах бөгөөд ногоон байгууламж, шаварлаг хэсгүүд нь алжаал тайлахад тусалдаг.
Тус зам нь 7,200 фут өндөрт байрладаг тул цаг агаарын гэнэтийн өөрчлөлтөд бэлтгэлтэй байх шаардлагатай. Аялагчид урьдчилан захиалга өгөхдөө 3-17 насны хүүхдүүдэд 12 ам.доллар, насанд хүрэгчдэд 14 ам.доллар төлөх ба газар дээр нь ирж тасалбар худалдан авбал 15 ам.доллар болно. 10 ба түүнээс дээш хүнтэй бүлэг хямдрал эдлэх боломжтой.
Парк нь тавдугаар сараас аравдугаар сар хүртэл ажилладаг бөгөөд өглөө эрт ирэхийг зөвлөж байна. Аялагчид байгалийн чулуу, нарсны боргоцой зэргээс болгоомжлох хэрэгтэй бөгөөд шаардлагатай үед өмсөх нимгэн шаахай авч явах нь зүйтэй. Ойролцоох Village Camp Flagstaff нь аялагчдад зориулсан амралт, кемпинг, усан сан зэрэг тохилог үйлчилгээнүүдийг санал болгодог.
Дэлгэрэнгүйг эх сурвалжаас харах
↓Эх сурвалжийг нээх ↓
After a grueling 40 miles of trekking through the Grand Canyon during a heatwave in June, my feet were absolutely battered. It’s a trail as old as hikers’ time—no matter how weathered, callused our feet become, our tried-and-true boots inevitably find a new, fresh patch of skin to blister. Four days spent exploring in, out, and all around Havasu Falls left our group with more than a dozen blisters across the three of us.
So, when we were expected to take a stroll through the Barefoot Trail near Flagstaff, Arizona, we were initially less than enthused. To our surprise—and relief—the cool, pinecone-laden forest floor was exactly what our tootsies needed.
Its founders tout the Barefoot Trail as the first grounding trail in the United States. Grounding, or “earthing,” is considered by some to be a therapeutic practice that involves directly touching bare feet with the ground. Previous research has indicated that grounding could benefit inflammation an autoimmune diseases, and could even help you sleep better.
The plot is simple: Take your shoes off, dip your toes in the mud, and allow your feet to surrender to the sensations of the surrounding ponderosa pine forest. The one-mile manicured trail is littered with muddy foot baths, rainbow ribbon tunnels, child-sized ziplines, and a handful of gnomes that, if you count them correctly, will gift you a secret prize at the end of your journey.
Okay, this is undeniably a venture for young children and school groups—but you’re only as old as you feel, right?
The Barefoot Trail Foundation, which maintains the trail, is a nonprofit dedicated to getting families outdoors for exercise and to ground themselves on the manicured trails.
“We’re starting a barefoot revolution,” park manager Betzy Spiro told me. “We have a bunch of adventure stations, reflexology segments; it’s just a way to connect with Mother Nature and disconnect with all the chaos in the world.”
For those like me whose feet couldn’t bear the thought of donning confining shoes for another outdoor excursion, the Barefoot Trail was a welcome relief. Walking through the cool waters and smelling the fresh Arizona air during a rainstorm was exactly what my friends and I needed—a way to wind down, relax, and be present with one another in a low-energy, low-stakes environment.
The crew cleans the trail every morning, but be mindful that you may encounter rocks or poky pinecones along the trail. Walking barefoot, with all its potential aches and pains, requires attention and awareness to the environment around you—and that’s kind of the whole point of the Barefoot Trail.
In addition to sensory stimulation, the Barefoot Trail also has monthly live music and food trucks.
Barefoot Trail Travel Tips
The park is located at an elevation of 7,200 feet, so come prepared for a variety of weather conditions. It started as a bluebird day when we arrived, but a thunderstorm quickly rolled through the area.
Book your walk in advance. Online-reserved tickets are $12 for children ages three to 17 and $14 for adults. Same-day walkup tickets are $15 per person. Groups of ten or more can call ahead for a discount of $10 per person.
The park is open May through October. Go in the early morning before the sun has heated exposed parts of the trail. Bring a backpack for water and snacks, and consider bringing a pair of sandals for the more tactical parts of the park.
We stayed at Village Camp Flagstaff, an outdoor resort offering luxury RV sites and rental cabins. The camp is located about a mile down the road from the Barefoot Trail and offers family-friendly amenities such as cornhole, a swimming pool, playgrounds, and pickleball courts.
The post My Feet Were Destroyed After 40 Miles in the Grand Canyon. This Barefoot Trail Saved Them. appeared first on Outside Online.
