When hiking locations prove to be too crowded to even get into, what do you do? Because of these circumstances, I was reminded of how to truly enjoy nature again. Consider these tips next time you’re in the great outdoors to make the most of these special moments.
The Location
This endeavor was not planned. In fact, we had tried not once, but twice, to visit other locations to hike for the afternoon. But the season is still strong for hiking, especially as this was the first cool day we have had since the start of summer. Everyone is eager to get out and enjoy the nice day anticipating the fall season that’s just around the corner.
That being said, it can be very challenging to find a place to hike, or even just walk. We ended up at the Chickamauga Battlefield. This is where the road led us as we traveled from place to place looking for somewhere that just had available parking.
I’ve always wanted to walk some of the trails in the Chickamauga Battlefield. I’ve visited the park numerous times but have never walked any of the trails. I wouldn’t exactly call it hiking as the terrain is mostly flat and the trails are fairly straight and easy to follow. However they are a bit of a mangled mess with multiple intersections. I highly suggest keeping up with a trail map if you try walking here. (Keep reading for the link to the trail map of this park. The route we took is pictured at the bottom of this post.)
The Time
On this day, I had intended to do a short hike on Lookout Mountain and estimated only taking 3 hours round-trip between hiking and the commute. But as reality kept stealing my allotted window of time in the name of failed plans, I slowly had to come to terms with the fact that this was slowly becoming an all day ordeal instead. Painful as it may be, especially if you have additional plans for your future time, it’s a good exercise to practice letting go of that we can’t control and just going with the flow to see what it brings. Often times we will find that letting nature takeover reaps tenfold the joy we had hoped to attain by our previous plans. Today was no different.
When it was all said and done, we spent over three hours driving around looking for somewhere to hike, eating lunch, and driving home. But the walk itself took just over an hour and at that point I had completely released my plans and allowed nature to take its course. I knew where I wanted to park and the direction I wanted to walk, but I didn’t have a set trail decided. This allowed us to just walk freely until we had almost had enough and then travel back to the car.
Preparation
Even though the plan was never to go to the Chickamauga Battlefield, I still prepared once we arrived. I pulled up a map of the trails on my phone to get a rough idea of the walk we would embark on. Click HERE for the Chickamauga Battlefield Trail Map. Last minute plan changes doesn’t mean you can’t be prepared. For your own safety, you should always be prepared. Be ready to pull up new maps and keep essentials in your car for unexpected weather changes. Always pack plenty of food and water, even if you only intend to be out for an hour or two. You never know what you may encounter so being prepared for the unexpected is key. And as always, keep nature safe by taking everything back with you that you bring out. Leave nature natural.
How to Enjoy Nature
The walk began with mental frustration for me. How was I going to share this experience with you? How could I use it to inspire you? At first I figured I’d just share tips about the trails in the Chickamauga Battlefield and go from there. But I felt a tugging that there was so much more to share than that. But I didn’t know what. Finally, I relaxed and let the trail take me. And as I did, I remembered what it means to truly enjoy nature.
It’s simple, really, but in our day and age it can be difficult to get here. To let go of our mental distractions, put the phone down, and approach the outdoors with a purpose. Yes, there is a purpose that has to be put into it, but this is what opens the door to be able to enjoy nature.
The Purpose
The purpose is to push away any distractions and focus on the moment. In this, you’ll find the details. Details you may have never noticed before. Insects small and tiny crawling and flying around the vegetation. How the sunrays are created by the canopy of trees overhead casting shadows along the trail. When the breeze flows through causing it to rain leaves below. The rustling sounds from a nearby squirrel making it sound like a larger animal than it really is. This is just the beginning.
The Finer Details
Focus closer, drown out the big picture and look at the minute details. You’ll notice even more. The color variations of the mossy floor. The first few red leaves signaling that fall has arrived. Ivy covering every inch of a tree trunk. Black fading into blue in the coloring of a butterfly’s wings. And the fact that nature is imperfectly perfect. As you can see, this butterfly has seen trauma. There’s notches in its wing. Although beautiful, ivy slowly kills trees. And what was once a vibrant yellow flower slowly decays into the earth.
Learning to truly enjoy nature will help you see how we are no different. The world is full of life and decay. Beauty and pain. Observing and experiencing this alike will remind you that you’re not alone and that we need God. Without Him, we would be lost to eternal decay. But because of him we can be found with eternal life.
Immerse Yourself
You never know what might happen when you completely let go and just immerse yourself in nature. You may witness a yellow-jacket stealing the food of a spider (I did and have never seen this before). Or maybe a butterfly will fall in love with you. This butterfly followed me and landed on me multiple times. Immerse yourself so that you can truly enjoy nature and all it has to offer.
In Summary
Learning to enjoy nature can be done by anyone. Have you gotten outside and absorbed these special moments recently? Share your experiences in the comments below.
Below is a map of the trails we took. We parked in the small parking lot next to the visitor’s center, across from the Florida Monument. Then we basically made a big loop (our walk is highlighted in blue).
To learn more about the Chickamauga Battlefield, click HERE. To learn more about the Wilder Tower that’s also in the park, click HERE.
For the video version of this day, click HERE. Until next week, get out and enjoy nature.
