Upstate New York Outdoors: Staying Active and Feeding the Soul in the COVID-19 Era

John Swan

This is not an article I ever thought I would write, but the fact is that we are living in a time that most of us never envisioned.

Maybe you are sick, maybe not.

Maybe you have lost your job with no notice or maybe you're staying home.

Maybe you have loved ones you are worried about or maybe you are worried about yourself.

Maybe you find finding yourself at home being a teacher to your children.

Maybe your duties have been deemed essential or maybe your just working from home.

Maybe your are dealing with all of the things above.

Normally when we get stressed we have something that we do to relax and get away.

Some of us go out with friends, others spend time in gyms or spas, or any number of options. Unfortunately, if you are like me and living in New York State, many of these choices are not available due to the protections in place to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.

The upside is you do not have to stay indoors and wait to be taken over by cabin fever. You can practice safe measures and get outside for exercise and to get some fresh air.

For me, I love being outdoors. Normally at this time of the year, I would be preparing for the upcoming rafting season, ready to spend hours with our guests and sharing the beautiful sights of Letchworth State Park or the Salmon River in Pulaski, NY.

Unfortunately, this year, these plans are on hold, so I don't have my go-to activity to wind down from a long week. If you have read my previous posts, you know that I have been doing a lot of hiking over the last few months. So today, after spending the last week plus at home with my family, I decided to take a day for myself. I made a plan to do several hikes, some at old favorites and a few at new parks and trails.

Lockport Nature Trail - Waterfall

I started my day hiking my favortie, the Lockport Nature Trail and then proceeded to Royalton Ravine.

Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge - Mohawk Pool

My next stop was the Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge and then to a new trail (one that I think I will be visiting frequently in the future), the Genesee County Park and Forest in Bethany, NY. If you are not familiar with the park, it is located next to the Rolling Hills Asylum (a story for another day).

The main roads into the park were closed to automobile traffic today, so I walked in from the main parking area and found a fitting trail to hike.

Death Row Hiking Trail - Genesee County Park and Forest

Despite the name, the trail was relatively easy and was a fun break from this week. After completing the trail, I returned to my car and onto my next trail for the day, Golden Hill State Park. The trails were muddy and the wind and waves were crashing into the shores of Lake Ontario.

Thirty Mile Point Lighthouse Cottage - Golden Hill State Park

The lighthouse and the views are amazing. Five trails down, and I had intended to stop here, but I still feel good and it is spring, so the days are getting longer.

Bond Lake

Bond Lake County Park is the next stop. I wandered the trails for a little more than an hour, but there is much more to explore. I had planned to come here over the winter to snowshoe, but the snow was never quite deep enough. I will be back though.

River's Edge Trail - Artpark State Park

One last stop for the day. Artpark State Park isn't far from Bond Lake so I chose to end my day here exploring the Rivers Edge trail and the Ridge trail.

At the end of the day, I completed a total of 8 trails in just over 8 hours of hiking. I'm exhausted, but I feel so much better than I did at the start of the day.

Being outside, engaging my senses and feeding my spirit.

If you can safely venture out I encourage you to take advantage of the trails spread out all across New York State. For me being outside always grounds and re-energizes me.

However, if for any reason you are unable to venture out, I'd love to share some of my experiences with you. Check out the videos below for some of the things that impacted me the most on my adventures today.

I hope you enjoy them as well.

30 Seconds of Meditation - Lockport Nature Trail - Waterfall