Hiking is notably one of the adventurer’s favorite summer pastimes. Hiking, otherwise known as walking in nature-filled outdoors locations, is described by the American Hiking Society as having tons of individual benefits: “Walking is one of the lowest impact sports around. This means that while you derive all the cardiovascular benefits of other aerobic activities, you do so with a minimum of stress, strain and pounding to your body.” According to them, hiking can reduce the risks of hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, obesity, anxiety, osteoporosis and arthritis. With all these added health benefits and the relative ease of the activity, it stands to reason that this venture should be enjoyed by everyone, especially when the weather is nice. Minot residents are in luck when it comes to having the opportunity, lovely summer weather and the close proximity to various nature filled trails to hike. One such beautiful and easily accessible trail is the Woodland Trail located in North Minot.

The Woodland Trail is maintained by the Minot Parks District. Its location is tucked away on HWY 83 Bypass, after crossing the Souris River and before reaching the HWY 52 intersection. Visitors can find the small parking lot, vault toilets and trail sign at the start of the walk. This mostly-tree-covered pathway has multiple ways, forks and options to explore. The cleared hike spirals through trees, grasslands, bridges and river beds. It is a fairly easy hike with no large hills or treacherous landscapes, which makes it ideal for kids and pets alike. The trail, though marked clearly, does have multiple shoot-outs and a maze-like fluidity that lends its hand to confusion of direction if one is not paying attention.

The Woodland Trail is an easy way to get outdoors with the family and engulf in nature; however, it is not the only hiking trail in Minot. There are many parks and trails available for outdoor enjoyment this summer. More info about the hiking trails around town can be found at https://minotparks.com/trail-maps/.