Take A Hike Day: Why Access to the Outdoors Matters More Than Ever

Each year, Take A Hike Day invites us to pause, step outside, and reconnect with something both profoundly simple and deeply essential: the outdoors. Beyond the fresh air and scenic views, time spent outside is one of the most accessible tools we have for improving our physical health, mental well-being, and connection to our communities. But that access doesn’t happen by accident. It takes vision, collaboration, and thoughtful planning to ensure that parks, greenways, and natural places remain open, equitable, and enriching for everyone.

That’s where work like Comprehensive Recreation, Park, and Open Space (CRPOS) planning becomes critical—and where evolveEA continues to play a meaningful role.

Why Outdoor Access Matters

Research consistently shows that exposure to nature reduces stress, boosts creativity, increases physical activity, and strengthens our sense of belonging. Whether it’s a wooded trail, a community park, or a small neighborhood green, these spaces offer daily touchpoints with the natural world. For many people—especially those in dense urban contexts—these touchpoints are vital lifelines.

Outdoor access also acts as a community equalizer. Well-planned outdoor networks ensure that all residents, regardless of neighborhood or socioeconomic status, can safely and enjoyably reach green space. And when parks and trails are connected into broader systems, they do more than support recreation—they strengthen mobility, resilience, and identity.

In short: hiking isn’t just a recreational activity; it’s a reminder of how essential our natural and shared places are to public life.

Park Typologies, excerpted from Our Parks Lancaster CPRO plan

How Planning Shapes the Places We Love

Communities don’t become walkable, connected, or green by chance. Intentional planning helps municipalities understand what they have, envision what they need, and prioritize investments that improve quality of life.

Across Harrisburg, Bucks County, Williamsport, Allegheny County, and Lancaster, evolveEA’s work has helped communities:

• Expand trail networks that connect people not only to nature but to schools, jobs, and everyday destinations

• Strengthen park systems through better programming, accessibility, maintenance strategies, and long-term stewardship

• Protect natural assets such as waterways, habitats, and open space that contribute to ecological resilience

• Engage communities directly, ensuring that the places being planned reflect local needs, cultural identity, and generational aspirations

• Plan for future growth in ways that preserve outdoor access while supporting economic and social vitality

This work is not just technical—it’s human. It helps municipalities understand what their residents value most: safety, beauty, connection, health, and a sense of place.

Girty’s Woods greenway sign, by evolveEA

A Future Where Everyone Can “Take a Hike”

As outdoor recreation continues to grow in popularity and importance, the need for thoughtful, equitable open space planning is more urgent than ever. Climate pressures, development patterns, demographic shifts, and shifting mobility needs all demand a proactive and holistic approach.

evolveEA’s CRPOS planning efforts demonstrate how multidisciplinary thinking—grounded in sustainability, engagement, and design excellence—can set communities up for decades of benefit. When done well, these plans become roadmaps to healthier lives and stronger, more connected communities.

So on this Take A Hike Day, celebrate the walk, the trail, and the open sky. But also recognize the work behind the experience—the planners, community members, advocates, and civic leaders who ensure that outdoor access remains part of our shared future.

And then? Lace up and head outside. The trail is waiting.