Barefoot Trails: Walking Without Shoes in Nature

Do you love to walk around barefoot? If you enjoy the therapeutic effects of walking around outside barefoot, you’ll want to visit the first of many barefoot trails.

You can go naked without feeling naked. All you have to do is take your shoes and socks off and enjoy a wonderful experience while walking around in nature without anything on your feet. Most outdoor areas and parks prohibit being barefoot, but one trail in Arizona is designed for a wonderful experience without your shoes on. This can give you the comfort and feeling you want when you visit.

Where is the trail where you can walk without shoes?

If you’ve ever wanted to take a road trip and cross the country using the historic Route 66, you can also enjoy a trail with the main rule being that you must remove your shoes to walk along it. This trail is located within the Tonto National Forest near Flagstaff, Arizona. Walking barefoot allows you to feel grounded and enjoy the feeling of nature under your feet and toes. This is easily one of the most therapeutic feelings you can get while walking around in nature.

What is the trail called?

As you might expect, this trail is actually called Barefoot Trail and it’s the first official barefoot park in the United States. Visitors can ground themselves by taking off their shoes and walking across the natural features of the area that they can feel under their feet. This means feeling pine needles, stones, wood, mud, and soil beneath your feet. The goal of such a trail is pretty simple: it’s designed to help you reconnect your body to the Earth, which many believe is extremely good for their spirit and soul.

Enhance the experience by unplugging

You may want to take some pictures of this wonderful trail, which is fine and certainly encouraged, but another activity is also encouraged. The people who created this new trails encourage guests to unplug, slow down, and spend some time in nature while experiencing the wonderful feeling that comes up through the soles of their feet. By removing electronic distractions, taking your time, and simply enjoying the moment, you can recenter your mind and feel the calm and healing that comes from removing stress and distractions, even if this only occurs for a few minutes at a time. Visiting this trail is all about becoming at peace while communing with nature.

Create your own experience

The Barefoot Trail is located just west of Flagstaff and features a one-mile trail that meanders through the woods and across the ground. Founder, Leah Williams, created more than 25 areas and activity stations, but not all of them are located on the trail map. This allows you to have a few surprises as you create your own activities during your time on the trail. You’ll find things that you can enjoy, including adventure stations, a hammock garden, a zip line, a labyrinth, and an obstacle course. This means you can rest and relax or take on one or more of the active experiences while enjoying the beauty of this trail.

How do trail guides monitor activity?

After a short orientation and welcome to the trail, in which guides explain the concept of grounding and how to move mindfully through the park, guests give up their shoes and begin their exploration. Groups are staggered every 15 minutes, and each guest has two hours on the trail to explore and experience what it offers.
The trail begins with a sandy centerline, which offers various textures and temperatures depending on the time of day. So far, the Barefoot Trail sees about 1,000 visitors each week, which range from first timers who are curious about the trail, to families with season passes and want to experience the connection that can only be found in nature.

Benefits of walking barefoot

Walking barefoot is extremely good for you and should be how you walk around your home. Even better is to head outside and put your feet in the grass as much as possible to improve your physical and mental health. Barefoot walking strengthens the muscles of the feet and legs and improves balance and posture. Going outside barefoot can decrease stress and improve your mental health.
Walking along barefoot trails can also:

Restore natural walking patterns

Walking barefoot is good for children and adults. It allows children to grow and develop well, allowing them to create better walking patterns. In adults, it can help restore a natural walking pattern, which improves posture and health.

Improves foot mechanics and ankle range of motion

People who walk barefoot regularly tend to have wider feet and fewer foot abnormalities. The larger platform allows feet to work better and improves the range of motion in the ankles, especially when compared to people who wear shoes with angle support regularly.

Reduces stress

Going outside while barefoot can reduce stress through a method called grounding. This is when your body comes in direct contact with the surface of the Earth. Sinking your toes in the dirt, feeling the grass between your toes, or putting your feet in sand can help you feel less stress and improve your overall well-being.
Will you walk around outside barefoot this week? Are you ready to head to the Barefoot Trail and see what it has to offer?