BELLMONT, AZ (AZFamily) — As the temperature starts to rise in the Valley, more people will be heading to the High Country to get out in nature. One way to do that is at the Barefoot Trail, about 20 minutes west of Flagstaff.
There are hundreds of miles of trails in and around Flagstaff where people can connect with nature. However, for people wanting to connect with nature on a deeper level, the Barefoot Trail is the first grounding trail of its kind in the U.S.
Over a decade ago, Leah Williams was living in Europe when she experienced her first barefoot trail. She said it was a life-changing experience.
“Oh, it was very freeing,” Williams said. “It was almost nostalgic, too. I went back to my own childhood. You know the days when we just walked barefoot.”
When she moved back, she realized there was nothing like it in the U.S., so she created the Barefoot Trail. Guests ditch their shoes and venture along the mile-long trail over different terrain and obstacles to better connect with nature.
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“In the 1960s, we started getting rubber soles,” Williams said. “But we need that sort of download of the absorption of the radiation we get from our technology, and so it’s only 20 to 30 minutes a day is what you need.”
Last year was the first year, and Williams said it started out slow, but they got very busy by the end of the season. “We went from six people on day one to almost 1,000 people a week the last couple weeks we were open and we were only open for three months last year,” she said.
Season 2 opens on Wednesday, May 14, and this year, booking requests for groups of dozens of people are already coming in.
“A lady just called me the other day for 50, ages 1 to 75 for a family reunion,” Williams said.
They’re extending their season from May to October, and they’ve added a number of new segments along the trail from bridges to swings and more. Williams said that whether you live in the forest or are visiting the city for the first time, everyone can benefit from walking barefoot in nature.
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“It combines fun, that childhood nostalgia plus the health benefits,” she said.
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