Last updated on April 14th, 2021 at 05:19 pm
Hiking is great at any time of day. At least that is my opinion. What about hiking before the day really begins? It turns out hiking before the day starts can be a great experience too. While hiking in the semi-dark mornings is a bit nontraditional there are many benefits of hiking before sunrise.
From physical health to spiritual connection we recognize how great hiking in the “edge hours” can be. Below we go through seven of the major benefits of a pre-sunrise hike.
1. Less People to Contend With
Some people hate early mornings. In fact, maybe you hate early mornings. If so, I encourage you to fight that urge to sleep in and break away from your bed. If you do, the early mornings will keep enough hikers away that most of trail (possibly all of it) will be all yours.
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If you want to hike the trails before sunrise with a partner or friend you are bound to have a less crowded experience. This can be especially great if you are hoping to catch the sunrise. After all, no one wants to watch the sunrise while surrounded by a sea of strangers on an overly crowded trail.
2. More Day to Take Advantage Of
Seize the day! Think of how much more time you will have during the day if you complete your hike before most people have had their morning coffee.
As far as maximizing time, most things we need to do take place during the middle part of the day. Heading to the bank, going grocery shopping, making a sales call for work to name a few.
Spending the less in-demand part of your day on a hike is a great way to optimize the most valuable parts of the day.
3. Beating The Afternoon Heat Is Better
Summers can be the best time to go for a hike. Depending on temperature and location summer can be the worst time to go on a hike.
High humidity, long days, and ever-increasing record high temperatures might make hiking before sunrise the best option. This is true for comfort as well as health.
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Hiking in the cooler mornings is a great way to avoid the risk of dehydration and heat exhaustion.
Additionally, if you aren’t overheating on your hike you will likely be more willing to take your hike a bit further. Just think how much more scenery you can fit into your hike if you are feeling good physically. Being able to take in more during your hike is a major benefit of hiking before sunrise.
4. Old Hiking Routes Feel New and Exciting
Do you have a “go-to” hiking route? If so, hiking that route before dawn is a great way to see it in a new way.
Familiar turns, hills, and creeks will look and smell different.
The type and number of birds abounding will vary as well.
Not only will an old trail feel new on a pre-sunrise hike it may be the perfect route to take on when getting used to hiking before dawn. Without full sunlight to help in your early morning hike it is very helpful to lean on a familiar trail to start.
5. Morning Exercise Improves Cognitive Function (throughout the day)
Regular exercise changes the brain for the better. This isn’t just my personal belief, Harvard University agrees. In a Harvard Health Letter, attention is given to a study that showed regular aerobic exercise could increase the size of your hippocampus (Source), which is the area of your brain attributed to learning and memory.
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In addition to improving the physical makeup of your brain, a morning hike can improve your cognitive function throughout the rest of your day. One primary way this can be achieved is through the relief of stress and anxiety. Both stress and anxiety impact cognitive function over the long term, but also at the moment these feelings arise. Using the very beginning of the day to relieve these feelings sets a good tone for your day.
A morning exercise provides a sense of accomplishment. You are essentially starting your day with a win. This provides a more beneficial lense to approach the remainder of your day.
6. Hiking Before Dawn Opens the Day for More Exercise (two-a-days anyone?)
If you hike in the morning, you are more likely to add another exercise based activity later in the day. Maybe you’ll be all too willing to add weight lifting after dinner or get in on a pick-up soccer game. Even just a walk around the neighborhood counts.
Getting after your hike in the early morning opens up time to explore your other interests later. Might be a good time to squeeze in a brisk trail run before sunset.
7. Sunrises are Beautiful and a Connection to Our Past
If you are a human (which you are) sunrises are important. This is true now and it has been true from the earliest days of humanity. There is a reason we as a species are still drawn to the beauty of the days beginning and the days end.
Not only are sunrises beautiful, they are a very real part of our ancient selves. Monuments around the world pay homage to the summer equinox (longest day of the year) by marking where the sunrises in the sky on that day. Our ancestors recognized the beauty and importance of the sun, and it is no wonder you seek the sunrise out on an early morning hike.
Basic Safety Tips For Early Morning Hiking
As with any type of outdoor experience, safety needs to be a main consideration, but planning these into your hike can be easy, if done in advance. Some simple tips for being safe while on a hike before sunrise are to:
- Take a friend: With less people on the trails hiking with a friend may make you feel more comfortable and exposed.
- Take some water and snacks: You may be beating the heat by hiking in the early morning, but you will still need to hydrate. Bringing water and snacks will ensure you enjoy the hike the entire time.
- Bring a GPS Watch: Since there will be less light in the early morning it is important to keep your bearings. A GPS Watch is a perfect way to do it. If this sounds like a good tip, you may want to read our post on the GPS Watches With the Longest Battery Life.
Build Healthy Routines and Get Out There!
If you are not a morning person it will be a bit of an effort to adapt your routine. If you can make the necessary adjustment to your sleep schedule, and work to incorporate consistency in this effort there are many benefits of hiking before sunrise that you’ll experience.
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Image Credit: Sara Löwgren (https://www.flickr.com/photos/135152783@N02/) Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)