Family Life | ‘Different every day’: Spring season provides ample opportunity to experience region’s many trails – TribDem.com

As warmer weather approaches and the Appalachian region defrosts, exploring local trails is a great way to get outside.

In Cambria County, Pennsylvania, theres no shortage of opportunities to do just that at any skill level, Conservation and Recreation Authority Executive Director Cliff Kitner said

The cool thing about the trails is you can go out there every day and itll be different every day, he said. From a recreation standpoint to a connection standpoint, to the shear beauty of them, the opportunities are endless.

That includes the authority-owned 48-mile total Ghost Town Trail, with trailheads in Ebensburg, Nanty Glo, Twin Rocks, Wehrum and out-of-county access in Dilltown, Heshbon and John P. Saylor Park, as well as several extension locations; Path of the Flood Trail, which has parking areas at Stineman, Bealtown/Stineman, Ehrenfeld Ball Park, Mainline Memorial Park, Fifficktown, Staple Bend Tunnel Park and Franklin Park; and Jim Mayer Riverswalk Trail that has access at Cleavland Street, Riverside, Bridge Street, Messenger Street and Hickory Street in the City of Johnstown.

More information on those paths can be found at http://www.cambriaconservationrecreation.com.

Throughout the county theres also the nearly 300-acre Stackhouse Park off Luzerne Street; Inclined Plane trails for hiking and downhill mountain biking; Lorain/Stonycreek Hiking Trails; Honan Avenue Trail; 70-mile Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail that stretches from Seward to Ohiopyle in Fayette County; Nathans Divide outside of Ebensburg Borough; the Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site that includes part of the 6-to-10 Trail; and Prince Gallitzin State Park.

For more information on these trails, visit http://www.visitjohnstownpa.com.

In addition to those locations, theres the state DCNR Gallitzin State Forests, such as the Charles F. Lewis Natural Area off state Route 403 and Babcock Division off state Route 56 in Somerset County, Pennsylvania.

Kitner also pointed to the various benefits of getting outside.

How can you go out on trail and go by one of the streams or waterfalls and not soak it in and be happy, he said.

According to the United States National Park Service, hiking is one of the best ways to get exercise.

No matter what type of trail you find yourself on, hiking is a great whole-body workout from head to toe and everything in between, the NPS website says.

Hitting a trail can improve heart health and sense of balance and can build stronger muscles and bones.

There are mental health benefits, as well, ranging from boosts to mood to calming anxiety and lower risk of depression, according to the National Parks Service.

In addition to having mental health benefits, being outdoors opens up your senses to your surroundings and improves your sensory perception, the website says. Taking in the sights, smells and feelings of nature has so many health benefits it can even be prescribed by a doctor.

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Joshua Byers is a reporter for The Tribune-Democrat. He can be reached at 814-532-5054. Follow him on Twitter @Journo_Josh.

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Family Life | 'Different every day': Spring season provides ample opportunity to experience region's many trails - TribDem.com