Tucked into the nooks and crannies of Greensboro, seek and you shall find more than 30 miles of hiking trails winding around the city.
It’s the result of millions of years shaping the earth, stretching and molding the terrain into rolling hills and wide ranges in elevation.
No two days are ever the same out in the wild.
On New Year’s Day, the city’s parks and recreation department led a party of hikers around Lake Brandt through seven miles of the Laurel Bluff Trail, leaving behind dozens of footprints and discarded worries.
As hikers walked with the warmth of the sun on their backs toward the trail’s entrance, a canopy of cooling bamboo greeted them like leaning green smiles.
A bubbly Brooke Wilson, the department’s lake activities specialist, waltzed with ease through the trees and brush and shared fun facts about the trail and surrounding areas, while checking in on hikers’ wellness and making sure they took breaks to snack and catch their breath.
A tapping trill echoed through the trees.
“Woodpecker!” Wilson shouted out.
Many hikers heard about the event through social media, and took friends and family along, chatting happily, feet crunching on the carpet of leaves, ready to rejuvenate the earth in remarkable spring greenery in a few months. Moss and roots lined the paths, welcoming deep breaths and occasionally creating natural stairs.
Walking toward the front of the line was Melanie Cook, a spritely hiker wearing a multi-colored windbreaker complemented by a whimsical purple and pink hat she crocheted herself. The night before, Cook stayed up to watch the ball drop in different time zones across the U.S. She started hiking around a year ago, and now goes about once a week.
Hiking has been a good way to stay healthy and get the endorphins going, Cook said, but she’s also noticed a boon of mental clarity.
“It takes your mind off of something that’s bugging you,” Cook said.
Laurel Bluff is just one of the city’s hiking trails snaking through the wilderness. Most of the paths are narrow, dotted by markers lining the way.
Newly inaugurated Greensboro City Councilmember April Parker joined the group.
“I remember my first hike,” said Parker, who represents District 3.
“It’s a great way to start the new year, and a new ritual, and a new way to love the district that I represent,” she said.
In the time since Parker was elected, she and fellow councilmembers have been touring city departments and learning the ropes.
“Much like the leadership on this trail, Greensboro has such incredible leaders and employees that work to make the city run. I love that for us,” says Parker.
On the trail, Parker chatted with constituents. Moments like this help Parker find a good balance between taking care of the community and herself.
“So in this new year, in this new role, on this new day of 2026, it’s just nice to do both,” she said.
“What a good ritual, huh?”
Whether in solitude or with a group, experience the city’s trails for yourself. More city-sponsored winter wanderings will be offered on the Nathaniel Greene, Bill Craft, and Laurel Bluff trails, held on Saturdays at noon on January 17, February 14, and March 14.