104. Finding the Right Trails for Your Needs with Hope Rowan

In episode 104 of the Outdoor Minimalist podcast, we dive into how to identify your needs when choosing a hiking trail. There are many online resources and ways to discover new trails, but who is making those trail recommendations and writing the reviews? Sometimes, finding a trail that suits your needs is hard, especially if you’re hiking with dogs, children, or have any disability. Even as we age, our needs in trail maintenance, difficulty, and length will likely change. Then, finding the resources to identify where those trails are and the description accuracy is an entirely different challenge. That’s why I sat down with a trail and map expert to get her take on how to better identify and find the right trails for our needs. Hope Rowan is a creator of maps, particularly maps of trails. She holds a Bachelor’s degree from Colby College and a Master’s degree in Human Ecology from the College of the Atlantic. Hope has authored two kids' hiking guides and enjoys getting outdoors with her dog Tess as much as possible, whether climbing mountain peaks, kayaking the ocean, or rediscovering lost canoe portaging routes among Maine's rivers and ponds. INSTAGRAM: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/outdoor.minimalist.book/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ WEBSITE: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.theoutdoorminimalist.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ YOUTUBE: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@theoutdoorminimalist⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ORDER THE BOOK: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.theoutdoorminimalist.com/book⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ VENMO: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@OutdoorMinimalist⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ --------------- Hope Rowan Trail Guides: https://www.thriftbooks.com/a/hope-rowan/2511112/ Facebook Maine Trail Finder: https://www.mainetrailfinder.com/ Land Trust Alliance: https://landtrustalliance.org/ --------------- Related Episodes 20. Creating a Thru-Hike and Conserving Our Trails 24. Identifying Your Needs: Adventure, Gear, and Safety 36. Building a Daily Outdoor Habit 37. Tips for a Low-Waste Thru-Hike 82. Creating a More Adaptive Hiking Space -------------------- Original music by Alex Carney and Ethan Wiese