Silent Solstice Sunset Hike

Enjoy the shortest day of the year with a meditative hike. We will take a short, silent walk along the Upper Highland Lake in DAR State Forest and enjoy the sunset together in peaceful quiet. Depending on the group, we may extend the hike a bit longer. Please remember to bring appropriate clothing (warm, non-cotton layers), a flashlight or a headlamp, and water. Traction devices for your shoes may also be useful! All ages are welcome.

This is an easy, flat hike, on a graded trail. We will travel briefly over a sand beach and compacted gravel walkway before connecting with a 0.5-mile-long ADA designed accessible stabilized stonedust path. At the end of this trail, we will have our first sunset viewing opportunity on a stone and gravel beach (no seating available). If the group is interested, we will have the opportunity to continue to a second sunset viewing spot, 0.3 miles away on gravel roads and a sand beach. The total mileage out and back is ~1.1 mile, or 1.6 miles if we continue to the second sunset spot. We’ll be sticking together, and moving as slowly as the slowest person in the group. There are several benches placed along the trail, including benches and a picnic table at our second sunset viewing spot.

Snow and ice: The trails at the DAR State Forest are not cleared during the winter, and may be covered in snow and ice. We have snowshoes and ice grippers to share if you would like to borrow a pair. While there are designated accessible parking spots at the start of the ADA trail, the access road to that parking area is also closed off during times of snow and ice. We will provide updates on the conditions of the trails and roads prior to the start of the program.

Children must be supervised by an adult.