Where Should I Keep My Eyes While Hiking?

There are a lot of different things that will be important for you to keep in mind when you are going hiking, but one of the most important things of all (and one of the things people tend to neglect the most!) is knowing where to keep your eyes while hiking.

Of course, the first place you should make sure you keep your eyes is your feet, as this will prevent you from tripping over unexpected roots and rocks, or from dropping into unexpected dips. But not only do many people (even people who know they are supposed to keep an eye on their feet!) get lazy and stop keeping an eye on their feet, but a lot of people also end up forgetting to use their eyes for anything else useful either.

Not only do you need to make sure you keep your eyes on the ground, but you also need to keep your eyes “up” – paying attention to everything that is eye level and slightly above – as you will not want to walk into overhanging branches or boughs that will scratch your face or cause bumps on your head. Also, if you happen to be one of those people who absolutely hates spiders, keeping your eyes up will prevent you from walking through a spider web; this is especially important if you are not a fan of spiders, as walking through a spider web might cause you to make a misstep and injure yourself.

Finally, you should remember that the reason you are out hiking (at least, one of the reasons you are out hiking!) is to enjoy the day and the beauty all around you, which means that you should try to soak up as much of the beauty as you can by always paying close attention to your surroundings.

When you hike in this manner – shifting your eyes from the ground, to eye level, to the beauty around you – you will enjoy your hikes a lot more, and you will also be a whole lot safer!