If you’re like me and you’d rather sit on the couch and eat Sour Patch Kids rather than participate in physical activity, you may be a beginner to walking Columbia’s many beautiful trails.

**Where you go, you must come back**

Taking a nice walk at golden hour is a wonderful way to see Columbia in a different light, but be sure to remember that you’ll eventually have to walk back to where you started. So when the sun starts to set and you’re all the way at the end of MKT, it might be time to hurry back to your car before the trail is suddenly pitch black.

**Know where you’re going**

It’s easy to just get on the trail and go, but be sure to watch the signs before you find yourself in the middle of nowhere. Usually you can find your way back but on some of the bigger, more complicated CoMo trails, it’s not a good idea to get lost. Map out your walk the night before and make sure that you can have fun and not die.

**Wear closed-toed shoes**

I love sandals as much as the next person, but with all the gravel and the hilly terrain on some of these trails, it’s just not a good idea to go with a flimsy shoe.

**Bug spray isn’t a bad idea**

If you’re going at golden hour, the bugs will be a problem if you’re not constantly moving. Throw on some bug spray to keep those bugs at bay while you stare off into the distance like you’re in a movie.

**Rock a great playlist**

If your friends are all busy, don’t be afraid to hit the trails and get fit alone. A playlist of your favorite songs can make exercise feel like a fun adventure. Spotify or 8tracks has a ton of pre-made playlists that rock, or you can check out MOVE’s trail playlist online. Can you say trail mix?