Kiss your shoes goodbye and let your bare feet get in touch with nature with The Barefoot Trail, the first-ever grounding park in the U.S. Now open in Flagstaff, this one-of-a-kind park invites visitors to experience the health benefits of walking barefoot across natural surfaces like grass, soil, mud and sand.
Grounding, also known as earthing, is walking barefoot on natural surfaces to absorb the earth’s natural energy. This ancient tradition is now gaining popularity in the U.S., with social media platforms like TikTok showing videos of millions of people learning how walking barefoot can improve their health.
In addition to its grounding trails, The Barefoot Trail offers therapeutic programs such as Outdoor Behavioral Healthcare and Wilderness Therapy. These utilize nature and experimental education to help individuals heal from emotional, developmental and relational struggles.
The calming effects of nature combined with the grounding experience have been found to lower blood pressure, boost immune function, reduce stress and improve mood. The Barefoot Trail has six Core Values, making it a unique destination for visitors of all ages.
• Exercise: Physical activity is essential for overall health. The Barefoot Trail provides a natural, forested environment where visitors can unplug, exercise, and have fun, whether alone, with family or in groups. Regular walking is encouraged by the medical community for its cardiovascular benefits.
• Benefits: The reflexology path stimulates blood flow and enhances the senses by connecting visitors directly with the natural ground. Grounding for 20-30 minutes daily can help restore the body’s natural electrical balance, reduce stress and inflammation and improve sleep.
• Environmental Education: Visitors can learn about Coconino County’s geological and ecological history, including its volcanoes, rocks, trees and water.
• Youth Development: The Barefoot Trail provides children with new and challenging outdoor experiences, fostering positive attitudes, behavioral changes, problem-solving skills, and leadership development.
• Therapeutic Programs: These programs use experiential education in a natural setting to facilitate healing for various emotional, developmental, and relational struggles.
• Land Conservation: The Barefoot Trail advocates protecting the natural environment by preserving the ecosystem, vegetation, and wildlife. The trail uses natural materials like stones, rock, sand, and mud to maintain the land’s natural state while providing a unique recreational experience.
While grounding parks are a new concept in the United States, they have deep roots in other parts of the world. Barefoot Trail Founder Leah Williams was inspired to bring this practice to the U.S. after spending years living and traveling in Europe with her family. Grounding became an integral part of her life overseas.
Tickets for The Barefoot Trail are $10 for two hours of trail time. Proceeds from ticket sales will go toward the development of additional grounding parks across the country. By supporting this project, visitors are helping spread the benefits of grounding far and wide. Visit thebarefoottrail.org to learn more and purchase tickets.
