Outdoor Adventure

4 Ways to Improve Your Mental Health with a Visit to Abbotsford

January 25, 2024

Traveling is a great way to maintain your mental health and contributes to a happier and more fulfilling life. Benefits include relieving stress, boosting creativity and promoting a hopeful outlook on your life. Taking the time to discover new places can act as a great way to improve brain function. Mental health is just as important as physical health and we’ve got four ways to support both with a visit to Abbotsford!

Take a Walk in the Park

Going for walks in scenic locations can help you become more hopeful. Abbotsford is teaming with beautiful parks and trails that are just begging to be walked around. Breathe in that fresh air and let go of some of the stress weighing you down with walk in the park. Some of our favourite parks include:

Mill Lake Park

Willband Creek Park

Matsqui Trail Regional Park

Fishtrap Creek Park

Douglas Taylor Park

Mountain Biking and City Cycling

The regular, uniform movement of cycling has a relaxing effect on the brain, stabilizing both physical and mental function. Cycling can also promote new thought patterns that promote feelings of calm and wellbeing. These are great reasons to go for a ride on any of the great mountain biking trails on Teq’qéyex (Sumas Mountain) or local cycling routes available in Abbotsford.

The Sumas Lake Loop (Semá:th Xo:tsa) route was developed by Bike Abbotsford is a historic self-guided bike ride on gravel trails & quiet country roads. “Carved into this valley by retreating glacial ice, evolving for over 8000 years & changing with the seasons, Sumas lake sustained a diverse wetland ecosystem, the Semá:th peoples, & neighbouring Indigenous communities. Following the arrival of settlers & their successful lobbying of the new colonial government, the lake was drained in 1924.” – Bike Abbotsford

Grab Those Binoculars and Go Birdwatching

Birdwatching—or even simply listening—can lead to an array of mental-health benefits in humans, including long-lasting stress relief. Abbotsford plays host to a huge variety of birds that can be seen in many of our local parks and trails. The BC Bird Trail has created full itineraries around the best locations to birdwatch in Abbotsford that you’re definitely going to want to check out for yourself. Have a look at the Abbotsford BC Bird Trail here.

Take a Hike

There’s a reason that there are groups of people who go hiking every weekend. That’s because they’ve discovered spending time outdoors and communing with nature can enhance your mood and improve your mental health significantly. Tucked against a skyline of forested mountain peaks, Abbotsford is home scenic hikes amongst waterfalls and caves and the legendary Teq’qéyex (Sumas Mountain). So lace up those hiking boots and get outdoors to explore the best in hiking Abbotsford has to offer!

Make sure to tag @tourismabbotsford on Instagram, and use the hashtags ExploreAbbotsford and #TourismAbbotsford on all your Abbotsford adventures!

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