In the last few years, my family has moved cross-country twice, and finding local places for hiking and other outdoor adventures is one of my first priorities whenever we move to a new place. I could usually find a couple of popular trails and parks without any trouble, but then it would take quite a bit of time to learn of other spots to expand my list of places to go. You see, we never had any connections to these places before moving there, and it took time to meet people and learn about where they like to head outside for their nature fix (in fact, I'm still working on that right now - introvert problems, yo!). When we lived in San Diego, my husband and I easily learned of nearby Mission Trails Regional Park and frequented it almost exclusively - until we grew a pretty tired of it. I later wished I had sought out other outdoor haunts much, much earlier.

Trying to find places to hike and spend time in nature is something I didn't even have to think about until recent years. I grew up in the same house for my entire childhood and never had to worry about where to go because I knew the area so well, or if I didn't, my parents or someone else we knew could always suggest parks and other places to seek out.

But it's not so easy when you move to a city you've never even visited before, and where you don't know anyone. Searching Google for "hiking trails near Hot Springs, AR" only gets you so far. So I've had to get a little more creative with how I find hiking trails nearby. I figured I'm probably not the only one who has ever needed a little help here, so I've compiled a list of 7 different ways to find places for hiking, camping, and more, near you.

Whether you've just moved somewhere new, you're just getting started with hiking or taking your kids outdoors, or you just want to expand your local trail repertoire, this list is for you!