Forest Bathing Walk at Springsong with Melanie Choukas-Bradley

Free with registration (limited to 15 participants)
🗓 Friday, September 18, 2026
🕤 9:30 AM – 12:00 PM
Nourish your sense of wonder during a September morning forest bathing walk in the Northwest Branch gorge adjacent to the Springsong Museum site. We will walk slowly and pause often as we explore the upland woods and streamside of cascading Northwest Branch. Forest bathing is a practice that began in Japan in the 1980s and celebrates the beauty and wonder of nature in a way that aligns with Rachel Carson’s views of the world. During our walk we will tune in to each of our senses as we open our hearts to the beauty of spring in the gorge. Wear shoes or boots with good tread and prepare for some rock scrambling in the stream valley during a slow walk of about a mile. We will go ahead in light rain but postpone if rain is heavy or thunderstorms are likely.

Walk leader Melanie Choukas-Bradley is a certified nature and forest therapy guide who has participated in forest bathing walks with shinrin-yoku guides in Japan. She is the author of Wild Walking—A Guide to Forest Bathing Through the Seasons and several other nature books. Melanie has been leading nature walks in the DC area for many years.

Important details:

📍 Starting Point: Meet at Burnt Mills East (Trader Joe's side): 10701 Columbia Pike, Silver Spring, MD 20901. There is plenty of free parking.
There are no water fountains available, so you may want to bring a water bottle.
The ground can be uneven, parts are on an incline, and there are a few rock scrambles, so wear hiking boots or other sturdy shoes. Some may want to bring hiking poles.
The hike will be approximately 1 mile, but the trail goes much farther, so if you want to extend your hike, you can do that independently.
Bring your sense of wonder! We will hike at a naturalist's pace, stopping often and taking notice of the world around us.
Dress accordingly for chilly, warm or rainy conditions.

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