Who doesn’t love the outdoors? Any time of year, any place you go, there are going to be people getting outside to enjoy nature. The best part about it, is that nature is always there. Sure, we might need equipment or supplies to do certain things, but in the vast majority of cases, there’s a $0 entry fee. I personally love getting outside and can’t help but to feel a little extra satisfaction when it didn’t cost much. So what can you do for free outside? In this article, we’ll explore 10 free or cheap activities in the outdoors we can do today!
Fair disclaimer: We acknowledge that a lot of these are not technically “free”, if you consider the cost of gas to drive there and buying food, etc. The reality is that we all must spend money sometimes – transportation and food aren’t really optional!
“I don’t have time to read everything. What can you do for free outside? Just tell me!“
If you’d like a summary, here’s our top 10 list of free or cheap outdoor activities:
- Take A Walk
- Visit Local Parks
- Use Public Courts & Athletic Fields
- Check Out Historic Locations
- Take Your Dog To The Dog Park
- Stop By Local Markets & Festivals
- Take Your Indoor Activities Outside
- Meditate In The Outdoors
- Work Out – Run, Bodyweight, Etc.
- Have A Picnic
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1. Take A Walk
This is the easiest activity to do outside for free. We can literally get up and walk out the front door right now, free of charge!
Not only is walking great for the heart, body and mind (via Healthline), but we can do it anywhere, any time.
I personally like to pick a specific location to walk to. It keeps me more interested in taking walks in the future, it’s safer (when you can tell someone your specific route) and you can track your pace/mile when you have a route planned.
You basically just need a pair of shoes to go walk. Visit a grassy field or beach and you don’t even need shoes. In either case, wear clothes.
2. Visit Local Parks
If you live in America, you probably live within a few minutes of a park, even in urban areas. Local parks are typically paid for by the people, to be enjoyed by the people. It makes sense to enjoy a portion of what our local, state and even federal taxes goes towards!
The best part about parks is that each one is a little different from the next. There’s even an app out there called Oh, Ranger!, which helps you locate different parks in your area.
Some parks have a small fee for parking, but you can either walk there or pay, which in turn goes towards keeping the park looking good.
3. Use Public Courts & Athletic Fields
Speaking of tax dollars, schools and other public fields are a highly under-rated way to enjoy the outdoors.
The vast majority of schools have outdoor basketball courts, baseball diamonds, tennis courts and/or open fields. With some equipment or balls from a sporting goods store, you’ve got hours of game time waiting for you, often for free.
Schools have an incentive to maintain their outdoor athletic facilities, too – partly because kids use them regularly, but also because taxes largely fund the construction and upkeep of them.
If schools near you don’t have any of these fields or courts, it’s likely that a park will.
4. Check Out Historic Locations
Unless you live in a brand new town, you’ve probably got some history nearby. While people in America that live on the east coast have a timeline advantage, historic sites can be found in every state.
Visiting free historic sites is a good compromise between history-literature buffs and those who love adventure.
Check out Wikipedia’s list of National Historic Landmarks by state to find a spot near you! At the time of writing, their list includes nearly 2,600 sites. Keep in mind, this is just sites recognized on a national level. There are thousands upon thousands more you can find close to you.
5. Take Your Dog To The Dog Park
What’s better than having a dog? Watching them play with a bunch of other dogs!
If your dog loves to run, a dog park is typically made up of a large, rectangular field that’s fenced in. You can let them off the least to just go crazy.
The socialization is great for your dog, and you can meet other dog owners in the process. Win-win.
Not sure where to find a dog park? Check out BringFido.com to find a dog park near you.
Just make sure your dog’s shots and medications are up to date – both for the health of your dogs and others!
6. Stop By Local Markets & Festivals
Farmer’s markets, outdoor craft shows and other festivals often showcase the best of what local vendors have to offer, all in one place.
The festivals are usually paid for by the vendors themselves, since they get the opportunity to sell their products. In turn, it’s free for us!
There are many types of festivals to check out. Farmer’s markets are great for produce, food and other grocery goods. Craft shows feature goods from local artisans and small stores.
Other festivities like antique shows and car shows are common, too.
7. Take Your Indoor Activities Outside
In many cases, we can do exactly what we’d want to do at home, just outside instead. If you want to absorb some vitamin D and breathe in the fresh air, just take your relaxing, leisurely activities to the park or the backyard.
You can read a book, listen to music or even play music from a park bench. With smart phones, we can basically watch or listen to anything from any spot we choose.
Within reason, you can be productive, too. Rewriting a to do list, studying and taking notes are all outside-worthy activities. Thanks to technology, we can do computer-related work and pay the bills from wherever. Your boss will understand.
We should note: please be careful when choosing a public or unsecured wireless network.
8. Meditate In The Outdoors
Meditating is as simple as focusing on our breathing, or detaching ourselves from our thoughts via observation. While yogis and monks of course the most well-versed in the practice, meditation is free for anyone to do, any time.
Some even believe that meditation is a built-in mechanism human beings have to recharge and stabilize ourselves.
Meditating in the outdoors is great. The sunshine, fresh air and background noise of the wind, animals and daily life are soothing while clearing our thoughts.
We do recommend that you avoid putting in headphones while meditating outside. It’s a sad reality that we must be aware of our surroundings at all times to stay safe.
Here are three easy ways to meditate with only a few minutes of free time!
9. Work Out – Run, Bodyweight, Etc.
Gyms have their purpose, but it sometimes feels weird to ONLY exert ourselves indoors. Even people who make it to the gym regularly yearn for some variety.
Unless you live near Muscle Beach, it’ll be tough to hit the weights outside. Everything else, though, can be replicated in the outdoors.
Playgrounds and parks often have monkey bars, pull-up bars and other equipment to do calisthenics on.
If you live near a track, park, bike path or any kind of trail, you can get a walk or run in easily. Regulation-sized outdoor tracks are exactly a quarter mile long. Many trails have mile markers and other references if you like to track your distance.
With a yoga mat and a field, you can practice yoga easily in the outdoors!
10. Have A Picnic
All of us have to eat, and most meals aren’t from a restaurant. If you want to get some outdoor time but are short on time, get two things done at once with a picnic.
When we say picnic, we don’t mean to glamorize it. Take a plaid table cloth and a picnic basket if that’s your thing, but a paper bag and tupperware on a park bench works quite nicely as well. Nothing fancy required.
If all else fails, you can always park at a spot with a good view, and eat in the car. The same can be said for having a cup of coffee.
It’s advisable to bring some bug spray though, in case there are mosquitos and flies around looking to take a bite of you, or your food.
In Summary
If you came here wondering “what can you do for free outside?“, I hope you’ve found this list informative and helpful. There’s always a way to enjoy the outdoors without spending a fortune, just like there’s always a way to enjoy LIFE without spending a fortune. Thanks for reading!