Five reasons why you should head to the forest this summer 
Each season in the forest has something special to offer. The forest is alive in the summer! Our friends at Forest Holidays have gathered a few reasons why – and especially for GO Outdoors customers, you can even have a 5% discount on breaks this summer.
1. Nature is at its best
June establishes the summer. Swallows circle in the skies above, foxgloves and fragrant honeysuckle adorn the hedgerows and dragonflies and damselflies flit across ponds. In the summer dusk, bats and moths fly silently through the forest, including the Daubenton’s bats at Deerpark. Don’t forget, on 21 June, we enjoy the longest day of the year. Perhaps for long evenings in the hot tub.
July and we reach peak summertime. Poppies appear in cornfields and hedgerows and buddleia attracts the painted lady butterflies, whose parents arrived in their hundreds of thousands last month, all the way from Africa. The purple heather on the North York Moors, near to Cropton and Keldy, is reputedly visible from space.
August turns the landscape golden, fruits ripen, and you might see fledgeling peregrine falcons at Symonds Yat Rock in Forest of Dean. Forage for blackberries, plums and cherries and enjoy the birdsong, for the exodus is about to begin. The cuckoos have gone, and the swifts are packing up ready for their annual migration.
2. The forest is good for us
One of the ways we can positively impact our health is by simply getting outdoors and being at one with nature. Immerse yourself within the forest and reap the benefits it has to offer to support your health and well-being, with an array of therapies.
Walk amongst the trees. Slow down. Breathe.
David Strayer, a cognitive psychologist at the University of Utah, has studied nature’s calming effect on human stress levels, saying that, “Our brains aren’t tireless three-pound machines; they’re easily fatigued. When we slow down, stop the busy work, and take in beautiful natural surroundings, not only do we feel restored, but our mental performance improves too.”
3. Try new things in the forest
You are never too old to learn and keeping your brain active is crucial to feeling young, happy and healthy. On a Forest Holiday, you can accompany a Forest Ranger on an adventure. Whether it’s Survival Skills, Forest Explorer, or Night Vision you will see the forest through new eyes and learn all about the animals and plants that make it the amazing place it is.
If you are working from nine to five, try getting out from five to nine. For little ones, maybe substitute normal mealtime for a Teddy Bears’ Picnic at Blackwood Forest or hunt out nocturnal wildlife on a Night Vision experience.
4. The forest can be truly romantic
Imagine a peaceful, picturesque woodland location, a luxury log cabin, and your own private hot tub. An inviting love-nest for a truly romantic getaway. Find yourself sinking into a relaxing bath that’s big enough for the both of you, with views out into the enchanting forest, before snuggling up in a fluffy robe in front of your wood burning stove.
There is something rather splendid about lying back in your hot tub, glass in hand, with the night forest around you.
5. Explore the vast forest by foot or bike
Get back to nature and explore the amazing forest that surrounds you if you stay on a Forest Holiday. You’ll find a number of forest walks and trails that will lead you through the beautiful forest with fantastic views along the way.
Forest walks and trails offer an ideal opportunity to discover the amazing wildlife that inhabit the forest. Bring a pair of binoculars and look out for wildlife, flora and fauna. The forests are quite literally teaming with wildlife!
It’s a fantastic time to get away – the majesty of the forest is truly apparent when the sunshine glistens through the trees, warming faces and creating an unforgettable experience. Leave the coats and brollies behind, pick up the buckets and spades, and pack plenty of sun cream!
A Forest Holiday is whatever you want it to be. Escape to one of 10 idyllic locations, choose from luxurious cabins set deep in woodlands, on the edge of mighty lochs, or in bright forest meadows and make your holiday your own.
Fancy an escape to Forest Holidays this summer? Simply enter GOOUTDOORS to save 5% when you and enjoy a holiday between 1 May and 30 September 2018. The 5% discount can be taken on all cabin types. Find out more.
Fancy winning a dog-friendly Forest Holidays escape? Get involved in our #GOoutpaws competition this summer with your four-legged friend. Click here for details.
