Stride Into Spring: National Walking Day April 2nd, 2025
It’s National Walking Day!
Why not take thirty minutes to stride into spring with us! Downtown Hammond has many fun and interesting walking paths to take, each with unique sights.
Zemurray Park is a lovely place to spend time with friends and family.
It’s also a great area to walk this National Walking Day. 1.2 laps around Zemurray Park are equivalent to a mile.
Zemurray Park has a lot of opportunities to get active with the wide variety of recreational features. The park offers three baseball fields, a tennis court, and a skate park. The park also has a playground for kids and a lovely atmosphere to enjoy during your walk.
Cate Square Park is a delightful part of downtown!
Four laps around Cate Square Park are equivalent to a mile. The park offers an enclosed playground area and a charming gazebo to enjoy while taking time to walk today.
Southeastern Louisiana University
Southeastern is a short half mile walk from Thomas Street, following along North Oak Street. With a short walking time of 10-15 minutes, hitting downtown after school is a great way to get out and get to know people!
Looking for a longer walk?
The sidewalk connecting Coleman Avenue and Minnesota Park Road is 1.16 miles long. The path follows Southwest Railroad Avenue, and is furnished with benches, path lights, and a variety of large trees to provide shade on your trek.
Over the past years, Downtown Hammond has been taking steps to improve walking conditions and pedestrian safety.
Safer Intersections
One of these steps is the new intersection crossings. This safer style of crosswalk can be found throughout downtown, such the crosswalks around Columbia Theater.
Welcoming streets
Street trees are an important part of creating a lively and welcoming walking environment. They are fantastic for creating shade, cleaning up air pollution, and emphasizing the character of downtown. Throughout Downtown Hammond you will note three primary kinds of street trees: Savannah Holly, Crape Myrtle, and Chinese Pistache.
Why should you take thirty minutes to walk today?
Adding a walk as a part of your daily life can help you in three major ways:
Give your mind a break
Walking can help you manage your stress by giving your body a physical outlet. Lively walking for at least 150 minutes a week is closely tied to thinking, feeling, and sleeping better. Walking helps you feel more alert and focused, which improves your memory and thinking.
Show your body you care
Walking is good for your heart! Walking raises good cholesterol (HDL) levels while lowering bad cholesterol (LDL). Walking is also an easy way to help manage blood sugar levels and speed up your metabolism. (Learn more.)
Get in touch with your community
Walking is a great way to build connections, get to know people, and spend time with friends and family. If you walk regularly with a buddy, you’ll have a fun routine, stay connected, and feel less lonely.
What is your favorite part of walking downtown? Let us know!