As August settles in, the days might be a touch shorter, but there’s still plenty of sunshine and endless opportunities for adventure. This is the perfect time to embrace micro-adventures – those small but memorable moments that fit into a weekend, an evening, or even a lunch break. Whether it’s a spontaneous swim, a walk along a path you’ve never taken, or dinner shared outdoors with friends, this stretch of late summer invites us to stay curious, get outside, and make the most of every warm, golden hour.
Whether you’re flying solo, planning something with friends, or looking for ways to make memories with the kids before the school year starts again, there is still plenty of time to savour the summer, and more importantly, keep the momentum of finding time to get outdoors.
Here’s your guide to making the most of late summer — no big budgets, complicated plans, or days off required. Just simple, joyful ways to stay outdoors and soak up the sunshine.
The Sunset Dinner Hike
Combine two of summer’s best joys: a good walk and good food. Pick a nearby hill, cliff-top, or forest clearing and pack a simple dinner – think wraps, fresh fruit, a thermos of something warm. Time it so you arrive at the top just as the sun is starting to dip. There’s nothing quite like watching the day close in peace and stillness, whether you’re alone or sharing it with a friend.
Try this amaing Mexican Corn and Chilli Soup in your flask and all you will need is some tortillas and some fresh guacamole to complete your dinner!
Hominy white corn, guajillo chilli and tortilla soup with queso fresco
Make a Microadventure Jar
This is such a fun thing to do with friends. Cut up bits of paper and write down quick outdoor challenges or activities, then make a pledge to do one per week throughout August. These could be anything from “Climb a tree,” “Swim in a river,” “Sleep outside,” “Watch the sunrise,” “Pick blackberries.” Let everyone pull one and do them together or separately throughout the month. It’s a great way to keep the energy of summer alive with minimal planning.
Alastair Humphreys is the king of microadventures, and his website is full of ideas. Check it out or pick up his book if you are looking for inspiration.
Alistair Humphreys - Microadventures
Explore the Forgotten Corners
We often overlook the wild and wonderful places right on our doorstep – those quiet corners that don’t make it into glossy guidebooks or Instagram reels. But these “forgotten” spaces can hold some of the richest opportunities for connection, reflection, and mini-adventures.
Take the time to explore the lesser-known wild spaces around you. This can feel more like stepping back in time than just a simple evening hike. Here are some ideas to get you started:
- Disused Railway Lines which are often turned into walkways, but still hold remnants of their original use like great arched bridges or signs.
- Urban Nature Reserves and Hidden Parks - these can often be found in cities if that is where you are. Check out the Wildlife Trusts website and enter your postcode to find some near you.
- Forgotten Footpaths. Have you ever walked or driven past a public footpath sign that leads through a hedge,gate or doorway where you might wonder - “Where does that lead?” We commonly head to the same trails, but sometimes you can find a new space that becomes a favourite spot.
- Coastal Ruins and Forgotten Beaches - If you’re near the coast, skip the crowded sandy stretches and look for lesser-known coves, rocky beaches, or coastal ruins. There’s often fewer people, and more space to explore. Bring a bag for beachcombing or a sketchbook for capturing the moment.
If you are based in Scotland, @chrispaullawlor's "Did you know that in Scotland?" series tells you all about amazing discoveries that you can explore yourself. It's a great account to share ideas with friends or family and arrange days out to see these wonders!
Fingal's Cave, Staffa
If you are based in the wider UK, Adventure_Uk also has a great site with lots of amazing recommendations.
Try a New Skill in Nature
Summer is the perfect time to try something new outdoors — something a little different, maybe a little slower, and perfectly in tune with the spirit of National Wellness Month. Think foraging for mushrooms, or wild berries, sketching nature’s small details, leaves, flowers or tree bark patterns, or nature journaling - record the sights, sounds and feelings while sitting in an outdoor space. Or perhaps you can pick up something more physical, slacklining in the park, stone stacking or Not everything has to be fast-paced or far away to feel adventurous.
The Wild Journal by Willow Crossley
This little book is sure to inspire you to start exploring how to use nature as your "emotional toolbox". As well as being your journal, it is Willow's too as she grapples with highs and lows and what she does to help.
Night Swimming or Moonlight Paddleboarding (With Friends)
Not one for everyone, but if you're confident in the water and know a safe spot, an evening dip or a moonlit paddle can be an unforgettable experience, especially as the golden evening hour is so spectacularly beautiful at the moment. The cool water, the hush of eveing, and the connection with nature – it’s all there.
IMPORTANT Safety tips: Don’t do this one alone, always go with others. Make sure that there is someone who is not in your group who knows where you are. Check your entry and exit points prior to entering the water and make sure it is a clear night so that you still have the benefit of the ebbing sunlight and moonlight.
3. Outdoor Movie Night
This is a brilliant one for getting yor family outdoors in the evening and it is LOW energy but just a little more rewarding than lounging on the sofa. Bring the indoors out. String up a sheet, grab a projector, and set up a backyard or campsite cinema. Add beanbags, blankets, popcorn, and you’ve got yourself a summer night to remember. Bonus points for hot chocolate and fire pits.
No projector? Find a local community screening or pack a laptop and head somewhere wild for a DIY cinema under the stars.
Why not let someone else do the adventuring!
The Inspiring Light of Summer
Make sure your summer doesn’t end with first days of September. Let August be a month to remember — full of exciting, memorable experiences. One that keeps you craving more outdoor moments, even as the season shifts into autumn. Don’t slow down now; summer ends much sooner if we stop letting the sunshine call us outside.
This is your little reminder to keep saying yes to the outdoors – to late-night fires, early swims, windswept bike rides, and quiet moments with a flask of tea and the lush green of the the season.
So grab your friends, your kids, your dog – or just yourself – and make the most of the August sun.
