Meet Taylor Jones | Outdoor Enthusiast and Travel Blogger

We had the good fortune of connecting with Taylor Jones and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Taylor, how has your background shaped the person you are today?
Contrary to most people in the outdoor space, I didn’t grow up loving the outdoors. I was actually pretty wary of being outdoors. At the time, outdoors meant dirt and bugs, and I was not a fan. Being from Stone Mountain, you didn’t see many people who looked like me hiking, fishing, camping, etc. What I did always have was a passion for traveling. As a teenager, my mom always encouraged me to explore new places by traveling solo or with groups growing up. Through travel, I learned to love and appreciate the outdoors.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I work full-time in public health and technology. When I’m not working, I’m hiking, camping, chasing waterfalls, or catching a flight. The pandemic slowed Atlanta down and made us focus more on health and wellness. Like many of my peers, I was looking for an outlet and began focusing more on finding peace. I couldn’t get away and travel, so I found that peace through hiking.

I started documenting my hikes on Instagram on my page Hello From Outdoors. Once I started, many people reached out to me, amazed by all that Georgia had to offer. I soon became passionate about encouraging more black people to explore and get outside.

This year I began taking the initiative to branch outside of Georgia and see what great hikes other states had.
For anyone looking to get into hiking, download the AllTrails app to plan your hike before you go, make sure someone knows where you are, and lastly, HYDRATE. Recently I took a trip to Utah and experienced a flash flood storm at Capitol Reel National Park. Luckily I wasn’t alone, but this experience reminded me to always have my trail maps downloaded to use offline and check the weather. This was a great story to tell, but safety is always the priority.

The main thing I want people to remember is to have fun and explore! This is a space that should be experienced by all people, and I want everyone to find their place outdoors.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
There are some great local trails if you’re looking for some great views not too far from the city. The East Palisades Trail and Bamboo Forest, located near Sandy Springs, is a popular, moderate trail along the Chattahoochee River with bamboo trees towards the end. If you don’t mind venturing about an hour outside of the city, Mount Yonah is one of my favorite challenging hikes. You’ll experience some serious elevation gain, but the views are breathtaking.
For some beautiful waterfalls, definitely check out Cloudland Canyon State Park. This park features Hemlock Falls and Cherokee Falls in Rising Fawn, Georgia.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Black Too Earth has been incredibly supportive of my outdoor journey and has provided me with a great community of people in Atlanta. They are a nonprofit that connects black people with environmental organizations. Their volunteer days and events bring out people looking to celebrate our community while investing in underrepresented organizations.

Website: https://linktr.ee/hellofromoutdoors

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hellofromoutdoors/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y%3D