It makes perfect sense really. National Trails Day is always the weekend after Memorial Day...after the outdoor grilling season starts, and about the time that many schools have finished for the year. It is its own holiday…its own time. In most years the weather is near perfect…the summer heat and humidity have not yet set it, but you will not need to pack very warm clothes. Flowers and leaves are in full effect; not yet wilted by time or the end of spring rains. Bugs are still pretty minimal, and the birds are still very active regardless of time of day.
Finally, one last reason why I consider this the true season opener for the summer hiking season: this is the one weekend of the summer season that has the least going on. Festivals and family picnics have not started, and the beach is not drawing people to its sunlit sands in force. This is the most relaxed, unplanned, and therefore the easiest weekend to hit the trail without any plans buzzing in ones ear…though I wouldn’t discount there being a mosquito buzzing around your ear instead.