Its also a great way of getting to know an area quite well. Especially if you're just generally walking around and not just hiking from point A to point B. Always make it a priority when I move to a new area to spend a few weeks doing 4 or 5 mile trails around the area just to see what shops are around and what different parts of the town are like. UK though, I imagine its a nightmare in the US with how your pedestrian infrastructure is.