"Even though we're pretty close to civilization, night hiking makes you feel like you're farther away," Trotte says. Seeing only as far as the range of a headlamp creates the illusion of a greater wilderness experience. "You get the feeling that you're hiking in the middle of the night on a multiday trip, even though you're close to the road."

While some hikers enjoy the way a full moon bathes an area in light, a new moon provides a wonderful opportunity for star gazing. So says Jules Papp, a member of AMC's New York–North Jersey Chapter and lover of astronomy who leads new moon hikes in Harriman State Park. When it's very dark, countless constellations stretch from one corner of the sky to the other.

Night hiking can create an "eerie sensation," says Papp. When entering a valley, temperatures often become much cooler and the humidity rises. The resulting fog can add an element of spookiness.

At AMC's Joe Dodge Lodge at Pinkham Notch this past winter, Senior Interpretive Naturalist Nicky Pizzo led full moon snowshoe hikes. But unlike on many other night hikes, where headlamps are welcome and sometimes required—using lights is strongly discouraged on these hikes, which Pizzo plans to conduct again next winter.

The lack of headlamps allows people's eyes to adjust to the darkness, which takes 15 minutes. After 45 minutes, people can see a million times better than the moment they are no longer exposed to light. Once they have adapted, their night vision is as strong as that of deer or lynx and is superior to the night vision of rabbits, Pizzo says. People have the ability to see surprisingly well in the dark thanks to a chemical called rhodopsin, which the body produces in low-light situations.

"You can see a huge difference between what you can see during the day and night vision," says Pizzo, who always brings along a headlamp as a precaution. "It's really cool. Your night vision is very crisp. If you look at a tree or a person, you can see very clearly."

Before embarking on the one- or two-hour night hike, Pizzo discusses with the participants the natural fear of darkness that develops because people aren't accustomed to the lack of light. She'll explain that there's nothing at night that isn't there during the day.

Once out on the trail, Pizzo will engage the participants in a variety of activities. Sometimes, she'll have them form a circle and ask them to bite into a Wint-O-Green Lifesaver, which will spark. When sugar crystals break, they release a weak burst of ultraviolet energy, which excites the molecules of the wintergreen oil, causing the oil to glow.

Pizzo leads another activity in which she tells participants they will see the brightest match in the universe. She has them close one eye, so that absolutely no light will enter, while they leave the other eye open. Pizzo then lights a match and asks them to open the closed eye and close the other eye. The match appears extremely bright and clear, thanks to the production of rhodopsin.

Thinking about my first night-hiking experience at Valley Forge, I'm reminded of the first New England summit I hiked, Mount Wachusett. While I had fun, I knew the region offered far more impressive mountains. Night hiking feels the same way. I enjoyed that hike in April, but I want more and have little doubt I will again find myself on a trail at night, enjoying the glow of the moonlight and staring at the stars.

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