Definitely getting outside is great for the mind.

I remember a long time ago, I had a thorny technical problem at work, that I hadn't been able to figure out.

I took a break, walked over to a big window that had a bit of a landscape view, and boom...I figured it out. That incident always impressed me, with the power of a break from your work, and looking out over something.

I think looking out over a landscape calms your brain. That's maybe why hiking up a hill and getting a view feels good. It lets the defensive part of your brain relax a little bit, because you can see a broad landscape, and there's no enemies.