Take a Hike with Children

Take a Hike with Children

Parents need to strike a balance between caution, and frolic, whether they’re hiking with children in the woods on a local trail or planning a vacation to a national park.

“It’s important for parents to be realistic that there are dangers out there for kids,” says author Caryn Boddie, an avid hiker who has written guides with her husband about hiking in the mountainous West. “You have to take it seriously.”

It all begins by offering children simple, prudent advice before setting off, says Boddie of Littleton, Colo. Teach children how to react if they get separated from the family. “Kids should hug a tree if they’re lost,” Boddie says. “They shouldn’t run around and try to find their parents. Parents will find them.”

If lost, children shouldn’t hide beneath a bush, an action that has resulted in tragedy when foliage shielded a lost hiker from rescuers, Boddie says. “If they do need to hide to get out of the weather, they should mark their spot by putting a tag on a tree with something like a ribbon from a jacket,” she says.

Parents can prevent many accidents by coaching children to treat the family as a team, Boddie says. Each child should watch out for siblings and parents, which emphasizes the responsibility needed for safely negotiating the backcountry. Boddie’s children, Crystal, 19, and Robin, 14, proved the concept on a hike a dozen years ago.

“My daughter once caught my son from falling off a cliff,” Boddie says. “He just dashed after a lizard and didn’t realize a cliff was there. It was a good save.”

And while children can learn safe practices, the responsibility remains with adults. Children often relish racing ahead, Boddie says. A quick dash can leave them out of a parent’s sight, exposing the child to the possibility of a fall or other incident.

“Don’t let a child get separated. Make sure they can see you, and if they tend to wander off, you must enforce the rules,” Boddie says.

Parents can safely plan adventures with even the youngest children. Each Monday, Lauren Lang of Clifton, Va., travels with her 3-year-old son, Jason, to woodland trails cutting through northern Virginia. Together with other outdoor-minded parents, she introduces the youngest of hikers to the wilderness.

Lang and her husband, Larry, are both avid hikers, and each completed the 2,168 mile-Appalachian Trail. It was only natural to include Jason, carried in a pack, on short hikes even before he could walk.

Parents should remember critical items such as water, snacks, sunscreen, and insect repellant. The last two are important, because nothing can spoil a hike faster than a bad sunburn or a swarm of hungry mosquitoes. But there’s another essential—patience. Youthful hikers should have the time to throw rocks, look for frogs, or climb over fallen trees, Lang says. With the proper care and attitude, venturing into the woods with children is safe and worthwhile.

Noble Sprayberry is a freelance writer in Brentwood, Tenn.

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