Hiking with Kids

Hiking is challenging with small kids. Ben does great. He enjoys both the process and the end result. We have tried to keep the hikes we do short (under 2 miles), with a destination at the end (summit or waterfall), and make stops for snacks and exploring. Nik is too young to really enjoy the destination and he hates the process. He usually whines the first ½ mile that he needs to be carried – and if he is enjoying things it is because he is running at a breakneck pace or jumping over rocks.
Lewis Mountain (.8 miles – easy)
A trail right across from our tent site… how could we resist…The trail is quick, easy, and affords a pretty view. I wouldn’t say this is a must-do for someone visiting the park… but if you are staying at the campground it is a good place to send the family while you cook dinner. Tell them to come back with kindling and marshmallow sticks!

Dark Hollow Falls (1.4 miles – moderate)

The hike down is very pretty. The trail follows the stream with drops over little rock ledges and settles in clear pools. At the bottom the view is lovely. The streams cascades, bubbles, and froths its way down a 70’ drop.

On the way back up we stopped at a little rocky ledge to work on our Stream project. Ben and I saw a young Rainbow (?) trout that was about 5” long, some minnows, and a crawfish. Ben also got to use a new vocabulary word while we watched a butterly drink water and minerals from a mud puddle – proboscis.

As beautiful as the trail was, the kids were awful. Nikki whined the whole hike. Ben dragged his feet and complained he had a headache. Sure enough, when we got back to camp Ben has 101.5 fever. (He spend the rest of the day resting and was better by the next morning).

Bearfence Ridge Rock Scramble (1.2 miles – advanced)
Let me preface this by saying this is NOT a hike I would recommend for families with kids younger than 8 or 10. This was a very technical and challenging hike. The trail head description says that this hike is not appropriate for children that need to be carried. This was insufficient warning for us….

The trail starts by following the AT (towards GA). It is such a typically Shenandoah stretch – a beautiful, rocky, rhododendron and oaky woods. Then the trails splits off from the AT and turns very rocky. Nikki started having fun. He jumped from rock to rock like a mountain goat.

The trail then splits with the rock scramble off to the left. The trails becomes a narrow ridge of boulders (the size of cars) haphazardly piiled on top of each other. Vertical dropoffs are on either side of the trail. The trail also became very technical. At times you are climbing up a sheer and steep rock face with few handholds and dropoffs just a couple of feet away from you where you can plummet to your death. Not fun if you have a fear of heights (like me) or if you are with an over-eager toddler who thinks this is the greatest play-park he has ever seen. Ben was old enough to be cautious and he and I worked over the ridge slowly together. Nikki was a maniac. He scrambled up and down the rocks like a monkey and Ian could barely keep ahead of him. There was probably .3 miles of some serious bouldering.

The views while you are doing this are awesome. You are at the tippy-top of the Shenandoah ridgeline and you have views in all directions. A turkey vulture soared on some thermals right below us so close we could see its red head. This is probably one of the most spectacular hikes in the park – but take my advice. Unless your child is old enough that they will sit patiently while you scout our a route down a rock, skip this climb.

Which leads me to another observation. Ben has done a little rock climbing at REI and it really showed. He did a great job finding footholds and handholds and he had a lot of confidence coming down some tricky bits. Nikki really surprised me. Despite his frenetic pace and the fact that he ALWAYS chose the most difficult route he actually clumbed really well. At one point, as he was coming down a steep bit, he got stuck. Instead of panicking he climbed back up a bit, changed the lead foot, and came back down so he could reach the next foothold with the correct foot.


Stonyman Summit (1.4 miles – easy)
The hike to the summit of Stonyman is easy and yields fantastic views. Pick up the little booklet at the trailhead – it gives a lot of good information about the ecosystem and history of the mountain. We had a great snack at the summit, took out our binoculars, and scanned the skies for the peregrine falcons that nest there. Instead we saw a turkey vulture soaring on the thermals. The views are wonderful and it was a great place to sit and take in all of Shenandoah. This one is a must-do!
Just as we were getting ready to leave I head the call of the falcon and turned just in time to watch it swoop across the skyline. So I got a brief glimpse… unfortunately in the time it took met o say “Look!” it was already gone. We climbed all over the summit trying to get views in other directions but we never saw it again.