I was about 8 weeks postpartum with my first baby when I decided I had to get out of the house. So why wouldn’t I think to strap my newborn on my chest and to hike Camelback Mountain…hmmm wise? I don’t know. Worth it? YES.
We got up bright and early, strapped our sweet newborn in a baby carrier and started up the mountain.
To be honest it was too much for my postpartum body, but it was beautiful and so good for my soul!
It took us a long time to get up to the top with lots of stops to rest and lots of friendly admirers of the teeny tiny baby, but we made it! We probably heard “Good job! Teach them while they’re young!” a hundred times while on that hike. It was encouraging and even though my body was exhausted, it was worth it.
I’m not a super experienced hiker, but I’ve always loved being outside and I love exercise, so that has been the main motivator for me on most hikes.
But in recent years, I learned I actually love hiking! Not just for the exercise or beauty, but it’s so fun! It’s fun to be with other people, it’s fun to accomplish something hard, and it’s fun to explore and find more reasons to love where we live! I really hope we are passing that excitement onto our kids!
Here are some tips if you want to start hiking with your kids but don’t know where or how to start.
XO,
Karlee
How to find East Valley hikes that are toddler friendly
- Follow online accounts of outdoorsy/adventure families from Arizona that post nearby hikes. It helps with inspiration of where to go and which hikes will be good for kids and which ones might be too difficult for certain ages.
Here’s a few of our favorite local moms to follow for hiking inspiration:
The Desert Stories | Mesa mom of 2
Camp Cutler | Mesa mom of 6
- Download the AllTrails App to help research hikes beforehand and go over the trail to get a feel for what it will be like. It also has reviews from previous hikers and that is a goldmine of information! People can leave reviews about weather, trail conditions, etc. It is a great resource to help prepare and also can track your location in relation to the trail to help you stay on the right path.
- Start small. A simple trail with a fun creek to dip feet in or a short one with a waterfall at the end will be a big crowd pleaser and give the sense of accomplishment and fun.
What to pack for a hike with toddlers
- We always take little non-melty candies for extra motivation for the kids. It’s amazing what 3-4 little skittles can do for motivation and encouragement! “Walk to the next bend and you get 4 skittles!” And hey, sometimes that helps the adults too!
Make it a game! Sometimes we make a scavenger hunt for things to look for along the trail. We see who can count 50 saguaro first or guess how many lizards we’ll spot, etc. It keeps them entertained for longer and lets us see more of the trail. - Bring some muscle (and/or a baby carrier)! If you are hiking with littles, you will most likely be carrying some of them at some point…or lots of points. I have carried my fair share of kids on hikes, but I love when my husband can come to help with that part!
- This might be obvious, but always pack more water than necessary. If we ever have any left, the kids get to chug it on the way home, but most of the time we finish it on the trail and are so grateful we had enough. It’s not called the Valley of the Sun for nothing! It’s hot, we need a LOT of water!
Best East Valley Kid-Friendly Hikes
Get our full round up of the best hikes with littles on this blog post, but here’s a few to get you started planning an adventure that’s a quick hour or a day trip.
The best kid-friendly fast hike in Mesa
Brown Mountain: It is a super quick hike up to the top, but has awesome views of the Valley. The kids like to see the tall buildings all the way in Phoenix! (Just off Brown and Ellsworth)
The ultimate half-day adventure with a kid-friendly hike
Apache Tears Trail: One of our favorites that we’ve done this year! Definitely plug this one into maps because the turn off comes up quick. It’s a bit of a drive, just past the Boyce Arboretum, but totally worth it! Most of the trail is not shaded, so plan to go in a cooler month. We crossed a small creek at the beginning and on the way back we had a picnic at some tables near the creek.. There is a cave at the top of the trail where you will find the Apache Tears or obsidian in the mountainside – BIG crowd pleaser!
Best day trip with a waterfall hike young kids can accomplish
Tonto Natural Bridge: This one is up near Payson, perfect for a day trip (get our full guide to this state park here). My kids still talk about it and we can’t wait to do it again (maybe when our youngest can walk most of it). It is so beautiful and there are options to make it shorter or longer depending on your group. We stopped at the bridge, had a picnic, and explored all the boulders and rocks under the bridge. It was so much fun!
Why start hiking with kids?
“Teach them while they’re young” has been our philosophy ever since. We’ve taken our kids on many hikes over the years and really enjoyed having them with us for adventures.
Sometimes there are big breaks in between our hikes but we keep trying and keep bringing them with us. It isn’t always easy and more times than not, they complain about not wanting to go, but almost always, they end up loving it and want to plan another one!
The older my kids get, the more I believe that hard things are so good for our personal development. Hiking a big mountain or a long trail is a special kind of accomplishment that builds resilient, strong, and adventurous kiddos!
Just keep trying. We’ve had experiences where we were too hot, too tired, too grumpy, and had to turn around before the end and that’s ok. We have had major meltdowns and lots of crying. But, we keep trying. Point out the beauty and the fun and be ok with a little discomfort in exchange for so much more!
