Article and photographs by Ben McLeod
We Portlanders are a lucky bunch. We live in a city literally surrounded by natural wonders. Our western edge is made up of steep, wooded hills. To the north, we have the beautiful Columbia River. The iconic Mt. Hood and its foothills are to the east, and the verdant and abundant Willamette Valley lies south. Everywhere we look, we can see adventure calling us.
When you’re a young adult, without any worries in the world (i.e. children and their sundries), it’s easy to get out and explore. The task seems a bit more daunting when you have kids. It doesn’t have to be. With a little prep work and patience, you can get back out into the wilderness, and teach a new generation to appreciate it!
EASE ON IN
The secret to great family hikes is to train your children early, without letting them know you’re training them. Ease into things. When they’re real little, have them hop out of the stroller and walk as far as they can. Sometimes that might be half a block and will take half an hour. That’s OK. They’re getting used to moving under their own power.
NURTURE THE ADVENTURE
Turn every outing into an adventure. It shouldn’t matter if it’s a walk to the library, or a ramble down to your local park. The goal is to get your child to love exploring the outdoors. Look for fairy houses and gnome holes. Get to know the birds that live in your neighborhood.
BRING LOTS OF SNACKS
This should be obvious, but it needs to be stated. Throw an absurd amount of snacks into your bag, and then double it. Snack breaks will be requested often, and that’s OK. Little bodies need a lot of fuel. When they’re a bit older (like, say, 6ish), get them a small backpack so they can carry their own food and water.
BE PREPARED TO “FAIL”
One of the most important lessons that I, a goal-oriented, “I’m hiking to the summit” hiker, learned pretty early with my kids; prepare to not make your distance goal. Keep this in mind when scouting out hikes; an out-and-back is better than a loop. I learned this the hard way and ended up carrying a 4-year-old further than I’d care to recall.
FIGURE OUT THEIR LIMITS
This is a tricky one. The secret is to, over time, build up your children’s ability to hike further. This involves encouraging them to go a little further than they want to go without incurring the wrath of THE MELTDOWN. You know your child best. Pay close attention and try to time it so you can turn around while they still have some energy left, but have gone a bit further than the last time. Snacks always help!
WHAT TO WEAR
Don’t worry about buying sturdy (and expensive) hiking boots for your kids (or you, for that matter). Running sneakers are going to be your best bet. Even Pacific Crest throughhikers have thrown out bulky hiking boots in favor of light trail-running shoes. The important thing is your children’s feet stay dry and their shoes don’t slip around. I shouldn’t have to say this, but I see a lot of them still in existence: NO CROCS! They are the worst thing you can put on your kid.
WHERE TO GO
• Your local park. We have a lot of them. Chances are, there’s one within walking distance of your house!
• The 4T trail is one of the best ways to explore our city. Start on the Streetcar in the South Waterfront and take it to the Blue or Red Line MAX and ride the MAX to the Zoo. From the Zoo, you hike up to Council Crest (there are two options; all trails or the stroller-friendly trails and paved paths), and then down to OHSU where you ride the Tram down to the South Waterfront.
• Forest Park has tons of trails. And there are plenty of off-trail adventures to be had.
• Oaks Bottom has a nice trail around the pond that you can hit up before or after that roller skating session at Oaks Park.
• Tryon State Park is Oregon’s only state park within a major metropolitan area, although you’d have a hard time believing you’re in a “major metropolitan area” when you’re hiking the trails!
• The Columbia River Gorge is so full of adventure it’s almost a disservice to mention it in passing (and kids LOVE waterfalls; so do you). Do yourself a favor and just go explore it. While most of the trails are family-friendly, they can tend to have some steep drop-offs. Keep the kids close.
Ben McLeod lives in Portland with his wife Nikki and two sons, Liam and Campbell. They can generally be found exploring the many natural wonders found in the Portland area; from hiking in the Columbia River Gorge, skiing on Mt. Hood, or kayaking on the Willamette. They are a family that thrives on adventure.
