17 Tips for Hiking with Little Kids (As Shared by Outdoorsy Parents)

As a mom of two, I can tell you that hiking with toddlers or really little kids isn’t always easy. There are a lot of hurdles to overcome and your hikes are probably going to be a lot different than in your pre-parent days.

But hiking with little kids is also a wonderful experience.

So don’t let the fear that it will be too “tough” stop you from going hiking with your kids. Instead, here are some tips I’ve picked up along the way (as well as some tips I got from other outdoorsy parents) to make hiking with little kids easier and fun.

1. Kids Don’t Care about Scenery or Logging Miles

If you used to doing long, tough hikes in your pre-parenting life, then adjusting to hiking with a little kid can be tough. Really tough.

Kids simply don’t care about your goals. They don’t care about scenery or logging miles. And they certainly don’t understand the concept of exercise, connecting with nature, or pushing oneself!

You’ll need to redefine what hiking means to you if you want to enjoy it with little kids.

Honestly, I’m not sure most people would consider what I do with my girls as “hiking.” It’s more akin to wandering around in nature and looking at bugs and plants. (Don’t worry: You can still leave the kids at home sometimes to go on tough hikes with your friends!)

2. Know Your Kid’s Physical Limits

Each kid is different, and you’ve got to respect that before taking your kid into the wild on a hiking trip. Just because your friend Jane has a 5-year old who can hike 5 miles, it doesn’t mean that your kid is going to be able to. That’s fine.

Read: How Far Can Kids Hike?

3. Be Prepared for the Mental Hurdles

With little kids, their moods can change quickly. One moment they might be happily running down the trail. The next moment they are having a full-blown tantrum and refusing to walk another step.

While hiking with kids does get easier over time, there will still be mental hurdles to overcome on each hike.

As a parent, dealing with these mental hurdles can be really draining. They can put you in a bad mood and ruin the entire hike.

If I catch myself getting so pissed off that I’m about to shout at my daughters (which obviously won’t help their mood!), I just step aside for a minute to collect myself. Often, this time is enough for my girls to calm down on their own and decide to keep hiking.

4. Leave LOTS of Time for Exploring Nature

Little kids are fascinated by everything. On one hike with my daughter when she was two-years old, she literally poked a stick into a muddy puddle for 30 minutes. She would have stayed longer if I hadn’t dragged her off.

You’ll need to find the right balance of exploring time and hiking time. Remember, the point is for your child to interact with nature and have fun. So leave lots of time for things like looking under rocks, peeking into holes in trees and watching bugs.

Be prepared for your toddler to stop every 10 feet to look at a rock!

5. Steep Is Your Enemy

My friend Callie took her three year old on a steep hike in Montana which she knew would be challenging, but she really wanted to get to the lake at the end.

Because the trail was so steep (and thus narrow), it was really hard to find places to take breaks. It was even difficult to find potty spots. And motivating her daughter to hike on the steep trails was a huge mental hurdle.

6. It’s Okay to Call It Quits

Don’t be afraid to bail if the hike is too difficult, the weather has gotten bad, or simply because no one is having fun.

There’s no shame in turning back. You don’t want to turn your child off of hiking forever because you forced them on a miserable hike.

7. Bring a Stroller or Carrier

You WILL end up carrying your child if you head off on a long hike without a stroller or carrier! While every kid is different, it wasn’t until my older daughter was almost 4 that she was able to complete a hike on her own (and even those hikes weren’t very far).

Read:

8. Find Ways to Motivate the Kids to Hike

Resist the temptation to put your kid in the carrier or stroller the moment they start whining that they are “tired.” You’ll end up physically exhausted. Plus, you want to “train” them to be good hikers in the future.

There are lots of things you can do to motivate them, such using stickers or doing treasure hunts. See these tricks for motivating little kids to hike.

9. Don’t Worry about Looking Foolish

To make hiking with your little kids more fun, pretend that you are animals out on an adventure. Sing silly songs. Examine animal poop…

Don’t worry about what other hikers will think of you. Just have fun with your kids.

10. Pack with Safety in Mind

Whether you are with or without kids, you should always bring basic emergency supplies when hiking. This includes extra water and food, a flashlight, and a waterproof jacket. Bad things can and do happen on hikes!

Kids absolutely need a whistle to wear when hiking in case they get lost. Explain that the whistle isn’t a toy – they should only blow it if they get lost.

Read:

11. Also Pack for Peace of Mind and Enjoyment

In my pre-parenthood days, I would pack ultralight and minimal for hikes. It’s hard to let go of this mentality – but necessary if you want to enjoy hiking with really little kids.

For example, I realized that I’m happy to carry more gear if it will give me peace of mind. Such as packing two complete changes of clothes for my toddler. I like knowing that they are there in case she pees all over herself.

There also some “luxury” hiking items we bring that I would never bring hiking without the kids. Thse items make the hike more enjoyable. For example, sitting pads or waterproof picnic blankets are awesome because you’ll have a dry place to lie down during breaks.

12. Following Leave No Trace

Following the principles of Leave No Trace can be tricky with little kids. They definitely don’t give you much warning before having to poo, so you won’t have time to dig a cathole to bury the waste. You’ll have to do it after the fact, which can be a big pain.

Your kids will also probably want to pick flowers or other activities which aren’t in line with LNT.

For more on this, read: How to Follow LNT with Little Kids (But Still Let Them Have Fun)

13. Consider a Harness

I know this one will be controversial, but consider putting little kids on a harness when hiking. Why?

Because it’s very difficult to constantly hold your two-year-old’s hand while hiking. And it’s mentally draining to constantly keep an eye on your kid. You literally won’t be able to zone out even a bit out of fear that your child might get lost or run off a cliff.

As one dad (who’s parents put him on a leash as a kid) said,

“Kid leashes get a bad rap. From what I remember, it was liberating. My parents didn’t tell me to stay close anymore. They didn’t have to. Their authority became less obvious to me. The only real problem is that haters hate. To avoid this, maybe make a leash out of old climbing ropes and tell people that she’s training for Denali :).”

14. Attach Toys with Rope

I learned this the hard way. At 4 years old, my daughter lost a stuffed animal on a hike. We realized once we got back to camp and had to go on a “rescue mission” to find it.

Unless you feel like backtracking to find a toy or dealing with your child’s tears over the lost toy, I highly suggest you attach any toys to packs/carriers or their wrists.

15. Get Kids At their Best Time

For most kids, this is going to mean early in the morning. You don’t want to start the hike when they are already starting to get tired and cranky.

16. Ignore Social Media Influencers

Look through Instagram (or any other social media platform) and you’ll see endless pictures of happy parents hiking with little kids in gorgeous locations. They make it seem so easy…

What those pictures don’t show are all the tantrums, poop accidents, scratched knees, the back pain after carrying a child for hours…

So be realistic and plan a hike which makes sense for your family instead of trying to meet unrealistic expectations.

This photo is so staged it makes me want to puke :/

17. Celebrate Successes

Most importantly, celebrate successes – no matter how small. If doesn’t matter if you didn’t complete the hike or cover a lot of miles. What does matter is that you and your kids are getting into nature and pushing boundaries. Be proud!

Do you go hiking with your little kids? What tips can you add? Let us know in the comments below.