Top Amazing Hikes You Can Take With Your Children

When you are planning your vacation, first you have to find the perfect place that will offer relaxation and cool activities.

If you are an active person, who can’t stand in one place for too long, I recommend hiking. The view from up the trail and the fresh air is all you need to feel in full connection with Mother Nature. But is this the type of vacation you can do when you have kids? Of course! I’m sure the kids will appreciate getting out of town and into an adventure. However, it’s best to look for places with easy hikes so everyone will have fun.

Below I listed some of the most impressive trails in the world where children are more than welcome.

Lighthouse Park

If you are going in West Vancouver you must visit this park. It has a lot of hiking trails – some are a little bit difficult to hike but most are perfect for kids who can learn a lot about nature and see amazing views.

If you are looking for a picturesque location, you can just follow the path that goes right by the picnic tables and up onto a rocky outcrop (you’ll see the lighthouse over the tree line). But if you just want a short walk, there is a wide trail that goes towards the lighthouse – this is an excellent place for a picnic with the family.

Bluestone Turnpike Trail

This is a moderate historic trail that is very popular in the Bluestone National River Park. It follows the path of an old river bank road that was timbered and farmed until 1940. While hiking, your children will observe remains of the human history from that area and will discover a lot of different plants and river wildlife.

Capilano Regional Park aka Capilano Canyon

In this location you can find a lot of points of interest for you and your kids, like Cleveland Dam and Salmon Hatchery. Even better, there are trails that go through the forests of the park then cross the pipe bridge over the canyon.

The view of the river below is breath taking! Some of the trails might be a little hard for the kids but with patience and a lot of encouragement they might make it the end.

Brandywine Falls

If you are planning a vacation to Whistler and you want a short hike for your family then Brandywine Falls is the perfect spot. You only have to walk about 15 minutes from the parking lot before reaching the viewing platform where you can see the wonderful waterfall from above. If you want more, with another short walk, you can go to the end viewpoint where you can see Daisy Lake. Not only that the view is amazing, but you can also see a hydroelectric dam that generates electricity for BC Hydro.

Othello Tunnels

These tunnels just north of Hope were built for a railway line. The hiking trail goes across the steep cliffs of the Coquihalla River and through several of these old train tunnels. I’m sure that the little ones will enjoy this hike while their minds will be with the trains that passed through the area some time ago.

CCC Snipe Trail

Kanawha State Forest near Charleston is the perfect place to feed the curiosity of your kids. It has a great diversity of plants and wildlife. A lot of trails have a difficulty from easy to moderate, but for people traveling with toddlers, there may be too many hills. But the CCC Snipe trail is a 3-4 mile flat trail, and I think toddlers will do just fine. Only make sure to remember to buy those special hiking shoes for toddlers – you’ll congratulate yourself on the trail for this smart decision!

This hike allows you to discover a historic sealed mine and tourists have the chance to learn more about it on guided hikes with the park rangers.

Gold Creek Falls

This waterfall is located in Golden Ears Provincial Park and it’s a pretty easy hike. The round-trip takes 2 to 3 hours and there is a stop along the river’s edge where the kids can take a break. But if you are the one that needs to take a break then the kids can play there. From start to end you’ll find several campsites that are perfect for families with or without children.

Rice Lake

This Lake is located in Lynn Headwater Regional Park and is the perfect place to teach the youngsters how to fish. The lake is full of rainbow trout and the dock area is big.

You also have a 3 km trail that goes around the lake. It’s easy to hike and it offers some interesting views. This is a perfect place to teach your kids two of your passions: hiking and fishing.

Shoreline Trail

This trail is a 6km round-trip hike that begins at Rocky Point Park and ends at the Old Orchard Park. Both parks have playgrounds and there are a few places to explore on the trail as well. Out of all the available stops, I’m sure that the most popular one will be back to Rocky Point Park buying your kids ice cream. For all the effort they put in, I’m sure they deserve a reward!

Whytecliff Park

There is a rocky beach area along the shores of Howe Sound in West Vancouver that your kids will definitely love to explore! There is also a large rocky outcrop just off the shore, perfect for an easy hike.

In the end, I’m hoping you’ll have a lot of fun with the kids on these trails! Just keep in mind to make things easier for them and get them excited about the thrill of discovering and learning new things.

 

Author Bio

Rebecca lives in USA, but loves hiking all over the world. Her favorite is Everest Base Camp Trek in Nepal. It usually takes 16 days, but she likes to slow down, enjoy mountains, company of other adventurers and take more pictures, so it took her 28 days last time. Another of her passion is the ocean, so all short and long hikes along the ocean shore bring a lot of joy. She also writes for HikingMastery.com.