As New Yorkers, we’re blessed with four full seasons a year, and three of those are ideal for hiking. In the Capital District and points immediately beyond, opportunities to hike abound, from strenuous all-day mountain climbs (the 49 peaks in Adirondack Park) to short, preschool friendly walks in our many conservation parks.
“Keep it short, bring lots of snacks, and bring along a child carrier/backpack in case your child gets tired,”
A local group of parents started up Nature Walks for Children many years ago to encourage families to enjoy the outdoors. The group plans a series of hikes every Thursday or Friday in both fall and spring, and the goal is to keep them interesting, easy and informal. The hiking schedule and a list of suggested hikes are posted at http://www.modernmemories.net/hiking/Spring2012.html.
The group gets passed down from parents of preschoolers to newcomers as children grow and move on to lengthier hikes. Seven-year member Megan Orsini, of Guilderland, a veteran of hiking with youngsters has her own tried and true tips.
“Keep it short, bring lots of snacks, and bring along a child carrier/backpack in case your child gets tired,” said Orsini.
She’s also found a way to make each hike an interactive experience.
“I have a list of things we look for as we walk that makes it like a scavenger hunt, like newts, butterflies, flowers, acorns etc.,” she said.
Check out a sample hiking scavenger hunt list at the end of this article.
Other things that make for a successful hike are appropriate clothes and shoes, a water bottle for each hiker and being mindful of the weather and climate in order to provide appropriate protections like sunscreen and bug spray.
The hikes enjoyed by Nature Walks for Children are in locations are all across the Capital District within about a 30 mile radius, and they are generally about a mile or shorter. The group has a planning meeting twice a year to set each season’s schedule, and those most familiar with certain locations claim them as the hike leader.
Each member of the group has a favorite trail. Kristen Hilts, leader of several hikes, said she loves Limerick Rise in Altamont, with its open meadow full of wildflowers.
“If you hit it just right in early May, the forest floor will be carpeted with white trillium,” she said.
Orsini puts the Powell Bird Sanctuary in Chatham at the top of her list because it’s a two-for-one outing. The hike itself has a beautiful vista at the top, and it is next door to the Old Chatham Shepherding Company, a working farm where visitors are welcome. Children will enjoy seeing the baby lambs there, and parents can pick up some homemade cheese and yogurt.
Staci Partin Hanscom, formerly of Albany, remembers Hollyhock Hollow Sanctuary in Selkirk as her family’s favorite hike before they moved to Maine a year ago.
“It’s a great easy walk with lots of birds and butterflies, and not crowded,” she said.
Voorheesville mother of four Sarah Deeb said the Albany Pine Bush and Discovery Center was a perfect walk for her big family, which includes a 3-year-old, 1-year-old and newborn girls.
“We did a picnic and hike there once. It was really peaceful and private despite its location,” she said.
Another bonus of the Pine Bush is the free indoor Discovery Center, which is full of exhibits to enchant young explorers.
Thatcher Park and its famous hike, the Indian Ladder Trail, has been a local favorite for generations. It is among many local parents’ favorite hikes, and was even the runaway favorite in the Parent Pages 2012 Parent Picks poll (Page 8). The trail itself winds along the top of the Helderberg escarpment, with limestone cliffs that rise several hundred feet. The views, rock formations and waterfalls that you actually walk under on the trail are among the reasons it draws thousands of hikers a year. Very young children (2 and under) should be in a baby carrier, and those 6 and under should have one adult per child available to take a hand for some of the more narrow and rocky passes.
(Find one of each of the following)
Something thin
Something brown
Something with veins
Something smooth
Something green
Something scented
Something twisted
Something that shows an insect was there
Something that looks like a “Y”
Something that can be tied
Something white
Something sharp
Something hairy
Something alive
Something not alive
Something brittle
A piece of bark
Something rough
Something round
Something with a hole in it
Something opaque (that lets the light shine through)
A feather
