FAMILY TRAVEL
Book: Best Hikes With Kids Colorado (2012) by Maureen Keilty
By Jennifer Close
With the snow (mostly) gone around Denver, we have been hiking together as a family just about every Sunday.
After researching a hike on the web and then heading to the trail only to find that it was not in fact appropriate for elementary school children, we decided that we needed a resource that was tailored to family hikes. After digging around the library and wandering through the bookstore, I finally turned to social media for hiking with kids suggestions. Over and over again, my Colorado peers suggested Best Hikes With Kids Colorado by Maureen Keilty.
After purchasing this book and putting it through its paces, I can understand why.
Best Hikes with Kids Colorado is a compilation of 100 hikes around the state of Colorado that are great for kids. Twenty-eight of those family hikes are located within an hour of Denver. The book begins with a list of the hikes and features the hike name, difficulty, season that the hike is doable, and a few brief highlights about the hike. It is a quick way to pick a hike that you are interested in. There is a short introduction that shares ideas to keep kids entertained on hikes, things to pack, and how to use the book.
Each hike has its own section with an overview and information about the hike. There is a paragraph explaining how to get to the hike, which we have found is pretty accurate. Trailheads are not easy to find and parking is sometimes impossible to find. The paragraph lists details about the parking situation and where to look for trailheads. As a parent, I appreciate that the logistics of each hike includes whether or not bathrooms and drinking fountains are present, if camping is allowed, and the best time to visit.
On The Trail shares things to look for on each hike from start to finish. This is my favorite part of the book. I hate finding out that we missed some great landmark or field of flowers after we have finished a hike. There is also a trail map just in case the maps are not available where you are going.
The book of family hikes is small enough to jam into your windbreaker pocket or backpack. We have been thankful that we have had this book along with us several times.
The best part about this book is that if you don’t live in the state of Colorado, the publisher has put out a number of Best Hikes with Kids books including Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine as well as Oregon, San Francisco, New Mexico and more.
We have made it our goal to make it through all one hundred of the hikes listed in Best Hikes with Kids Colorado. So far, we have completed six hikes. Only 94 more to go!
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LOVE hiking, either by myself or with the husband and/or kids. We used to take family hikes fairly often when they were younger. Now one is 18 and the other is 16, so they’ve got other more entertaining things to do now.
But my husband and I still take a walk just about every night, and I usually get a few long walks in by myself during the week.
looks like an amazing book! i love the photos of your kids – it makes you want to get out and MOVE!
I have to say I have never much been into hiking, but mostly because it seemed sort of overwhelming – where to go? How far a walk and how hard? This sounds like a great guide that would encourage someone like me to get up and go!