Taking to the trails is a great way to introduce youngsters to the benefits of fresh air and the natural world. Here are five hikes to enjoy together:
- Sioux Charley Lake, Nye, Mont. This 6-mile round-trip hike is scenic from start to finish. The initial views include tumbling waterfalls through a canyon-walled section of the Stillwater River known locally as the washtubs. The river braids and the canyon widens as hikers move toward the Beartooth Mountain peaks through forest and meadows dotted with wildflowers. The lake area and the nearby rock outcroppings are perfect settings for a picnic.
Contact: visitmt.com; MTHikes.com
- Lory State Park, Fort Collins, Colo. A popular northern Front Range destination, Lory State Park offers 26 miles of hiking (and biking) trails, rich in wildflowers during the summer. Wind through rocky hills and green valleys. Savor the aroma of the ponderosa pine forest. Join ranger-led hikes under the full or almost full moon in the year’s warmest stretch for a memorable family outing.
Contact: cpw.state.co.us
- Washington, D.C., and Virginia, the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal. Take a break from hiking between museums and galleries and stretch your legs on a scenic path just 20 minutes from the Capitol. The trail begins at the Angler’s Inn and follows the canal towpath for 2.3 miles to the Great Falls Tavern, passing old locks along the way. The outing is an opportunity to discuss the way locks once lifted boats 600 feet during the years — from the 1830s until 1924 — it was in use. On weekends, the park service offers rides on canal boats pulled by mules.
Contact: nps.gov/choh
