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Hiking with little kids

We are a family of 4 with two little kids under 6. Due to Covid, there are fewer options for little children to play in the outdoors. Parks are still a bit risky in my opinion due to the uncontrolled manner in which kids touch or run around the play area structures. 

In past few weeks, we started exploring hiking areas around South Bay as a family. Turns out, our kiddos though youngest is yet to turn 3 love hiking and the woods. We pick hikes that are shaded and typically try to limit for a less than 3mile hike. But we did do a 4.1mile loop recently and both kids were champs at completing it. Let me share more on some of our favorite hikes so far. 

  1. Uvas Canyon County Park: This one tops the list as it is a beautiful trail with many little waterfalls and bridges. Sounds of water makes the hike very soothing and the little snack breaks by the water falls are fun for the kids. Visiting 'Uvas Canyon County Park' requires reservation ahead of time as the park is controlling amount of people in its premises at any given time of the day. It is a parking reservation per vehicle for a 1 hour slot and you need to make sure to reach the park in the allotted time. After arrival, you are free to spend the whole day at the park. We reserved a 10-11AM slot on a Saturday and reached the park around 9:45AM. Park has a few picnic tables, well maintained restrooms and good directions for the hike. We did the waterfall loop which continues into contour loop turning into a complete 4.1 mile hike. Though our kiddos managed to complete the loop through the woods and hills post the initial ~2.1 miles of waterfalls, it is a good idea for families with kids to turn back to get the second round of waterfalls for added fun time. Hike is well shaded throughout. 
  2. Montalvo Villa LookOut Point: Montalvo is a beautiful villa with its own garden, big grassy area for kids to run around, couple small fishponds, amphitheater and hikes through beautiful redwood trees. Hike itself is shaded and beautiful with little uphill climbs for short durations of time. Families can choose to do shorter loop hikes too. Kids love playing near the amphi theater, villa's backyard gardens and the huge grassy area to play tag. We love this place for its fresh greenery. I also see many plant lovers taking pictures of plants to identify the various types of plants in the garden. 
  3. Almaden Park and Vasona Park: Both these parks are great for weekday and weekends quick family trips for walks and biking. They are easily accessible and beautiful parks with lakes. In Almaden park, we like doing the complete loop around the lake with kids on bike and us doing the walk/jog to catch up with them. It is quite crowded over the weekends as well as weekdays. Vasona Park has been our go to park for a very long time. Kids love spending time near the little marshy lake areas in the park where they get to watch ducks, explore walking through the tree branches, play with pebbles and do other creative things. 
  4. Rancho San Antonio Preserve: This is a beautiful park with lush green hills, cute little farm with lots of animals like sheep, goats, chickens and cows. Park also has turkeys and deers walking around giving hikers quick sightings. It is a flat trail but can feel long on its way to the little farm for little kids. We visited park on a day when the farm was closed and so could not spend time with the animals. I am sure kids would get energized if they get to play with animals for their way back on the hike. 

What works best for us while packing for hikes:

  • Fruits: Our kids love berries and so I typically pack two separate bowls of blueberries/strawberries for them to snack in between the hike. 
  • Water: I always carry my backpack with all their snacks during these hikes. Bag also includes water bottle, band aids and wipes among other things.
  • Sunscreen: Lots of sunscreen regardless of the time of the day to protect their delicate skin. Though it is always a challenge to get it applied on the little too agile kid's face:).
  • Comfortable shoes: Kids love their rain boots but we always switch to comfortable strap shoes for hikes. 
  • Jackets vs sweaters: We typically prefer jackets on cold windy days but other times, it is good to keep them light. So light sweaters over their shirts keep them layered, warm and light. 

Hope some of the details above help you plan your next trip. Enjoy your time in the nature with your loved ones. 

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