Once summer starts in Colorado just about every able-bodied adult makes plans to go hiking as many times as possible. Most people choose to live here to enjoy the outdoors, and after a long winter we’re more than ready to get out and breathe the mountain air.

The truth of the matter in Colorado is that there are really three seasons (spring is just an extended winter), and the summer season is relatively short. That generally means that every weekend from June 1st through Labor Day most of the popular trailheads across the state will be full of day hikers.

And of course, many of us venture off to Wyoming, Utah, New Mexico, Arizona, California, Montana, the Appalachians, Alaska, or any number of exotic destinations for epic hiking adventures. Because if you are a hiker, you just can’t not hike as often as you can. And you spend your free moments at work looking over trail maps online, eager for that opportunity to hit the trail.

Those of us with families. Well, we love taking our families out on the trail and hope that they will fall in love with the outdoors and it a lifelong past time as adults. When my kids were very young, I could only tackle difficult trails on my own or with similarly conditioned adults. But now that my eldest son is a teenager, he and I can do pretty much handle any dayhike (~15 miles or less) without any difficulty.

My youngest (10 years old) is like many kids his age and while he participates in sports like soccer, mountain hikes are still a challenge and for him the challenge of the hike often outweighs the enjoyment of the scenery and wildlife. So I often need to be particularly choosy about the hikes we do as a family so that they are not pathetically easy, but still have enough to interest and entertain a young mind (wildlife, lakes, waterfalls, etc).

With all that in mind, I thought I’d talk about some of the things that I learned over the years to help make family hiking easier.

Comfortable Boots

Unless you are taking a leisurely stroll on paved or a very well-groomed gravel surface, hiking boots are a necessity. Over the course of hours you will be stepping over sharp rocks and uneven surfaces and the thick durable soles of hiking boots will save your feet a lot of misery (and avoid you from destroying a pair of otherwise fine walking shoes).

Be choosy about your hiking boots and really break them in before you do a long hike. Make sure they handle water well but don’t ever fully submerge them unless it’s unavoidable (and make it quick). Most boots are considered waterproof but once any shoe gets enough water inside it shortens the life and makes wearing them forever less comfortable.

I have both high ankle and low ankle hiking boots and I think it’s worth saying that prefer the low ankle for my use. I did a steep hike up Mount Elbert in Colorado in 2022 with the high ankle boots and I found the heal of my foot getting blistered rubbing against the boot. Normally when we are walking up a steep incline our heal actually passes above the edge of the shoe and we don’t even notice it. If you have a tendency to roll your ankles, however, always use the high ankle boots and lace them up well.

Also, don’t neglect boots for your kids. I bought my 10-year-old a pair of hiking boots and he was much more comfortable. We tend as parents to not want to waste money on things we know our kids will grow out of quickly and only use one season, but the boots were a decent price and he was much more comfortable and happy hiking in them.

Sunglasses and Hats

The sun is always insanely bright at high altitude and is also pretty harmful to the eye’s retina over time. You must always wear sunglasses for eye safety just as much as you put on sunscreen to protect against sunburns.

And that goes for kids too. Adults, being that we drive, tend to own sunglasses and are rarely without them outside on sunny days. Kids, however, tend to get neglected when it comes to eye protection. Make sure they have sunglasses. Eye health is too important.

And hats really matter too, particularly in the desert or on exposed mountain slopes. Sometimes the wind can be severe so make sure it fits well or has a strap.

Hiking Poles

Until just recently I never really took hiking poles seriously and I never used them. I’m fairly athletic and have good balance. I’ve been hiking for decades. They just seemed to be an unnecessary accessory,

My wife has long said that they help her on inclines and I made sure to bring them on our last hiking outing. My youngest also really enjoyed using poles. And when I gave them a try, I did indeed find that they are pretty nice to have for inclines and to give yourself an added level of stability over long distances.

The hiking poles of yesteryear were just polished wooden sticks and those are certainly worth their nostalgic value. We have several that can be adjusted to size for whoever is using the as well as interchangeable feet for the terrain.

Hydration Packs

We bought camelback backpacks several years ago and to be honest I didn’t like them. Most of the space was taken up by the water container which left me little room for cameras, food, extra clothes, and other things. I honestly don’t like to have my water supply in the same space as everything else, just in case there are leaks (and they do happen),

Cleaning them has also always been kind of tough. I never put anything but pure water in them, but even then after I had drained them I would still find that they held residual water from the last time I used them. So then I’d spend a lot of extra time trying to rinse and scrubbing them out before using them.

We found the holy grail of hydration packs at Cabela’s (now owned by Bass Pro Shops). These are lightweight hydration packs, and only hydration packs. Yes, you are then hiking with one hydration pack and one backpack, but you lose no space in your backpack and the water is completely separate from everything else. My youngest doesn’t usually carry a backpack but he has his own hydration pack.

Another nice-to-have are these cleaning tablets. You just drop a tablet with some water and it cleans the bladder and hoses. Rinse out the water and you are good to go with confidence.

Trail Maps

Most of us stay on trails and aren’t worried about getting lost. But having an accurate trail map is a really helpful thing.

Good trail maps show a lot of the spur trails and connecting trails that standard park maps often omit. That’s really helpful if you might decide to take an alternate route. Often they include the altitude and physical topography which helps you to know what challenges are ahead.

They might include points of interest, overlooks, foliage (or at least an indication of where forests, meadows, and grasslands, wetlands, and lakes occur. So go ahead and buy a good map of the areas you’ll be hiking and keep them in a place where they are available next time you go (like in your vehicle’s storage compartment).

I Have to Go to the Bathroom

I’ve had a couple family hikes derailed in the first couple miles of the hike by the following dreaded words:

Son: “I have to go to the bathroom.”
Me: “Just go behind the trees.”
Son: “No, I have to go number two.”
Me: “Can you hold it?”
Son: “No.”

The only option at that point is to make it back to the trailhead where hopefully there is a pit toilet. Along the way the situation usually worsens as, well, you know. Eventually, instead of enjoying nature you are making an emergency stop at Walmart for a change of clothes.

I decided that rather than let this situation arise and ruin another hike I will be proactive going forward. Pack a couple gallon-sized bags, flushable wipes, a couple pairs of of latex gloves, and hand sanitizer in your backpack.

If the situation arises just let your child do their business in the trees (or otherwise out of sight) using the wipes and gloves to clean up and the plastic bag to seal it all away in your backpack until you can properly dispose of it. In most cases you can just dig a hole for the ‘matter’ but the wipes, etc must be carried out. Also make sure they properly situate themselves so as not to go on their clothes and make a difficult situation worse. And also, since their clothes will be touching the forest floor, check for ticks and spiders afterward.

While this isn’t an ideal scenario, it’s certainly a lot better than far worse scenarios. Your kid will feel a lot better having gone and likely be ready for a more enjoyable journey. And even adults can benefit from this simple solution if they are on multi-day hikes or, go forbid, have a sudden bought of intestinal illness.