Hiking with toddlers????

[mtnhiker10]

hello to all my veteran forum goers! I'm looking for a nice easy mtn hike that i can take my 3 month pregnant wife and 17month old son on. i've been to the high peaks several times on our"GUY TRIPS"(which usually means we make up alot of brave and heroic stories to tell back home of stuff we did out on the trail. or didn't do?) and i've hiked a couple mtns with my wife.
i will be carrying my son in a back pack style carrier and my wife will not be carrying much other than a small fanny pack. i will beable to bring some "just in case" items along in my kid carrier, but other than that , not much else. i'd really like to do a mtn. but would settle for anything that the more expierenced hiker would advise. i look forward to reading any responses to this post or any redirects to another post that might address this issue. thank you so much .

[Bill I.]

Bald Mountain near Old Forge is regarded as one of the easiest and most rewarding hikes around. I first climbed that one when I was ~5 years old. There is a fire tower, but the ground-level views are terrific, too.

[Klip59]

Cat Mountain in Bolton Landing has an incredible view of Lake George. Trail is a old logging road with very good footing and moderate inclines

[WinterWarlock]

Mt Arab firetower near Tupper - has great views, and is pretty straightforward hiking. (web site shows pics of toddlers on the summit!)

[Lute Hawkins]

The hill above Hitchens Pond is a scramble, but is very short (approx 200-250 feet, maybe 10-15 minutes tops), and the views are truly fantastic. You reach the pond via a level 2-mile-or-so trail. There is a dam there, and the waterway flowing through the damn into the pond comes from Low's Lake. There's a good chance you'll see paddlers passing through. On the pond itself is a scenic campsite.

[Hobbitling]

kane mountain is pretty short and not steep at all. maybe a half hour or so. its got a fire tower with nice views.

[Sasquatch]

Hey, good to see more kids out there. We've been taking our 3 boys out since they were in eutero as well. A little advice, if you haven't been carrying the kid in the backpack, get some practice on level ground before you hit the trail. The kid will change your center of gravity and your balance. Also, a canopy on the carrier is a good investment. It allows for bug netting, rain and sun protection, and keeps those low branches you just miss from swiping the kid in the face or top of the head. Also remember, the kid isn't moving like you are, so they'll need to dress a bit warmer than you. Oh, and don't forget the haircut unless you like to be treated like a pony.
As to trails, my first suggestion is get the Kids on the Trail book from ADK. Lots of good trails to upgrade to as the kids get older. My family has made it up a variety of places and also "flatter" trails as well. The Arab suggestion is a good one. As is Bald (aka Rondaxe) mountain. Azure, is a bit harder, but my wife hiked it pregnant too (though note, she has absolutely NO history of any difficulties). Cathedral Rock at the ranger school is another good one. Basically, talk to the doctor about any limitations for your wife. As for the kids, enjoy it while it lasts. At that age they are totally portable so long as you feed them and keep them warm. It's when they get a bit older that you have to start worrying about minimal milage (though with kids it's always an adventure, so shorter hikes aren't an issue), and my personal "freak-out", cliffs.

[Bill I.]

The hill above Hitchens Pond is a scramble, but is very short (approx 200-250 feet, maybe 10-15 minutes tops), and the views are truly fantastic.

There is a marked trail to the lookout now, about 1 mile long with switchbacks.

Great pics, by the way--far sunnier than when I was there.

[Sparky]

I took my daughters last summer to Marcy Dam, Mt Jo from the ADK Loj. Owl's Head off Rt 73 isn't that bad.

The older daughter hiked at least 3/4's of the way in and back on both trips. She was around 27-months. The Marcy Dam trip, the 2nd daughter, 14-months rode in the kiddie back pack.

A tip: Kids aren't focused on getting to the top or the end of the trail, they will want to stop to look at leaves and rocks, observe birds, or pick up a stick. So you need to adjust your goal for the trip as you're doing it. Main point, just enjoy the time in the outdoors and make it fun for the kids or they won't want to come back.

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[WllrPnd]

Last year (2207) we started by taking our 6 week old first up Baker Mt in Saranac and then Owl’s Head off rte.73 (mentioned above). Both were really nice hikes. Perfect family hikes, short, great views, they had it all. We eventually got him up 10-15 other ‘small’ hikes as the summer went along. He loves being outside, I highly recommend it to everyone with little ones.
Some notes, Baker Mt. was crowded (we were told ahead of time that it would be, so no big deal, we needed to get out). It's a great hike and the picture is only 1/2 up at an overlook (the views further up are even better). It was a great hike but very popular.
Owls Head has so far been my favorite "easy" hike we've done with the little guy. However, we hit it on a day that had perfect weather, no one else around, and we spent 1-2 hours just hanging around up top. So I may be biased?
I really think both hikes are what you're looking for.

Ah, we also climbed Mt Joe with him at ~ 6 weeks, but extremely crowded wasn't even the wayto describe that. It was in July, so shame on us I guess

[stripperguy]

We made annual hikes up Chimney Mt. when my kids and nieces and nephews were younger. My daughter climbed it unassisted at 3, I carried my son in a carrier when he was 6 months old. The kids really enjoyed scrambling in and through all the caves. But...we had to keep a good eye on them, didn't want them to drop into one of the deep ones!
Castle Rock is a nice, easy hike too, with great views.
We used to take a lot of short hikes near the state campgrounds when the kids were little. G Lake has lots of newts to keep the kids' attantion. The waterfall near Raquette Lake, is it on Dead Creek?...It's just a short hop from the road and the kids would really enjoy playing in the water.
Oh, I just remembered, the potholes on West Canada Creek. The kids would slide down the little steps in the creek.
Man, I loved those times. And all of the kids, now adults, do express their apreciation for the mountains we helped them build. It didn't have to be an epic journey, they say, it was just nice to be together and outside.

[WinterWarlock]

One other thought, and I know this is the ADKForum, but you say you're from Western NY...since I'm not sure where you might be, there are some very nice places near the Finger Lakes...my kids like Buttermilk Falls near Ithaca.

[mtnhiker10]

Wow ! thank you!, ,this is why i love this site and the adks! tons of great information. so far i'm liking owls head or mt jo. Is there any bans on these trails for mid may? i've been reading a little about the dec bans during mud season, and i'll be in lake placid mid may. should i be planning on hiking lower flat trails or are these short mtn hikes going to be ok?

[mtnhiker10]

One other thought, and I know this is the ADKForum, but you say you're from Western NY...since I'm not sure where you might be, there are some very nice places near the Finger Lakes...my kids like Buttermilk Falls near Ithaca.

I've heard of this hike from alot of people, and i'm planning on doing it this summer. From what i understand, these trails aren't that difficult, so they would be perfect for me, my 18 month old son, and my, by then, 4-5 month pregnant wife? ?????

[mtnhiker10]

Love the pics wllrpnd