Who wants to take there small children on a hike!?? What? no! Why not? Ha. We've all been there. Some of us might not want to take our not-small children on a hike- or ourselves on a hike for that matter! But in this new-normal, quarantined, life, I think it's time to get outside, if you haven't already!
Today, we're giving a shout-out to the Wyandotte Lake trails because the range from short-and-sweet to day-long extravaganzas! Another reason we want to shout out Wyandotte Lake is because there will be a Stony Point Christian Church group-hike on Saturday, June 13th for anyone who wants to join in the fun! (9:30am, meet at shelter house 14).
How many of us remember using an actual camera? Well, each of the photos in the collage above were taken by a 6 year old. This week on your trail hike, take cameras or phones along and have each family member take pictures of whatever they think is cool. You might get a picture of feet or a picture of mushroom (taken for Miss Lily, obviously), but you might also get some winners. After the hike go through your pictures together!
Also, consider viewing the trail map prior to the hike, especially if you have little ones. There are lots of big rocks you can sit down on but there are also plenty of tables or benches depending on where you go. Pack a backpack with a few things you might need:
Bring snacks and drinks- We enjoy making "Snack Bags". A few cheerios, fruit loops, a few Doritos thrown in there, a bag of fruit snacks, and a piece of chocolate all tossed together in a snack bag can do wonders. See what crackers, cereals, or candies you might have and set them out on the counter and have grab a handful of each and put it in your bag as a trail snack. Don't forget water bottles.
Bring safety supplies- I highly recommend having a few first aid items on hand. This might just meaning grabbing one of the $3 purse sized ones from Walmart or just stuffing a few bandaids of different sizes and some cleaning wipes in a ziplock bag. Be prepared for a scraped knee or roughed up hands if you have younger kids.
Review with the kids – each hike – what to do if they should become separated from you. One thing more parents don't think about is separating from their kids- especially not on a little trail meant for families. Give each child a whistle to wear and teach them to blow it if they get lost. Be sure they know stay put and blow their whistle in 3 sharp bursts. Sometimes kids “get it” better if they’re told to use the whistle to “find Mom or Dad” rather than if they’re lost, since being “lost” is not always readily apparent to them.
I'm attaching a few trail maps below. This first one shows the East side of the lake. These colors do not show the extent of the trails. There are plenty more hidden in there but the orange is one of the best options our family has found to start out on because if it gets too long you can jump trails and head back!
On the west side of the lake you'll notice these longer trails that take a little bit longer to complete. From shelter house 14 (where the yellow, pink, red, and orange all start) to the dock takes about 35 minutes. The trip back is longer if you use the pink path but there are plenty of places to jump between trails and take a shorter route.
(No, these paths aren't paved. If you're in need of a less-bumpy, paved path, check out Mill Creek Parkway.)
Have fun, y'all! And we'll see you for the Stony Point Group-Hike on June 13th at 9:30am. We'll be meeting at Shelter house 14 to head out!