I will also be getting copies to Vintage Books , but that will take a few weeks.
A little about the book…
Are you looking for low barrier, accessible trails? How ’bout trails where your family can use strollers, bikes, wheelchairs, scooters, wagons, or other wheels? Have you grown skeptical about the information you find on free, online trail resources? Well, look no further.
Jessica Becker is a local homeschooling mom, experienced hiker, outdoor educator, and hike leader. Jessica has published five hiking guides for kids for the Oregon and Washington areas, as well as a low barrier trail guide for the Vancouver, Washington area. Strolling and Wheeling Around Vancouver, WA is the author’s sixth trail guide. This guide includes 30 low-barrier, accessible, wheels-friendly trails located in Clark County, Washington. Each trail has been scouted multiple times, and the author provides the most comprehensive trail description you will find anywhere. Each trail description provides information on distance, trail surface and accessibility, restrooms, kid-specific risks, safety considerations, interesting things about the trail, specific ways to engage with that particular trail, and more. With this guide, the author uses her decades of experience to help you have the safest and most enjoyable trail outing with families of all ages and mobilities. The Vancouver, Washington area has an amazing amount of accessible nature trail opportunities – this is the time to get out and enjoy them!
Bells Mountain Trail from Cold Creek Day Use Area, “little feet hiking”
The heat is here and people will be flocking to our local waterways. In addition to being crowded, our waterways aren’t the safest places during the rapid snowmelt that comes with our first few heat waves of the year. The water can be cold and fast-moving, and many places do not have lifeguards available. So how do you keep your kids active during a heat wave? The awesome thing about our area is that we have so many amazing forests that can keep us cool on the hottest days. Did you know that shady forests can keep us cool through what is known as the process of evapotranspiration?? While forests can help keep you cool, you will still need to take it easy and keep an eye out for signs of heat exhaustion or stroke. Hitting the trail in the morning and bringing along extra water and sun protection is helpful too.
Below are some suggestions of hikes that should be shady, less-crowded, and keep you away from the big bodies of water. If you are going near any body of water, it is good to brush up on your water safety skills and assess the risks for your entire family before enjoying any water. Even small creeks can present issues for certain kids. Be safe, and access water on the following hikes at your own risk.
Spring is such a mixed bag around here. In a given year, we can have snow, ice, rain, hail, and sunshine. Spring in the PNW means wildflowers are popping up everywhere, the waterways are full, and temperatures are (should be??) warming up.
Looking for migratory birds at Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge
It can be hard to know where to hike in the spring since the weather is constantly changing and snow levels are still quite low. Urban trails, as well as the local national wildlife refuges are usually a good bet with their low elevation and migratory bird excitement. Hikes in the Gorge, as well as most hikes below 2,000 feet are a good bet in spring.
Admiring Latourell Falls in the Columbia River Gorge
While I can’t fully prepare you for spring hiking, below are a few tips on how to hike with your kids in spring:
Plan for quickly changing weather. Check the weather the morning of your hike, but make sure you have extra layers for rain, wind, or hail.
Dress in layers and avoid cotton. The combination of cool spring temperatures and rain can still put you in hypothermia territory.
If you are going up into the area’s national forests, check conditions on trailhead pages (included in book descriptions), as well as here for the Gifford Pinchot National Forest and here for the Mt. Hood National Forest
Assume you will encounter mud and bring a change of clothes for kiddos!
Make sure you do a tick check after your hike and watch out for poison oak, especially when hiking through oak woodlands and east of the Cascades. Learn about how to hike in tick country.
Check out these great spring hiking tips from the Washington Trails Association.
Consider an after-dinner hike as sunset gets later.
Checking out the Willamette River at Canemah Bluff
Now that you know how to hike in spring, how do you know where to hike with your family? No worries, I’ve got you covered. I’ve compiled my favorite spring hikes by book. Check them out below.
For springtime kid-friendly hikes in the Portland area, visit this page.
For springtime kid-friendly hikes in the Mt. St. Helens, Southwest Washington, Vancouver, and Clark County areas, visit this page.
For springtime kid-friendly hikes in the Columbia River Gorge, visit this page.
For springtime kid-friendly hikes in the Mt. Hood area, stay tuned for a future post.
Are you a homeschooling family or a family who loves learning about history? Do you like hiking with your kids around Portland (Oregon), Mt. Hood, or the Columbia River Gorge? Read on…
My books offer many opportunities for place-based learning, especially around human and natural history. I’ve gone through my five hiking guides and created a public spreadsheet to help guide you on where and how you can incorporate place-based learning to explore human history through local kid-friendly hikes!
This file is a work in progress and I will follow it up (at some point) with a file on local natural history. Feel free to comment on this post if you have additional information you’d like for me to add to the spreadsheet.
The heat is suddenly here and everyone will be flocking to our local waterways. In addition to being crowded, our waterways aren’t the safest places during the rapid snowmelt that comes with our first heat wave of the year. The awesome thing about our area is that we have so many amazing forests that can keep us cool on the hottest days. Below are my recommendations of hikes that should currently be snow-free, shady, and keep you away from the big bodies of water that will be rushing and dangerous right now.
Whistle Punk Trail, “little feet hiking” guide
From my first guide “little feet hiking”:
-Vancouver Lake North Trail (pay attention to warnings about hazardous lake conditions)
-Salmon-Morgan Creeks Natural Area (there is a small creek on this hike)
-WSU Cougar Trails (there is a small creek on this hike)
-Whipple Creek (there is a small creek on this hike)
-Volcano View Trail (need Ape Cave Parking reservation)
-Whistle Punk Trail
-Saddle Dam (there is a small creek on this hike)
-Goat Marsh Lake
-Summit Springs (the creeks you cross will be running high, but probably couldn’t sweep you away)
Merrill Lake Conservation Area, “little feet hiking two”
From my second guide “little feet hiking two”:
-Columbia Springs
-Battle Ground Lake
-Lower Marble Creek Falls
-Fort Cascades Historic Site (stay on the trail to avoid the Columbia River)
-Merrill Lake Conservation Area
-Cedar Flats Natural Area
-Lacamas Lower Falls (Lacamas Creek will be rushing, but the trail doesn’t go close to it)
I’ve had several folks ask me about hiking groups for local families. I’ve created a Facebook group for local families to connect with each other. It is called “Hiking with Kids – Portland / Vancouver Area“
This book features: -50 hikes and learning adventures in the Columbia River Gorge -Hikes you’ve never heard of -Place-based learning topics including geology, natural history, pioneer and Native American history, hydro-electric dams, and more!
Visit the book photo above to purchase the only kid’s hiking book dedicated to the Columbia River Gorge! Books will also be on sale soon at Vintage Books in Vancouver!
, but that will take a few weeks.
little feet hiking 