“little feet hiking” on KGW News!

Published on August 23, 2022 by littlefeethikingLeave a comment

Originally posted here on KGW News on August 18th, 2022.

Finding fun trails for kids close to home

Jessica Becker is a mom and self-published author. Her “Little Feet Hiking” books help parents find fun outdoor learning experiences close to home.

CLARK COUNTY, Wash. — In this week’s Let’s Get Out There, we head to the Tarbell Trail in Clark County. For the grown-ups who love to hike, it can be easy to zone in and charge toward the goal. But once you add kids into the mix, it’s a whole different ballgame.

Self-published author Jessica Becker hopes families use her books as a way to explore trails close to home. In addition to being a writer, she’s also a Clark County mom.

“We like to bring people here that have never hiked before, because it’s got some fun challenges, but it’s also easy to get to and not too hard,” said Becker.

The Tarbell Trail is one of her favorites and it’s easy to see why. It boasts great views of Mount St. Helens and Mount Rainier, edible plants like huckleberries and thimbleberries, plus a chance to see wildlife — or at least the evidence they leave behind.

No matter how short the hike, an outing with kids can be a whole other animal.

“I like letting the kids lead, it gives them like a feeling of being in control and some autonomy,” said Becker.

Becker left a fast-paced corporate job after she became a mom, and she found that slowing down was hard. She began hiking with her daughter and learned that going slow is the best way to explore.

Friend and fellow mom Rachel Valentine comes here quite a bit with her three kids as well.

“Seeing the kids really develop this excitement, but also they kind of learn where they can hit their limits and you get to encounter that in nature’s playground,” she said. “I think that’s one of the most exciting parts of it.”

“My goal is to kind of give people a place where they can go close by to their house that gives them a sense of adventure with their kids,” added Becker. She humbly guesses there aren’t many trails in the area she hasn’t been on, but her experience of them has changed over time.

“Being a hiker before kids, I was just kind of going as fast as I could to get to the viewpoint, and having kids and hiking with them has made me slow down,” she continued. “And there’s just so much to see and so much to learn.”

Credit: Jon Goodwin, KGW

So Becker took everything she’s seen and learned, and put it into her four-book series “Little Feet Hiking” — the most recent edition highlighting the Columbia River Gorge was released last spring. Two focus on Southwest Washington and one on the Mount Hood area. In all, her books feature about 150 hikes to do with kids. Next spring, she’ll publish her fifth book, on the Portland metro area.

Becker is self-published, making it incredibly hard for her to promote her book. However, it allows her to dig into a specific area and offer families a resource to know what’s in their backyard.

History, wildlife, and level of difficulty are just a few things she includes. Setting parents’ expectations with kids who may like to stop and take in what’s around them, Becker’s books help with that as well.

“I’ve also had a lot of adults say, ‘Hey, this would be really great for me. I have an injury or I’m getting older, and I don’t feel as confident on the trail. Where can I hike and just get these really awesome viewpoints or these really neat connections with nature?’” she said.

Maybe hiking is a long-time passion of yours, or perhaps you’ve never been out on a trail. Either way, “Little Feet Hiking” will help you see those things you weren’t even looking for. For parents ready to brave the outdoors with little ones, be honest with yourself and your little one’s capabilities. If you get out there with those little feet, be sure to take in all the little things the trail has to offer.

To buy the “Little Feet Hiking” books, visit littlefeethiking.com.

Let’s Get Out there airs once a week on KGW’s 4 p.m. newscast and The Good Stuff, which airs Monday-Thursday at 7 p.m. We’re including viewer photos for this series. You can text your photos to 503-226-5088 or post them on the KGW Facebook page.

6 Toddler-Friendly Hikes near Portland, OR

Published on August 17, 2022 by littlefeethikingLeave a comment

Originally posted on PDXParent.com on August 8th, 2022

Hiking with toddlers is a ton of fun … and also an exercise in patience. These hikes make it easier.

Toddlers don’t seem to be all that interested in hiking towards a goal or learning about what they encounter along the trail. Instead, most want to experience nature with their whole bodies and spend lots of time in one place. On hikes, it is common for toddlers to plop down in the middle of the trail for dirt play, run into a creek and get soaking wet, pick plants, wave sticks, refuse to walk, and sometimes even have a huge fit on the trail. (Pro tip: Turn back BEFORE kids get tired and cranky.)

If you want your toddler to hike, it’s important to pick short trails without too many hazards like rushing water, drop-offs, poison oak, etc. Unfortunately, you cannot totally eliminate all hazards in nature and, on any trail, you will still need to keep an eye on what your kids put in their mouth (mushrooms and toxic plants!) and keep kids from running ahead out of sight. That said, there are trails that are better for toddlers. Below are six of these better-for-toddlers hikes, all within a 30-minute drive of Portland.

Tualatin Hills Nature Park – Beaverton, OR

This awesome park in Beaverton has 1.5 miles of paved trail and 3.5 miles of non-paved trails. Dogs are not permitted in the park, so the park is a great place to view wildlife like deer, birds, and amphibians. You will want to keep an eye out for bikes on the paved trails and avoid the trails that get too close to the ponds if your kids tend to run towards water. Restrooms and fun exhibits are available at the nature center.

Salmon Morgan Creek – Brush Prairie, WA

There is a lovely forest tucked away in the middle of a Brush Prairie neighborhood and it’s a great place for toddlers to roam. In addition to several flat trails, you will find many climbing logs, massive trees (perfect for hugging and peering into), and lots of shade. You may even have a midday owl sighting. The Red Cedar Trail and Fir Loop are great for toddlers as long as you don’t take the side trails to a viewpoint and the creek. The Alder loop can be quite muddy and have some stinging nettle along the trail. There are no restrooms available here. Please respect the neighbors and do not block driveways.

Columbia Springs – Vancouver, WA

Columbia Springs is a neat place for toddlers. There are five short trails that combine to make a 2 mile hike. The trails vary in difficulty and trail surface. There are plenty of trees and rocks to climb on, as well as two wildlife viewing decks, hatchery fish tanks, and a fish feeding pond. There are bathrooms onsite.

Hoyt Arboretum – Portland, OR

There are so many trails at Hoyt Arboretum and they vary in toddler-friendliness. For the most toddler-friendly hike here, start out on the paved accessible trail as seen on this awesome map from Super Nature Adventures. For a more challenging toddler hike, check out the trail from Stevens Pavilion, past the Fairy Forest, and along the Spruce Trail to the Redwood Deck. The loop beyond this gets less toddler-friendly. You could also check out the Magnolia Loop, but there are a few road crossings that require some hand-holding. Hoyt has a lot of kid-friendly activities as well.

Powell Butte – Portland, OR

Powell Butte Nature Park is an excellent spot for kids to work on their uphill hiking and take in distant mountain views, all while hiking on an ancient and extinct volcano. The most toddler-friendly section of the park is the uphill paved Mountain View Trail. It is a 0.7 mile hike to the Mountain Finder overlook, where on clear days you will see the five closest major volcanoes and some lesser mountains. The Mountain View Trail doesn’t have much shade, so be sure to bring sun protection. From the Mountain Finder overlook, you could also add on the 0.8 mile Summit Lane loop. The visitor’s center has restrooms and displays.

Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge – Sherwood, OR

Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge is one of several kid-friendly wildlife refuges in our area. Here you can hike 2 miles out-and-back on the year-round River Trail to a wetland observation deck. This gravel trail can be used by all-terrain strollers and there are no dogs allowed, which allows you to see tons of wildlife like birds and deer. There are a few spots along the trail that come close to water, but the trail is wide and you should be able to keep kiddos away. There is one drop-off down to the creek just past the trail junction with the Ridgetop Overlook trail (so just grab your kiddo’s hand at this junction and release when you pass the drop-off). Leave some time to explore the nature center. Flush toilets are available near there. Learn more here.

Bonus Tips

Find trails with nearby playgrounds to incentivize (just don’t let kids see the playground before your hike)
Hike in the morning when temperatures are cooler and bellies are full from breakfast
Bring lots of snacks and water in a fun reusable water bottle; bring a high-value snack for when times get really desperate
Bring ways to engage your kids (like magnifying glasses or a stuffy/doll), but wait to bring them out until you need them
Expect that you will walk slowly, make lots of stops, and mentally prepare yourself that you may not complete your hike as expected
Bring a back-up carrier
Encourage kids to keep going and proudly celebrate small wins
Know that your kids will get older and be able to hike farther; toddler hiking is all about exploration and instilling a love of nature
Learn from other parents, such as Backwoods Mama, Trips with Tykes, and Hike It Baby.