How to Raise a Backpacker: Ages 0-3
Turning kids onto the outdoors is as easy as 1, 2, 3.
Family Camping And Hiking
Get outside with the whole family with these skills, trips, and stories from the writers and editors of BACKPACKER.
Family Hiking Skills
How to Raise a Backpacker: 4-7
The best part about introducing kids to the outdoors? The fun!
How to Raise a Backpacker: Ages 8+
Equipped with skills and perseverance, there’s no limit to what a kid can do.
30 Ways to Make Your Kids Love Hiking
Teach your kids the wonder of the trail with these hiking games and activities you can play with children.
5 Reasons You Need to Adventure With Your Baby
Don’t let nay-sayers stop you from adventuring with your infant.
Kid-Friendly Hikes
18 National Parks Your Kids Will Love
Share America’s best idea with your children at these parks any adventurous family will love.
Atlanta: Raven Cliff Falls
Waterfalls, lush forests, and magnificent creekside views make this 5-mile out-and-back through Cliff Falls Wilderness a superb dayhike in northern Georgia.
Asheville, NC: Cedar Rock Loop
Climbing granite slickrock to a highpoint above DuPont State Forest, this 4.4-mile loop jogs back down into a dense forest toward a trailside swimming hole.
Zion National Park: Riverside Walk
Cruise the northern reaches of Zion's monumental canyon on this 2-mile out-and-back that skirts the Virgin River, winds past hanging gardens, and touches the crimson-stained cliffs of the Narrows.
Yellowstone National Park: Ice Lake
Pass a waterfall, open meadows, lodgepole stands and a sparkling backcountry lake on this easy, 3.8-mile stroll through the heart of Yellowstone National Park.
Family Hiking Stories
The First Steps in Raising an Outdoor Kid
Hiking helped my pregnancy feel bearable and natural.
My Son, the Mountaineer
You have to be willing to let kids learn and explore. That’s how they become adults.
Why Outdoor Parents Need to Break the Rules
Life is packed with rules, and kids may feel like the whole point is to learn the “right” way to behave.
Kids Hiking Gear
The Best Kids Gear of 2018
The days of cheapo kids gear are over. Hook the little ones up with the same kit mom and dad have.
Patagonia Kids Capilene 3 Midweight Crew and Bottoms
No other kids’ baselayer holds up better than this one.
The North Face Toddler ThermoBall Full Zip Jacket
The kids' version of this Editors' Choice Award winner is just as good as the original.
Bogs Kids Classic Camp Boots
The waterproof and insulated boots are easy to slip into and require no knotting lessons.
Point6 Kid’s Hiking Tech Medium Crew Socks
Point6 creates a merino wool alternative to typical kids' cotton socks.