Their balance is like that of mountain goats — sure-footed no matter the surface or its steepness. Unlike goats, they’re equipped with everything from good shoes and walking sticks to CamelBak hydration packs and cookies to facilitate their long and challenging journey.
No, we’re not talking participants in TV’s “Amazing Race” as they plan to scale the Atlas Mountains or some such. It’s the Thompson family — dad Mark and his four children, ages 10 and younger — on a recent sunny but cool spring day as they ran, climbed and walked three miles at Great Falls, Va.
“Look at that. He’s riding the current,” says Reilly Thompson, 9, watching and pointing with her knotty walking stick at three kayakers working the strong currents far below.
Reilly balances on a jagged rock high above the cascading water, but her father doesn’t seem too worried about her precarious perch. He and his children come here a lot.
For them, hiking — on a variety of trails — is second nature.
“This is great family time. I can’t think of anything better to do with the kids,” Mr. Thompson says. “We’re outside, we’re exercising, we’re learning about nature.”
Speaking of nature, the Thompsons of Lee Heights, Va., are not alone in their love of it.
In fact, in January alone, National Park Service sites received about 13.2 million visits nationwide. That was 2.4 million more visits than the same time last year.
Some of the increase was attributable to the inauguration, which drew enormous crowds to the National Mall. The rest? It’s unclear, but maybe it has something to do with the low — to no — cost of hiking.
All in all, at least 75 million people hike annually, according to the American Hiking Society, which has seen a growth in interest in its trail-cleaning programs.
In short, hiking is in.
As for Great Falls, visitors are charged $5 per car, or $3 per person if they walk into the park. The park offers about 15 miles of trails and is known for its breathtaking views of the cascading Potomac River.
It can be in turns romantic, fun and physically challenging, says Jesse Fewell of Falls Church, who was at the park with his wife, Seema, and their three children, ages 9 and younger.
“It used to be our date trail [before children],” says Mr. Fewell about the trail on which the family of five is about to embark. “Now we hope that our children will grow to love it as much as we do.”
Mr. Fewell, like Mr. Thompson, says hiking is some of the best family time available as it fulfills needs for both physical activity and togetherness.
“You have to be intentional about spending time outdoors these days,” Mr. Fewell says. “It’s not like when we were kids.”
In fact, it’s a constant topic of conversation among parents, Mr. Fewell says, balancing indoor and outdoor activities and making sure children maintain a connection to the natural world.
They’re not alone in their balancing act.
Some have made a connection between a lack of outdoor time, also referred to as “nature deficit disorder” (the term was coined by author Richard Louv), and childhood obesity, depression and attention disorders.
“I believe it,” says Ms. Fewell while her children Akash, 4, Shanti, 6, and Ajay, 9, are getting jittery like sprinters in starting blocks. They’ve seen the falls, they stopped to chat and now they can’t wait to get going, or rather, running.
“See? They need this,” Ms. Fewell says. “It’s a great energy expender.”
Further up the trail, 9-year-old Reilly takes a sip from her CamelBak after which she extols its virtues.
“It’s great because it’s hands-free if you have to use your hands for climbing,” says a perky Reilly, showing exactly what she means by putting one clawing hand above the other in the midair.
“It’s also less for Dad to carry,” adds 10-year-old Madison, Reilly’s sister.
When they’re not in Great Falls for hiking, the Thompson family goes to places such as Theodore Roosevelt Island or the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal tow path, which has an entry point in Georgetown.
“The key is to get outside for physical fitness,” Madison says.
Clearly, her father’s efforts are paying off.
“And you get dirty and wet,” she says. “It’s great.”
Recommendations and resources:
• Carry water when hiking.
• Wear hiking boots with good ankle support.
• In summer months, always wear sunscreen and bug repellent.
• Carry a trail map.
• For local hiking, check out the National Park Service’s (www.nps.gov) listings of parks and trails. Among them are Rock Creek Park with its many ranger-led activities, the 18-mile Mount Vernon Trail and the 26 miles of trails at Catoctin Mountain Park in Thurmont, Md.
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