[mcontreras]

My husband and I are looking for a hike that is good to take kids on. We have an 11 year old, 3 year old (lots of energy) and a 20 lb. 11 month old, that will be carried by my husband. We love to hike and prefer the Prescott area. Does anyone have any suggestions? My husband and I plan on going on the Havasupai Falls hike in September and are in pretty good shape, we run 2 miles everyday and do light weights.

[Trishness]

I can recommend a couple of good trails for your family that are in the Phoenix area. Hieroglyphics is a short and sweet trail out on Gold Canyon that ends at a wall face of petroglyphs. It's about 3 miles round trip....your 11 year old would probably love it!

There are also lots of trails in Usery Park in east Mesa that are very "family friendly".....Wind Cave is one and another is lower Pass Mtn trail to Cat's Peak. A word of caution though since I was just out there on Easter....there are rattlers out and about with the warmer temps. I saw two in Usery on my 4.5 mile trek.

Be safe but have fun

[Abe]

Try the Lynx Lake Recreation Area just outside of Prescott. Plenty of short trails, picnic sites, and fun.

[mcontreras]

Thanks we will have to give those a try. I can't wait. What about the Verde River Trail 11 or Cave Creek/Skunk Tank Loop. My husband loves fishing so I know he would like the Verde River Trail.

[montezumawell]

Well, hey, you hit on a pretty cool topic--we call it "Kid Trails."

One of my pards and I were up on the Cathedral Rock Saddle the other day when two parents showed with a backpacked 3-year-old. The little tyke was clearly impressed. You could tell she was having "the time of her life," so far. My pard and I were dutifully impressed.

Meanwhile back down on the Oak Creek portion of this trail, there were two young twins, perhaps four, maybe five years of age. They had matching outfits and hats. They were so cute! Their parents were patiently leading them through some challenging portions of the trail. (It got altered during the December 29, 2004, flood of Oak Creek.)

The little girls with the matching outfits took it all "in stride," so to speak.

This winter, we've seen some pretty amazing "kid episodes" on the Sedona-area trails we regularly hike.

My favorite was 19FEB05 on the Bell Rock Pathway. It has been raining cats and dogs and politicians for hours--like all night long. Well, hey, that's music to my ears and feet.

I set out to go see Courthouse Falls, an ephemeral 500-foot waterfall of epic proportions. To see it is to stand in awe with tears in your eyes.

But, as soon as the rain stops, the "falls" dries up. Poof. Gone. Done.

So, I went out there and got my "falls fix" and was sloggin' back through the slop and mud that only Red Rock Country knows & can produce.

As I got to within roughly a half-mile of the trailhead, I saw a smiling black woman in Chicago City Clothes pushing a high dollar four-wheel-stroller through the daunting, relentless mud.

She and I were the only two people on any trail for miles around.

As I walked closer to her I wondered what I was going to say. Finally, I said, "Nice day for a hike."

And she said, "This is the best day of my life, so far."

And then she very casually pushed past me with the contented baby tucked tightly into that stroller.

Yeah, I got a real education on that interface. Big time.

It was one of the best days of my life, too. Courthouse Falls was epic!

But I digress.

Kids can do anything. They can weather anything. It all depends on their parents. People like you.

So, take some risks, put 'em out there--where they belong.

They can deal with it. And you can, too. Afterall, you're in charge!

J&S

[mcontreras]

Thank you for that. We really try not to limit our kids and I always want to take them everywhere we go, it boils down to patience. Some days I have more than others. I was even thinking of taking them on our hike to the Havasupi falls, but then I thought me and my husband can use a little R&R. Maybe on the next trip down, we can make a decision based on our own experience on weather to take them with us or not. I really want them to experince the same wonders as we do and will have those memories to carry with them for a lifetime.

Kids can really do anything with their parents encouragement and a little patience.