My soon to be three year old, Charlie, first started hiking in a jogging stroller when she was only a few months old.

At twenty months, she learned to walk. However, she wasn’t the best walker. She continued to ride in the stroller while I hiked. According to my distance tracking app, we've hiked about six hundred miles together using the stroller.

A few of the logs we encountered that Charlie wanted to climb on the Tyke Hike at York River State Park

Charlie continues to work on walking well. A few months ago, I started to encourage her to walk further. On hikes, I let her walk as much as she could manage and utilized the stroller when she became tired.

We were unable to move beyond our reliance on the stroller. We needed more confidence. She needed more out of the stroller experience. Most importantly, we needed to find a hike that Charlie could manage on her own.

On the Virginia State Parks website, I read about a Tyke Hike at York River State Park. A Tyke Hike is a hike guided by park staff geared towards two to four year olds. It would be a shot for Charlie and me to hike and leave the stroller behind.

On the morning of the Tyke Hike, we arrived at York River State Park with enough time to allow for a snack and restroom visit prior to the hike. It wasn't long before other parents and their toddlers began to arrive. I looked around the group and saw little ones of different abilities, ages, and sizes. At ten o'clock, the hike began.

Pre-hike Snack

I chose a spot for us in the rear of the group. Charlie was the smallest and the slowest. I wanted her to walk but, I didn't want her to be in the way of other kids or parents. Within the first ten feet of the hike, she wandered off the trail, picked up a stick, and wanted to climb logs. She didn't understand the hike at first.

Charlie screamed at me when I suggested she walk with the group. I picked her up and we trailed behind. I knew we could stop and turn back if we needed to. I thought for sure that is what we would end up doing. I decided to give her the chance to try a little further. 

There was a rhythm to the hike: walk, pause, listen, walk. We walked for a little bit, paused, and listened to the staff member tell us about our surroundings. After ten minutes, things clicked for Charlie. (Also, it helped that she adored the plush squirrel the park staff member used as a puppet.)

York River State Park Staff Member, John Gresham, and the squirrel that Charlie loved

After a rough start, Charlie was actively participating in the hike and loving it. She got to feel moss, see animal tracks, pick up a seed pod, touch and smell plants, cross over a bridge, throw stones in a creek, and see a bald eagle overhead. We had a blast together.

Charlie listens as the squirrel speaks 

After a mile, the hike came to an end. Charlie did it! I was proud of her. In addition to the fun we had, I learned about the park, about Charlie's abilities, and how to gear future hikes towards Charlie.

If you've wondered how to introduce your toddler to hiking or questioned if hiking is for your toddler, the Tyke Hike is a great opportunity to find out.  Or, if you simply want a fun outdoor activity, the hike is an easy way to get outside, learn, and explore. Maybe we will see you soon at a Virginia State Park.