Easy hikes for 3 year old - whites.

please someone make up my mind for me.

heading to whites with family this weekend - looking for a 1 to 2 (3 tops) mile hike with little elevation gain with brooks, waterfall, pond, etc.. something for us to tell him he can see while hiking.

think stuff along the kanc will work, basin, maybe lonesome lake, artist bluff, welch dickey, etc. - but wondering if anyone else has any hidden gems that will fit the bill for a 3 year old. he is good for a 1.5 miles or so - and has summited wachusett, watatic, under his own power. will have child carrier for 'emergency use" - so I think 3 miles total would be ok. he tends to like "smoother" trails like lincoln woods, etc.. doesn't like the real rocky stuff yet.

stuff like wlech dickey would be partly in carrier - I know this.

I have steve smiths wandering around the whites book and that had a nice section on pond hiking which i have looked at.

I got ideas already, but seeing what others have done. last year we did lincoln woods, some stuff around the basin, but this year will really be his first year hiking in the whites.


we got all weekend - so any area works.
thanks!

Gig, try the Sugarloafs off the Zealand Road. You'll be doing some carrying, but it won't wear out the old man. You'll also need to keep an eye on the young 'un on the ledges. Three year olds are just mobile enough--well, you know that already. The lower part of Falling Waters trail on Little Haystack is a lot of kid-bang for very little mileage-buck, too, it's even shorter than the 'Loafs.

In just another year or so you'll be amazed at what a young kid can do. Plenty of breaks and M & M's, and they can handle things like East Royce with no difficulty. Plus they eat it up when adults at the summit remark in amazement at their ability.

I just did the Sugarloaves with my kids - almost 8 and 5.5. No problems at all... You can do just one of them with your kid. North is like 200 feet shorter BUT THERE ARE LEDGES. I put in a recent trip report on it if you want.

Bald Mountain and/or Artist's Bluff were doable by both my kids at age 3. Again, watch for ledge areas, and AB on the way down is quite steep and technical for a 3-year-old.

We might be at Welch-Dickey at some point this weekend...

Tim

With a three year old it isn’t so much the destination as the sights along the way. I’ve watched them count rocks or put pretty rocks in their pockets until they run out of room. Looking for bugs is always fun, especially touching them. Same with all the shapes, sizes, colors and feel of mushrooms. A pond with frogs is great, and dropping a pebble in to watch the rings form on the water.

Sounds are good too. Is it a bird? Where is it? Can you make that sound?

Children are so full of wonderment that it’s good to go there yourself.

Carole is 100% correct

Tim

How about Greeley Ponds (from the Kanc). I think it has around 400 feet of elevation gain and is about 1.5 miles (one way).

Or, there's Sawyer Pond. It's about 3 miles round trip, and is pretty easy. (elevation gain 300 feet). Take Sawyer River Road off of Route 302.

There's also Ripley Falls:

"This short, popular hike leads to a 100' waterfall. Take the Ethan Pond Trail from the parking area, and branch left onto Arethusa- Ripley Falls Trail after 0.2 miles. You reach the base of Ripley Falls after another 0..3 mile."

Or Diana's Baths near North Conway.

Or Thompson Falls. I don't know too much about this one, but here's the description:

THOMPSON'S FALLS
These are actually a series of falls along Thompson Brook at Wildcat Ski Area, Rt. 16 Pinkham Notch. To reach the falls, take the Way of the Wildcat Nature Trail from the ski area's parking lot; at the far end of the trail's loop, you'll find the path to the falls. Stay on the east side of the brook when you cross the service road which leads to parking lot C. It's an easy .7 mile trek to the falls. If you follow the path to the right on the first waterfall, across the ledges to the north side of the brook and continue on to a high ledge, you'll discover fabulous views of Mt. Washington.

Have fun!

Little Bear

giggy said:

I have steve smiths wandering around the whites book and that had a nice section on pond hiking which i have looked at.

Click to expand...

Carrigain Pond? Wait, that one might not be a good one.

Does he like waterfalls? I remember that I liked waterfalls as a kid. There are a lot of them that are fairly easy hikes around the Whites.

Zealand Falls. The trail to Zealand Falls is nice and flat. If you were feeling ambitious you could take the Ethan Pond Trail to Thoreau Falls which is a really beautiful spot and a beautiful walk over there as well.

-Dr. Wu

http://www.amcboston.org/intro/AT-hikes.html#63

A short list of hikes with elevation and distance...

You'll have to let me know which ones you check out, I'll be taking my Grandson's hiking this summer.

Georgiana Falls is a fun little hike with lots of bang for your buck too..it's close to your campground!

I third what Carole said, but you already know that.
My younger daughter sleeps with the rocks under her pillow, after we go on a hike!
When my kids were that age, we did most of our hiking in the Upper Valley, so I didn't have a lot of experience with kids in the Whites til they were 5.
A friend loves taking his kid the Greeley Ponds.
have fun!

Coppermine Trail to Bridal Veil Falls was one of my toddler's favorites. And it has a cool shelter at the end.

Guy,
attached is a list of small mountain hikes in NH: NH Small Mts. One I would recommend Rattlesnake West, north of Squam Lake, as an easy one (2 mile RT wth 450 feet of elev gain) with a big payoff: West Rattlesnake

Best regards,
Marty

Rocks...and Scat

Not sure what this holds for the future, but my daughter loves to look for deer poop and other scat (fox, bird, saw bear once).

Keep up the suggestions, this is interesting for me and my 3-yeard old as well.

So many places to go…cool bridges, river beds, waterfalls, railroad tracks…
Out of Lafayette campground loops can be made north or south by combining the bike path and the Pemi trail.
Mt. Pemigewasset.
Davis Path has that nice bridge (going under bridges is as fun as going over them) and a stream to explore and some bog further in.
There was a nice bridge on the Trestle trail out of Sugarloaf campground (don’t know if it’s been repaired after being washed out a few years back though). And across the road from Zealand it’s fun to explore the railroad tracks and stream out of the winter parking lot on 302.
There’s the Saco loop, Mt. Willard, and trail tracks at Crawford Depot.
On the Kanc is the Church Pond loop, the Boulder trail or the forest road along the water out of the Covered Bridge campground; Champney Falls.
Lost Pond trail out of Pinkham is fun.

When my son was that age (he's 4 now) I took him on the Boulder Loop Trail and he loved it.

This is your child, Gig ? Mt. Adams via King Ravine !

Bald and Artist's offers a great view and easy access. My wife found the trail a bit scrambly near the top of Bald, but should only require a hand held.

Have a great weekend, all ! I'm heading back Jersey to kayak, surf and eat crab.

thanks all - these are all great! just what I need.

I was leaning towards greeley ponds or bald mtn before this. have to think it over some.

thanks again all.

I guess the Captain is out of the question...

I know I sent these ideas to you earlier - but for anyone else who cares to read them...

Greeley Ponds is great - Aaron did it from the Kanc at age 2...
Artist Bluff
Mount Willard is great - big bang for the buck
North Sugarloaf maybe a little longer but also nice (off Zealand Road) - Aaron also did that one at age 2, but I carried him down.
Also, the waterfalls are good to do...Crystal Cascades on the TR trail out of Pinkham...a ton of stuff out of Appalacia down low...Salamacis Falls, Spur Brook Falls, the falls near Memorial Bridge...they are all nice and easy to get to...