Backpacking with a toddler

[Bushwhack]

Hey folks,

I'm planning on taking my little guy backpacking this summer (he'll be eighteen months in June), and am trying to figure out locations in NH, MA, or VT that would be good for camping. Right now, at fourteen months, he happily walks about a mile on flat ground while holding my hand, and will do up to two miles in the backpack carrier. Anyone have any suggested camping spots for an overnight with a little one? I'm trying to find something relatively level where he can run around without cliffs and major drowning hazards while still being within a few miles of the car. The flatter the hike, the more he can do.

Any suggestions are greatly appreciated!

 

[dug]

Haven't been by in years and assume it's overrun, but the Lincoln Woods area used to be good for introductory sites.

Three Ponds Wilderness (Plymouth area) has some backcountry spots to set up and are easy to get to.

 

[JoshandBaron]

VT:

Bourne Pond from the Branch Pond lot off Stratton-Arlington Rd in VT is about 2.5 miles downhill. Elevation change is a couple hundred feet. There is a nice large flat site on the western shore between the 2 designated tenting areas.

Griffith Lake in GMNF is another downhill 2.5 mile hike from the end of FR58. Popular on weekends.

In the same area as Griffith Lake is the Old Job shelter on the site of an abandoned settlement. That one is not even a mile with negligible elevation from the end of FR30. Nice tent sites on the river or the shelter is up off the stream. Road access may need to be confirmed after this year's rains.

NH:

Mountain Pond has sites all around the pond in addition to the shelter. My favorite is immediately before the shelter FPA, about 3/4 of a mile.

Sawyer Pond midweek.

Middle Hall Pond can be accessed from an unofficial path from the Lower Hall Pond lot. About 1/4 mile.

 

[NHClimber]

Define "major drowning hazards". Every suggestion above seems to involve water, though they seem like they are otherwise good suggestions!

 

[--M.]

Agree with these, especially the part about "drowning": I assume, at that age, that the kid will be in your direct line of sight at all times anyway, so water could maybe be a part of it.

The campgrounds are a great idea, would add Lafayette Place; doesn't 4th Iron also have showers? And Wild River has flat sites, one of which (if you're lucky enough to get it) has its own lean-to. Half-hour walks near any of these would fit the bill nicely.

Our kids are older now, but I quickly got to where I wasn't willing to risk having a kid on my back: if I went down, they were along for the ride, making the entire affair a no-fall zone. We waited 'til each could walk on their own; they have all been hikers ever since. Kicked my ass on Jefferson and (ADK's) Gore, bunch of others too. Good luck!

 

[TEO]

I think that Sperry Campground on Mt. Greylock is a great first-backpacking location. Once a car-camping campground the state closed the Sperry Rd. to vehicular traffic, it's now about a two-mile, mostly level hike in (1.3 miles on the Campground Trail and another 0.5+ on Sperry Road). The campsites have fire rings, picnic tables, and bear lockers; there is a potable water source—hand-pumped—and outhouses, IIRC; and you can purchase firewood from the camp staff, who will drop it off at your site.
https://www.mass.gov/doc/mount-greylock-trail-map/download
https://www.mass.gov/media/9631/download

 

[sierra]

If you take the East side trail out of Lincoln Woods, you can hike to the campsites, it's a couple of miles on a graded forest service road. Being that it's on the wrong side of the river for the popular peaks, it's relatively quiet. It's in the Pemi and you can explore the trails tht go further from there. Ganted, it's right on the East branch, so it's not a place to take your eyes off the kid.

 

[Dana]

Can't help with locations, but... at that age, you might want to do a trial run camping in the back yard or nearby if that's feasible. When my older daughter was around 2 years old we hiked about 1/4 mile into the woods behind the house and camped near a stream.

A year later, I took her and her younger sister, now aged 2 & 3, on a slightly longer trip, we hiked about a mile from the car to a lake, but in a big loop so we were actually camping less than 1/4 mile from the car so we could easily bail if necessary (it wasn't necessary).

By then they had both been car camping at campgrounds with us, so sleeping in a tent wasn't new to them.

 

[foulhooked]

I think that Sperry Campground on Mt. Greylock is a great first-backpacking location. Once a car-camping campground the state closed the Sperry Rd. to vehicular traffic, it's now about a two-mile, mostly level hike in (1.3 miles on the Campground Trail and another 0.5+ on Sperry Road). The campsites have fire rings, picnic tables, and bear lockers; there is a potable water source—hand-pumped—and outhouses, IIRC; and you can purchase firewood from the camp staff, who will drop it off at your site.
https://www.mass.gov/doc/mount-greylock-trail-map/download
https://www.mass.gov/media/9631/download

I would double check this; Sperry had been/may be closed for renovations and I thought I read somewhere there was an issue with the renos that had been completed. Sites are not currently bookable on reserveamerica and last few times I was there (summer/fall 2023) the bathrooms were still locked and nobody appeared to be camped.

 

[TEO]

I would double check this; Sperry had been/may be closed for renovations and I thought I read somewhere there was an issue with the renos that had been completed. Sites are not currently bookable on reserveamerica and last few times I was there (summer/fall 2023) the bathrooms were still locked and nobody appeared to be camped.

Good catch! The state's site still says that it is closed for renovations.

https://www.mass.gov/location-details/camping-at-mount-greylock