Trail Discovery for Kids: Michaux State Forest, PA

Taking a rest next to the reservoir

July 2012 Highlighted Hike

Beaver Trail

Michaux State Forest, PA

Trail Description

ü  This 2.5 mile out-and-back hike is in Michaux State Forest north of Route 30 and 10 miles east of Chambersburg, PA.

ü  This natural surface trail hugs the reservoir with only one 75 foot climb away from the reservoir and then a gentle slope descending back.

ü  To find the Beaver trailhead, turn left onto Milesburn Road (dirt road) from Rt. 233. At the end of the reservoir, turn right onto Birch Run Road (dirt road). Follow it for less than a mile. Park along the road after the second bridge. Walk back over the bridge to stairs on the left of the road which descend the embankment where the Beaver trailhead sign is located.

ü  The hike is not jogging stroller friendly.

ü  Trail map. To help orient, look for Caledonia State Park in pink. The reservoir is north of it. The Beaver Trail is on the north side of the reservoir adjacent to Birch Run Road.

Age Appropriateness
This hike is appropriate for children five years or older.

What is fun for kids?

ü  Hiking along the reservoir. There are six different locations to access it and play; the largest being a mile down the trail.

ü  Blueberry bushes are abundant along both sides of the trail throughout the hike.

ü  In June, the Rhododendron bushes display huge flowers.

ü  Bring a kayak or canoe and enjoy the lake. The boat ramp is located on the south side of it off of Milesburn Road.

ü  Bushwhack, rock scramble and play in Knob Run. This is the stream that runs under the second bridge on Birch Run Road. Rocky Knob Trail runs along this stream.

ü  Camp along Hosack Run at the small campground at Caledonia State Park.

Caution

ü  There is no bathroom or trash cans; therefore, pack out your garbage. The closest bathroom is at Caledonia State Park.

Beware of the posted restrictions in the state forest.

Top 5 Family Adventures in Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks

Snow ball fight on Rendezvous Mountain

Hike on Bunsen Peak

         Discovering our national parks with my children is a dream that I am making a reality one summer at a time. Two summers ago, we started with Great Sand Dunes National Park in Colorado. Last year, we went to Acadia National Park for four days ofadventure in the rain and sun. This summer, we ventured to Grand Teton, Yellowstone and Rocky Mountain National Parks. The following are the best family adventures in both Grand Teton and Yellowstone.

GrandTeton National Park

1. Ride the tram in Jackson Hole Mountain Resort and hike the Rock Springs Trail into Cody Bowl - Although this is just outside of the Park, it was the most fun our family had while there. We rode the 100 passenger tram from the base of Jackson Hole to the top of Rendezvous mountain, a four thousand foot climb. We packed a picnic lunch for our day's adventures at the top of the world. We descended along the ridge line on the Rock Springs Trail into Cody Bowl. We spent our afternoon having snow ball fights, sliding down the glacial snow and rock scrambling. Afterwards, we treated ourselves to homemade waffles at Corbett Cabin. Yum!
2. Kayak (or canoe) Colter andHalf Moon Bays -  We rented two two-person kayaks from the Colter Bay Marina for half a day of paddling and wildlife viewing in Colter and Half Moon Bays.
3. Hike around String and Jenny Lakes to Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point - We hiked 7.8 miles along the north and west sides of both String and Jenny Lakes. This route is gentle with minimal elevation change. The best part of this hike is taking in the mountain peaks and the lake vistas.
4. Raft the class I and II rapidsof the Snake River - This activity was my son's choice. Grand Teton LodgeCompany was our guide down the Snake River in the Park. This float is gentle enough for a six year old. Daniel, our guide, was experienced at navigating the river and very knowledgeable about the natural history of the Park. We were fortunate to spot two moose, a beaver and an eagle.
5. Camping - Camping is the best way to truly experience everything a national park has to offer from scenery to education. Grand Teton offers five first-come-first-serve campgrounds. They do not take reservations; however, visitors are able to easily get a site in one of the campgrounds. At the entrance stations and visitor centers, there are campground boards providing information on the availability of sites and at what time the campground became full.

Yellowstone

1.    Circuit hike along the south rim of the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone to Lily and Clear Lakes - The best way to see the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone is to take a hike along the South Rim Trail, in addition to Lily Lake and Uncle Tom's Trail. The Lily Lake trailhead is at the far end of Artist Point. The trail follows the steep ledges of the Canyon before it enters a pine forest and by two small lakes and thermals. Uncle Tom's Trail gives all visitors a cardo workout climbing down and up 328 steps. At the bottom, you stand at the base of the lower falls to feel mist on your face.

2.    Take a picnic dinner to an overlook in Lamar Valley to watch animals - If there is one national park known for wildlife; it is Yellowstone. We grabbed fixings for a picnic dinner and drove into Lamar Valley. This valley is stunning. My children learned a valuable lesson from animal spectators fitted with their large scopes about why preserving this valley's habitat is vital for the balance of the ecosystem. In the valley, we watched hundreds of buffalo and looked for bear and wolves.

3.    Hike to Bunsen Peak - Have you ever want to bag a peak with your kids? Bunsen Peak is a good one to do. The hike is a moderate 2.1 mile trek to the peak on switchbacks. The views at the top are well worth it. The climb was a good challenge for my kids but they loved skipping down the mountain.

4.    Walk the Fountain Paint Pots boardwalk - This was the touristiest adventure of our time in Yellowstone because everyone wants to see the geological thermals. They are well worth the crowds. This was my son's favorite part of Yellowstone.

5.    Camping - Yellowstone offers both reservation only and first-come-first-serve campgrounds. The reservation only campgrounds usually fill well ahead of time. The first-come-first-serves are in beautiful locations in the park but have limited, such as vaulted toilets.

Many of these adventures enabled us to leave behind the crowds and explore each park to discover the beauty, peace and solitude. The more we trekked down the trail the more we drew back the curtains on the amazing scenery all around us. I loved sharing each of the above adventures with my kids and watching their faces light up with huge grins. We hope you enjoy them too. 

Reading about thermal cones

Lower falls in the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone

Looking for wolves in Lamar Valley

Kayaking in Colter Bay

Dirty Knees

Dirty knees and sticky fingers!

    Dirty knees! These words conjure up a lot of images, particularly in the minds of moms who do a majority of the laundry. In my house that would be my husband; therefore, I wonder what images come to the forefront of his mind when he sees our kid's dirty knees.
    This weekend, my family and three others went camping in my favorite DC spot - Patuxent River Park, Jug Bay (read my May 2011 review of Jug Bay). Shortly after arriving on Friday evening, all eight kid's knees were dusty from running up and down the trail, kneeling on the dirty dock and sitting by the campfire to roast marshmallows. Saturday morning's bright sunshine brought aquatic adventures. The kids couldn't wait to get the rented canoes and kayaks to explore the abundant wildlife along the shore and show off their paddling skills to one another. They all negotiated who was going to kayak back to the dock by themselves and who was paddling a canoe; yes, with an adult. Upon reaching the campsite dock, negotiations continued.
    Most of us forgot that the Patuxent River is a tidal river and the tide was vacating the shore. Results, muck! Thick, dark grey muck - the kind that suctions everything that accidently falls on top of it. Including three girls. Well that was last year when two of them tried to walk along, what they thought was, the dry shore. Nope, they quickly sunk to their knees. The third tried to be the savior. That failed also. As parents, we watched the scenario unfolded, including problem solving to unsuction their limbs from the thick, dark quicksand. The clean-up job with no bathrooms was fun. Not! So this year when the tide was out by lunch time, the kids were hungry and wanted to dock. The life line was deployed and water skiing on mud took place.
     For me, kid's dirty knees mean they are engaging in imaginative adventures outdoors, laughing, smiling and being carefree and independent. The best part of the weekend was watching my kids and their friends be excited to create fun for themselves however they decided - following the inlet paths among the reeds on a kayak, using sticks as weapons to conquer an opponent or territory, sleeping in a tent without a parent, sharing a hammock or a seat on the dock to chat and learning to paddle a canoe to be the captain of your own ship. Dirty knees = outdoor happiness!

A Secret No More: Patuxent River Park

My wish for Mother's Day this year was to camp with my family and friends at Patuxent River Park about 45 minutes southeast of Washington, DC on the Patuxent River. Over the past couple of years, our family has hiked the trails in this park from the upland woods to the boardwalks in the wetlands. This park is special because you can't image that you are so close to an urban area with its quiet peacefullness, abundance of wildlife, and lack of people. I debated whether to tell my secret or keep it to myself. In the end, I decided everyone needs to feel the peace and joy that this park deliveries once you have spent an afternoon or a weekend in its boundaries. So now the secret is out.
I reserved the campsite on January 3rd.  It is very difficult to reserve for weekends because there is only one campsite and it is such a gem. Our family arrived on Friday evening after tackling beltway traffic. We opened the gate and drove to the site, got out of the car and said wow. The site has a magnificant canopy of mature trees covering it with three picnic tables and a campfire ring. The campsite is big enough to stake down four tents. The campsite sits on a bluff on the river. After checking out the campsite, my kids ran to the river's edge to discover a dock where I heard, "Oh mama, look." This is where we spent most of our time over the weekend: reading, talking, playing, bird watching, canoeing and kayaking.
On Saturday morning, we rented a canoe and a kayak for two days. The rental is cheap at $12 a day or $17 for the day and overnight. The kids had a lot of fun learning how to paddle a canoe and kayak, many of them taking the kayak out themselves after gaining some confidence in their skills. At various times during the weekend, different combinations of parents and kids explored the pathways amongst the reeds to discover, turtles, snakes, beavers, ducks, geese, frogs and lots of osprey who were nesting at the time.
On Saturday afternoon, we hiked the trails to Merkle Wildlife Sanctuary connected to Patuxent River Park by a long boardwalk through the wetlands. Even though the hike was not a highlight of the trip for the kids, they used their imagination to create an adventure on the trail. For them, the best moments were play on or next to the river and the "secret" fort they created near the campsite. For me, the best moments were listening to nature's quiet and my children's laughter, sitting next to and on top of the peaceful river and sharing the natural, beautiful spot with family and friends.