PHOTO BY JOE URMOS, PANOJOE.URMOS.NET
D AY T R I P S
By Stan Hall, Friends of the Columbia Gorge
he first Columbia River Gorge “kid hike” I took with
my son, in June 2013, did not start out as planned.
Where are the other kids?, I thought to myself as I
pulled into the parking lot at the Latourell Falls trailhead
with my son, Henry, who had recently turned 6. All I saw
were the dozen or so grown-ups assembled for a guided
hike organized by my employer, the nonprofit advocacy
group Friends of the Columbia Gorge.
I was quickly reminded the label “kid-friendly” for the
moderately strenuous but short-distance Latourell Falls
Loop Trail did not guarantee a robust under-13 turnout.
I had brought a kid, but no one else in our group had. I
worried a bit. Would Henry be able to keep up? Would
he feel comfortable among all these grown-up strangers?
My fatherly fears quickly were calmed. Henry not only
kept up with the group, he had to be gently restrained
from racing ahead of Ross, our volunteer leader. The boy
got instant gratification from seeing the majestic tumble
of Lower Latourell Falls, which is a short walk from the
trailhead, and was later rewarded for his mostly uphill
scramble through the damp green woods by getting a
close-up look at the equally impressive but much less
visited upper falls. On the way back down, he helped me
identify blooms of beautiful wildflowers, including phlox
and a single perfectly formed tiger lily. We finished our
time in the gorge with a picnic lunch and, when we
returned home, Henry was inspired to draw a crayon
rendering of the hike.
After showing off his drawing, he asked, “When can
we go hiking again?”
Friends of the Columbia Gorge has long viewed
sustainable recreation as indispensable to protecting
the gorge for future generations. The group maintains
a robust hiking and land stewardship program that
features more than 100 treks and work parties led by staff
members or knowledgeable, trained volunteers. (Many of
these hikes are for members only; visit gorgefriends.org
for membership details.) And because there’s no better
way to inspire future gorge stewards than by getting
them on the trails from a young age, Friends offers
numerous hikes that are “kid friendly” and a few more
expressly designed for kids.
Those accustomed to striking out on their own instead
of with a group can do so, of course. Friends’ website has
a “Plan Your Own Hike” feature to customize your own
special gorge experience and a “3D Gorge Trail Map” that
gives a real idea of the twists, turns, ups and downs of
any gorge hike.
You might (or might not!) be surprised by the resiliency and endurance of children when they are out in
nature, having their curiosity constantly stoke