Dad's Day Out on the Trails (With the Kids!)

Today, we have a guest post from Carson!

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You usually get to hear from Amber in these blog posts, but today, I’m taking over! I’m the more outdoorsy of the two of us, so one of my favorite things to do while in Strawberry is to give Amber a morning off by taking the kids with me and hitting the trails. This gives me some quality bonding time too!

After 7+ years in Strawberry, there are lots of trails that I haven’t yet explored, but I have a few favorites that we consistently go back to.

Here are my favorite kid friendly hikes for getting out and exploring with the girls!

1. Pine-Strawberry Trail: Amber has written about this one before. I really like it because it’s so close to the house, and is really scenic. The girls always like hunting for bugs and collecting sticks and pinecones. You can hike for many miles on this trail, but we usually stick to around 2-3 miles.

2. East Verde River: This spot is a favorite year-round, but especially on a hot day. The girls love to get in the water and play, and we usually hike up and downstream a bit before having a picnic under the trees.

3. Bearfoot Trail: If you’re looking for a hike with more of a view, this is it. It has some vertical hiking, but is overall still pretty easy for kids. The trailhead is minutes from the Inn, and is overall a really nice hike.

4.Water Wheel Falls: We had so much fun visiting this spot to cool off from the summer heat! From the parking lot, there is a about a 3/4 mile hike along the water and lots of shade on the path. The girls loved finding the fish and crawdads in the water and climbing to the top of the waterfall. Make sure you have a Tonto Pass for this one.

What are your favorite kid friendly hikes in the area? I’m always up for trying out something new with the girls while Amber gets a little time off. And don’t forget to end with the best post-hike tradition: treats from Uncle Tom’s! (It’s the Chevron gas station in Pine. They have the BEST candy selection). Happy Trails to You!