San Diego is a great place to explore nature and San Diego County is home to several kid-friendly hikes with easy trails that are perfect for families with little kids.
One of the healthiest things that we can do for our kids is introduce them to nature and fresh air at an early age.
Why is taking kid-friendly hikes so important?
There are so many benefits to taking kid-friendly hikes as a family. Getting fresh air on the daily and even an easy walk outside can help improve your child’s mood and self-esteem. Getting exercise on a daily basis is important for little kids and exposing them to easy hikes while they are young will get them into a healthy habit of exercising and will help build stronger muscles and bones.
Exposing our kids to kid-friendly hikes and enjoying fresh air is especially important today where kids are more drawn to their iPad and TV screens. Setting healthy habits of getting fresh air and taking on an easy walk or an easy hike at an early age will also keep their heart healthy, help with their memory, and as a result they will do better in school too!
Pro tip: Remember to always make safety a priority when running or take your kids on a kid-friendly hike, read my list of safety tips here.
How to get started with taking kid-friendly hikes?
We all have to start somewhere, and young kids are able to keep up a lot more than we might think when taking a walk or a kid-friendly hike on a nature trail. A key to getting kids excited about hiking is allowing them to pause and observe all the native plants and wildlife they will see when outside. Young kids are learning and observing the world around them and this is a great way to expose them to a science lesson outside!
One way that can captivate your child’s attention on a kid-friendly hike is by allowing them to journal what they see when exploring a new nature trail. This is a fun way to learn all about the native plants and wildlife they get to experience and get them excited about taking on another easy hike. Have your child take pictures, draw pictures and write down what they see! You can also have your young kids bring binoculars and a polaroid camera to make it an extra fun adventure.
When it comes to older kids, they will especially enjoy a challenge and allowing them to push their limits a little bit more than they usually do will get them excited about getting outside in the fresh air. Older kids like to climb over rocks and stumps, explore their balance in narrow trails and can even take on a steep climb. Older kids need more exercise and as they build up their tolerance, they will be able to keep up with a moderate hike in no time.
Start with easy trails
A great place to start is by going on an easy walk around your neighborhood every night with your kids. Setting this routine doesn’t require any drive time and it’s an easy and healthy habit to incorporate into your daily routine before you introduce your young kids to hiking.
Once you’re ready to introduce your kids to kid-friendly hikes, it’s important to remember that you’ll want to ease your way in slowly and only stick to easy trails for the first few hikes. Stick to a flat trail and try to keep your kids at a mile loop or under to start.
A mile trail is a great place to start and as you continue to expose your kids to easy trails, you can slowly build your way up to a more moderate hike. Use google maps and do plenty of research so you know what to expect before your hike. You can use google maps to see the length of the hike and you can also determine if it’s there are easy trails that your young kids will be able to keep up with.
You’ll also want to take your time and not rush through, even if it is a fairly easy hike. Other hikers on the trail will be understanding that you are on a family hike and you can simply step to the side to let those moving at a faster pace pass you on the trails.
Remember- It is not a race and it’s all about getting your young kids used to moving their body and exploring the outdoors when taking a kid-friendly hike.
Pro tip: Get out early
San Diego County has some of the best weather which is why hundreds of people flock to the miles of trails every single day. San Diego also has some of the best hikes for little kids, making it a great place to introduce your young kids to the wonderful world of hiking, but you’ll definitely want to get out there early.
Early bird gets the worm when it comes to kid-friendly hikes in San Diego and the best time to hit the trails is at sunrise. The earlier you can make it out will give you a major advantage as you’ll be able to beat the crowds. You’ll also get to enjoy spectacular views as you catch the sunrise.
While San Diego County is known for being a great place with some of the best climate in the United States, it’s also important to know that it can get very hot in the summer months and having plenty of water on hand is very important. We always have our kids take responsibility of their own water bottle and it’s a great reminder for them to hydrate while they enjoy the fresh air.
The summer months in San Diego can get very hot and the hiking trails can reach temperatures into the high 90’s in the afternoon. I can’t stress enough how important is to have plenty of water with you as the temperature can rise rather quickly.
Here are the average temperatures in San Diego County by month
High/low in °F
January 66°/50°
February 66°/51°
March 67°/54°
April 69°/56
May 69°/60°
June 72°/62°
July 76°/66°
August 77°/67°
September 77°/66°
October 74°/61°
November 70°/54°
December 66°/49°
What to pack
You will definitely want to stick to only the necessities when it comes to taking a kid-friendly hike. The last thing you want to deal with is getting stuck carrying a ton of unnecessary things because your young kids thought it would be a good idea to bring along.
Wearing comfortable walking or hiking shoes and socks is very important to ensure your little kids don’t complain about their feet hurting halfway through your hike. Depending on the weather, you will also want to dress your young kids in light layers. Think shorts, a tee shirt, and a light zip up jacket that they can easily wrap around their waist once they start to get too hot.
You’ll also want each person to have their own insulated water bottle. Remind your kids throughout your hike to drink plenty of water and stop for frequent water breaks when on the trail. You can also pack some protein bars as little kids get hungry quickly and could use the extra protein to help push them through your family hike.
If you are heading to a trail that has a nature center, plan plenty of time to allow your young kids to learn all about the native plants and wildlife to the region. A few other things you may want to consider taking along if you are going on a nature trail are binoculars, a journal, and a polaroid camera.
Kid-friendly hikes
San Diego County is home to over 100 hiking trails for hikers of all skill levels. It’s also a great place to introduce young kids to kid-friendly hikes. I rounded up 5 our favorite kid-friendly hikes with easy trails to try out with your family. These are the best hikes for little kids and older kids and your family is sure to enjoy the fresh air and outdoor adventure together as you take on a family hike!
Balboa Park
Many people know Balboa Park is a cultural hub that’s home to the San Diego Zoo and 17 unique museums. What many people don’t know that is Balboa Park is also a nature center and has several easy trails make it a great place to start for families with young kids that are looking to build their way up to an easy hike.
The first hike I ever took my youngest on one is in Balboa Park and it was a great place to do so because she could run around freely in the nature trails and once she was tired we were able to have some down time exploring the culture sites of the area.
For young kids, start with one of the botanical gardens, here are some of my favorite kid-friendly hikes in Balboa Park:
The Botanical Building and Lily Pond is a cultural landmark in San Diego County and you’ll find a variety of tropical plants and palm trees on the scenic trails.
The Palm Canyon trail is a great trail in the summer time as most of the paths are shaded with the tall palm trees. The nature trail is a great introduction for more adventurous kids that enjoy more of a scenic trail.
Kate O. Sessions Cactus Garden is a scenic trail that is quite popular among the locals. As the name likely gives it away, you’ll be surrounded by some of the largest cactus and succulent plants when you stick to the main trails. This is also a popular spot for photographers so sunset time can lead to big crowds.
You can find a list to all of the best places to explore nature trails in Balboa Park here.
Mission Trails Regional Park
Mission Trails Regional Park is near La Mesa. There are a variety of nature trails located off the main trail and some trails can take you on adventurous and challenging hike. We’re going to skip right pass those and focus on the easy trails for a family hike.
The Mission Trail is a 1.7 mile loop and takes an average of 40 minutes to complete.
This trail is great place for young kids and older kids to explore as they will enjoy the rock formations that you’ll come across on the path. While there is not a steep climb, this hike will gain elevation as you make your way through the trail.
Parking can be a challenge but with all of the open space on these trails, you will not feel like the hike is over-crowded once you make your way out. Overall, Mission Trails Regional Park is a great place for a family hike.
Pro tip: be extra cautious when walking to not disturb the local wildlife. With the heat, there are often rattlesnake sightings on the main trails.
Torrey Pines State Reserve
I think it’s safe to say that Torrey Pines State Reserve is my favorite hike in all of San Diego County. This easy hike is nestled on the cliffs of Del Mar and has some of the most spectacular views of the ocean and easy access to the beach, making it a perfect San Diego day to spend your morning enjoying an easy hike followed by an ocean swim.
Torrey Pines State Reserve is a 2.3 mile loop and take an average of 1 hour to complete.
The spectacular views draw a huge crowd to Torrey Pines State Reserve on the daily and there is a parking fee at the park. Arriving early will help beat the crowds and avoid waiting hours to even just enter the parking lot.
The Torrey Pines hiking trails are all relatively easy and short but it is important to note that there is a steep climb right at the beginning of the hike. I still find that young kids won’t have any problem with this hike as they will be captivated by the spectacular views. Plus you can even bribe them that the end reward is easy access to the beach.
The spectacular views, fresh air and location make Torrey Pines State Reserve my favorite hike in San Diego!
Read this post as a guide to San Diego beaches!
Cowles Mountain
This hike is more targeted towards older kids and I would not recommend taking your little kids to Cowles Mountain unless they have gained a great deal of experience with hiking.
Cowles Mountain is La Mesa and is considered a moderate hike as you will experience a steep climb as you make your way to the top. The steep climb will reward you with spectacular views once you make it to the top as Cowles Mountain is the highest peak in San Diego County.
It’s a 3 mile loop and takes 2 hours to complete.
Cowles Mountain is probably San Diego County’s most popular hike and while there are a few trails that can take you to the top, I highly recommend staying on the main trails for this one. There have been too many instances where people get lost and dehydrated and have to get rescued when making the steep climb up the mountain.
Plan your day ahead when visiting Cowles Mountain and make sure you have plenty of water with you. If you plan to take your older kids, make sure they are prepared for a challenge.
Los Penasquitos Canyon Trail
Here is another great trail for older kids or young kids that have already built up a longer tolerance to nature trails. If you have little kids that tend to complain after a mile or two of a hike or on an easy walk, this is not going to be a great trail for you.
Los Penasquitos is located east of Carmel Valley (about 30 minutes from downtown San Diego) and is a 6.8 mile loop. You won’t expect a steep climb at Los Penasquitos Canyon Trail as most of it is a flat trail. It takes about 2 and a half hours to complete.
Even through it’s a longer loop, younger kids who enjoy bird watching or keeping their eye out for local wildlife will enjoy this one. It’s a great place to spot a variety of different bird species and the trail is also dog friendly.
The parking fee at Los Penasquitos is $3 or you can find nearby parking on the neighboring streets if the parking lot fills up.
