We are big fans of nature and especially National Parks, as a result Lucy has been hiking almost since she was born. She did her first hike to Silly Mountain in Arizona when she was just a few weeks old and on that trip she visited the Grand Canyon for the first time. Since then she has hiked in Joshua Tree, Dinosaur, Zion, Arches, Capitol Reef, Goblin Valley, New Hampshire, back to the Grand Canyon, and Hawaii. That’s quite a bit for one little baby, so since doing that we have developed some tips to help when hiking with a baby.

1. Start Out Easy

Lucy’s first hike was with one of our oldest relatives, so they were at about the same ability level. This helped us to keep it easy to start out with and see how Lucy did on a hike. It is important to remember that when you are hiking with a baby you can’t do everything that you can when you are hiking without a baby.

A few times I have been a little ambitious with how much I wanted to be able to do on a hike, and while we have never been in real trouble, there have been some less happy times when we went too long or too hard, so try to moderate it. You can still be outside and have a good time but keep it easy.

Often a hike will have more than one end point, like the emerald pools in Zion, so sometimes Meagan and Lucy will stay at one end point while I go on to a further one and then come back.

2 Have a Couple Adults

It is much easier to hike with a baby if you have a couple of adults who can help carry the baby. Meagan carries Lucy a lot on hikes because she is taller and Lucy can see more that way, but over steep ground I will often carry her, or we can switch off when we get tired.

Hiking with a buddy is always advised for safety, and I think this is an absolute necessity when hiking with a baby or children.

3. Use a Baby Hiking Backpack

For the first few hikes we did we used our Líllébaby carrier, which is a very versatile carrier that you can use with infants through toddlers. It was ok for the short hikes we did at the beginning, but right before we left for Zion which was our first bigger hiking trip with Lucy, Meagan found a deal on a used baby hiking backpack so we got it for that trip. It made a huge difference.

Baby hiking backpacks allow the baby to sit up higher on the back than carriers do and this helps them to see their surroundings, which is kind of the point of a hike. It also gives a little more separation and breathing room between your back and the baby. This help you both to not get as hot and makes easier for the baby to sleep when they are tired.

Our baby hiking backpack also has a small regular backpack that attaches to the back with clips so that you can still carry things like snacks and water. Many of these packs also have kickstands which allows the baby to stay in the pack during breaks so they aren’t rolling around in the dirt. We found it could work like a little high chair when we were eating.

4. Have a Sunshade

Not all baby hiking backpacks come with sunshades, but we have found ours to be really indispensable. Of course we use sunscreen as well, but a sunshade really helps the baby to not get burned. Also being in the shade makes Lucy less grumpy and she is able to sleep easier.

If you can get a sunshade with your hiking backpack then do, but if not try to make sure that you can improvise one out of light muslin blanket.

5. Bring Water and Snacks

Of course, as with most of our baby posts, you do not want to forget water and snacks for you baby. Being hungry always ruins a hike, so be prepared. Even if you think the hike will be really short or not hot it is always worth it to pack some food and plenty of water with you.

If your baby is young enough that they are still drinking just milk make sure you have a way to get your baby milk when they need it. We have made many bottles of formula for Lucy while on the side of trail when she was little. If you are carrying pumped milk make sure that you have a way to keep it cold, especially if you are hiking in the heat.

Sum Up

Hiking is a super fun family activity and something that is really great to do with your baby. It can seem a little intimidating at first, but if you start small and get used to you can have a great time.

We are entering hiking time again this year, so it will be interesting to see how different our experience is now with a much more active (and heavier) toddler.