Get Moving This Summer With a Family Hiking Trip
Are you looking for a fun family activity for this summer? Consider camping as a summer getaway with a few hiking trips thrown in. If you don’t want to stay in a tent, there are plenty of camping cabin rentals or forest cabin lodging areas available in beautiful locations. Not only are hiking trips a great way to exercise as a family, they also provide beautiful scenery and a deeper appreciation of what nature has to offer. And taking vacations are important! Almost 40% of families say that going on vacation makes them happy. It’s a time to unwind, spend time together, and explore a new place. Camping offers you the chance to do an endless variety of activities, such as hike, swim, explore mountain biking trails, and learn some camping essentials.
Why Go Hiking?
While embarking on a hiking adventure may not be every family’s definition of good fun, going on hiking trips can actually be incredibly beneficial and enjoyable! For one thing, hiking often encourages people to get away from their phones for awhile — service may be limited in areas, for one thing. Turning off our tech and immersing oneself in nature can help increase creativity and problem-solving skills by 50%, according to researchers. So if you need to get away from it all, and refresh and reset yourself, hiking trips can be the perfect thing. Ultimately, hiking is a great medium for reconnecting with family without the distraction of technology.
It’s also terrific exercise — you can burn between 400 to 700 calories an hour when you go for a hike. This, of course, depends on the size and difficulty of the trail, but getting out and walking over rough terrain is certainly good for your health. You’ll hit those 10,000 steps a day easily on hiking trips!
It’s also one of the most popular activities among campers — over 90% said they went for a hike while camping, so you may meet other families on the trail as well.
What Are Some of the Benefits of Camping as a Vacation?
You’ll come into contact with many other campers. In the spring of 2016, over 40 million people went hiking over the previous 12 months. Camping, much like hiking, is a very healthy activity. It’s a social activity and one that gets you out in the fresh air. Increased oxygen can help reduce some stress and time outside can help your blood pressure, digestion, and pep up your immune system.
You may also gain some extra skills, like how to start a fire, erect a tent, and cook over a camp stove. It can be a fun bonding activity with your partner and children — who doesn’t love roasting S’mores or sitting out under a starry night? Most camping activities are very kid-friendly, like hiking or swimming, and you may even be able to point out different kinds of wildlife to your kids!
What If I Don’t Want to Stay In a Tent?
A cabin is a great way to ease into camping for newer campers. Indeed, according to the 2016 North American Camper Report, a little over 30% of new campers choose to stay in a cabin of some kind. They also tend to be more popular with younger campers — one in 10 campers between the ages of 18 and 34 prefer to stay in a cabin when they camp.
Camping and hiking are two great activities that can often be blended into one trip for a fun and active getaway!