Hiking With Kids: How Far by Age, Child Carriers, and Safety

It’s 10 a.m., the trailhead is still in sight, and a small voice is already asking, “Are we there yet?” Nothing to worry about: it’s the most common question on any family hike, and it has an answer. It comes down to the trail you pick, the pace, and a few precautions adults forget because they no longer need them. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) gives one reason to stay alert: children are more at risk from the cold than adults, because their smaller bodies lose heat more quickly, and when they’re having fun, they may not want to stop even as they get too cold [1].

This guide builds on our guide to planning a hike. It covers day hikes, from the baby carrier to the teen years.

How far and how long at each age?

There’s no official scale, but European hiking federations and alpine clubs publish benchmarks that line up fairly well. France’s hiking federation, the Fédération française de la randonnée pédestre (FFRandonnée), breaks them down by age [2]: under 3, kids are carried by their parents; from 4 to 7, they cover about 0.6 to 1.2 miles (1 to 2 km) an hour, tire quickly, and can’t yet say clearly that they’re hungry or thirsty; from 8 to 12, hikes of 6 to 9 miles (10 to 15 km) become possible if they have some training.

The German Alpine Club (Deutscher Alpenverein, or DAV) thinks in hours: 3 to 4 hours of hiking at most from ages 3 to 6 [3], up to 5 hours from 6 to 10 with breaks to recover, and no more than 6 to 7 hours from 10 to 14 [4]. To adapt a time written for adults, it suggests a simple rule: multiply it by 1.5 [3]. So you estimate hiking time the usual way, then apply that factor.

What about the popular rule of “1 km per year of age”? It gets shared a lot, but we found it at no hiking federation, only on a French tourist office’s page [5]. The only rule of this kind published by a federation comes from the Deutscher Wanderverband, the German Hiking Association, which offers it as a rough guide: age times 1.5, in kilometers, so 9 km (about 5.6 miles) for a 6-year-old, counting each 100 m (330 ft) of climbing or descent as an extra kilometer [6]. I’d treat all these numbers as ceilings, not goals: the best guide is still the kid in front of you.

On the trail, the slowest hiker sets the pace. That’s the National Park Service’s rule: let the slowest hiker set the pace, put them near the front, and always stay together [7]. The American Hiking Society says the same for families: let the kids set the pace [8]. And in a family, the slowest is almost never the tallest.

Child carriers: when to start, and when to stop

For the littlest hikers, FFRandonnée describes two stages: in the first months, a front carrier for a short walk; then, once the child sits up well on their own, a back carrier that properly supports the head [2]. The DAV puts that milestone at around 8 to 10 months: a frame carrier only suits babies who can already sit unassisted and have good head control [4].

In the US, every frame child carrier must comply with a federal safety standard that incorporates ASTM F2549-22, the Standard Consumer Safety Specification for Frame Child Carriers [9]. The European standard, EN 13209-1 of 2022, covers children from 6 months up to 40 lb (18 kg), carried in a seated position [10]. Owner’s manuals point the same way: the one for a popular series rules out use under 6 months, under 16 lb (7.25 kg), or over 40 lb (18 kg), and caps the total load, child, gear, and pack combined, at 48.5 lb (22 kg) [11]. Check the limits in your carrier’s manual: they vary from model to model.

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A destination, breaks, and games: what keeps kids moving

A summit doesn’t necessarily thrill a 5-year-old. The American Hiking Society suggests a trail with a destination, such as an overlook, a waterfall, a historic site, a stream, or a lake [8]; the DAV adds that a lake or a hut is often a far more interesting goal for a child than a peak, and that a loop beats an out-and-back on the same trail [4]. Nature trails with interpretive signs and puzzles do the same job.

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Then there are breaks: about 10 to 15 minutes every hour, with a drink each time, recommends FFRandonnée [2]. Don’t be surprised when a child who was exhausted a minute ago takes off running after a butterfly: kids don’t recover by sitting still, but by playing freely, notes the DAV [4]. Along the way, FFRandonnée suggests telling stories, talking about the scenery, or singing, and points out that kids hike much better in a group [2]: a buddy can do more than a whole bag of trail mix.

A child who says they’re tired is often bored or fed up rather than tired, FFRandonnée observes, and it warns that forcing them to finish the trail at all costs is probably the best way to turn them off hiking for good [2]. That’s why a route with a shortcut or a turnaround point pays off.

Finally, give them a job. The American Hiking Society suggests giving kids some control, like deciding which trail to take or where to stop for lunch [8]; FFRandonnée suggests having them look for trail markers and, from about 8 to 12, follow the route on the map [2]. And when trail markers stop being fun, geocaching turns the hike into a treasure hunt.

Drinking, and protecting kids from sun and cold

A child dehydrates faster than an adult, and tells you later. The AAP advises encouraging children to drink water frequently and having water readily available, even before they ask for it [15]. The hourly break is a good time to think of it. For how much the adults need, our guide to water and food on a hike has the numbers.

Then there’s the sun. UV levels rise about 10% with every 3,280 feet (1,000 m) of elevation, and fresh snow almost doubles your exposure, according to the World Health Organization [16]. The AAP keeps babies younger than 6 months out of direct sunlight; for everyone else, it advises limiting sun exposure between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., a hat with an all-around 3-inch brim, sunglasses with at least 99% UV protection, and a broad-spectrum sunscreen of at least SPF 15 [17]. At altitude, the UIAA medical commission calls for at least SPF 30 [12].

And the cold. Babies and young children are especially sensitive to it because they have a large surface area relative to their volume, the UIAA notes [12]. The AAP recommends several thin layers to keep kids warm and dry [1], and an extra one in your pack weighs next to nothing.

Altitude with a little one

A day hike at moderate elevation doesn’t raise the same questions as a night in a European mountain hut at 8,200 feet (2,500 m). For sleeping at altitude, the UIAA medical commission, in the absence of conclusive scientific data, sets cautious guidelines: for a preschooler, prefer a sleeping altitude below 8,200 feet (2,500 m), and don’t sleep higher than 9,840 to 13,100 feet (3,000 to 4,000 m); for a baby under 1 who normally lives at sea level, about 5,250 feet (1,600 m) is the sleeping altitude usually recommended as a limit [12]. Above 8,200 feet, it advises raising your sleeping altitude by no more than 984 feet (300 m) a day [12].

For a single day, the guidelines are thinner. A 2023 survey of 104 general practitioners and pediatricians working in the French Alps gives a ballpark, not a recommendation: for a day at altitude, they advised median elevations of 3,940 feet (1,200 m) under 1 month, 4,920 feet (1,500 m) under 3 months, 5,250 feet (1,600 m) under 1 year, and 6,560 feet (2,000 m) under 2 years, and 9 out of 10 advised against altitude for a baby with a cold [18]. The UIAA also advises against riding cable cars (aerial tramways) with a sick child, because the pressure changes too quickly [19].

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Under age 3, any change of environment can affect a child’s sleep, appetite, activity, or mood, and they’re poor at describing how they feel [12]. If symptoms appear, the UIAA’s preferred option is to go back down, especially with young children [12]. Talk to your pediatrician before taking a little one to altitude.

If they get lost: stay put and blow the whistle

A kid who runs ahead will someday take the wrong fork. Through its Junior Ranger program, the National Park Service teaches kids three rules: stay put and listen for people calling your name; “hug a tree,” meaning a tree, a park bench, or a big rock you don’t leave; and make yourself big, by waving your arms and blowing your whistle if you have one [20]. It adds a key message: your family isn’t mad, they’re worried and looking for you [20]. Rocky Mountain National Park’s search and rescue team knows why that matters: children who fear they may be in trouble for getting lost don’t always answer searchers [21].

Ticks, livestock, and huts: the details that matter

Back at the trailhead, the tick check is for the whole family: after time outdoors in deer tick areas, the AAP advises checking for ticks, removing any that are attached, and taking a shower soon after coming inside [23]; our guide to ticks on the trail covers the rest. Hiking in the Alps? Herds graze the high pastures there, watched over by guardian dogs, and France’s sports ministry asks hikers to stay away from both and to remain calm and passive around them [24]: a kid running up to pet a guardian dog is exactly what to avoid, as our guide to guardian dogs and cattle explains.

If your family heads to the French Alps, the French Alpine Club’s huts are easy on families: in its staffed huts, mountain lodges with a warden on site, children under 8 stay free, and non-member minors traveling with an adult get 45% off [25]. Our guide to French mountain huts explains how to book. Closer to home, US fourth graders can get a free pass through the Every Kid Outdoors program, which gives them and their family free access to hundreds of parks, lands, and waters for an entire year [26, 27].

The smart move, in the end, fits in one sentence: plan a shorter hike than you think, and head back before anyone asks to. A kid who gets back to the car asking about the next hike is the real win, and it starts with choosing the trail. To pass on good habits, our guide to Leave No Trace hiking works just as well for kids.

Guillaume Hoarau

Camping, backpacking, bushcraft and hiking

Guillaume Hoarau writes for Outfarer about camping, backpacking, bushcraft, and hiking. A survival-skills buff and a collector of vintage field manuals, he loves clear explanations, lists that actually help and other people’s stories, which he tells well.

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