This spring (aka mud season) I had 24 hours to myself to head down to the Adirondacks! For a long time, I’ve avoided the region during mud season because I know that hiking at high elevation during this time can be damaging to the trails. But what I DIDN’T realize is that there are still a ton of trails at lower elevations that dry up early. AND still get you those classic, stunning, Adirondack views. Doing my research, I realized that Hurricane Mountain was one of them. Plus it’s part of the fire tower challenge, and so I set off to hike it immediately! Hurricane Mountain is a fairly easy hik ..read more

Recently I was looking for “mud season” hikes in the Adirondacks and came across Little and Big Crow Mountains. After realizing that Big Crow Mountain was part of the Lake Placid 9’er hiking challenge, I decided to add it into my day – and it was awesome! Mud season is a time of year in the Adirondacks when the spring melt is happening and the trails are vulnerable to erosion. Trails at high elevation are MORE vulnerable to erosion so I looked specifically for lower elevation hikes and found some great lists here and here. The route we decided on had us hiking up to Big Crow, and then we decid ..read more

The Adirondacks has been one of my favorite places to hike for a long time now. There’s SUCH a variety of hikes that it’s a great spot for anyone to visit. Even some of the shortest hikes can get you an amazing view! But there are also long, challenging hikes, and multi-day backpacking options if you’re looking for something a bit tougher. Recently a friend and I visited the Adirondack region for exactly 24 hours. So we tried to squeeze in as much as we could! First up was Azure Mountain. It’s on the way to the Adirondacks so it made sense for us to stop, break up the drive a bit, and hike thi ..read more

The Adirondacks are one of my favorite places to hike! But since I only started hiking as an adult, and most of my time is spent on the flat ground of Ottawa, ON, the Adirondacks do still feel a bit intimidating to me. And over the past five years, the challenge of hiking in the region has increased as we grew our family but wanted to keep hiking. The best thing about the added challenge of hiking with kids is that it’s introduced us to Adirondack hikes we might not have considered before. Looking for shorter, easier hikes we could complete with our little ones in tow has gotten us out on some ..read more

I’ve seen people talk about the Balanced Rocks for years and how its such a beautiful, easy hike. This year, I finally got to try it with my two kids! Beautiful, absolutely. Easy? Easy….ish, if you ask me. I think the relatively short distance makes it a lot EASIER than other hikes in the Adirondacks. But frankly it’s still quite steep, and a handful of sections along the trail are a bit technical! It was NOT easy getting a 2-year-old and a 5-year-old up to the Balanced Rocks, but it was manageable. And as promised, just completely stunning at the rocks. This is a great hike for families who f ..read more

This summer we got to spend a week RV camping in the Adirondacks with our kids. One of the things I love most about the Adirondacks is that you can go on some fairly short hikes and see some absolutely gorgeous views. We planned two trips for our hike that would be short but still a bit challenging for the whole family to do together, and then planned a couple of easier, more restful days. On these days we played at the beach, jumped in a local swimming hole, and tried (unsuccessfully) to catch minnows at Connery Pond. Our first hike of the week was up Bear Den Mountain and it was SO stunning ..read more

This summer we got the chance to go RV camping at the Two Rivers Campground in Algonquin Provincial Park. And we took the opportunity to hike the Two Rivers Trail, one we had never hiked before but which is a new favorite of mine. The Two Rivers Trail is short, making it a great option for families. And it also has an absolutely GORGEOUS view in a couple of different spots along the trail, which is what qualifies it as a favorite for me! This view on the Two Rivers Trail was my absolute favorite! Quick Facts Length:  2.3 km Difficulty: Moderate Trailhead Coordinates:  45°34’46 ..read more

Early this summer we went RV camping in Algonquin Provincial Park, and had the opportunity to hike a few of the trails along Highway 60 while we were there! We camped at the Two Rivers Campground, which was a lovely campsite. It was also very close to the Spruce Boardwalk Trail, which was a perfect, easy hike with kids. Plus a great spot to enjoy the peace and beauty of Algonquin Park. This was such a perfect hike for little legs! Quick Facts Length:  1.5 km Difficulty: Easy Trailhead Coordinates: 45°35’13.5″N 78°22’25.6″W Washroom at Trailhead: No Dogs Allowed: Yes ..read more

I love visiting the Adirondacks and ADORE seeing my kids on top of Adirondack mountains. Recently we got to go back to the Adirondacks as a family of four! Right now, our daughter is 4.5 years old, and our son is 1.5 years old. So they have very different abilities and needs during a hike. And one of my favorite things about the Adirondacks is the variety of trails that are available. There are a ton that are long, technical, and strenuous. But there are also SO many that are short and fairly easy- but still offer stunning views. Another one of my favorite things (there are many!) is that ther ..read more

Early this spring, we risked the bugs to go down to Tupper Lake, NY, and start working on the Tupper Lake Triad. To finish the challenge, we hiked Goodman Mountain, then Coney Mountain. Coney Mountain was great! It was short, but a bit rockier than the others so our kids enjoyed the additional challenge of trying to step on every single rock they saw on their way up the mountain. Our 5-year-old daughter hiked up this mountain easily, and we got some beautiful views at the top! On the summit of Coney Mountain. The Tupper Lake Triad In order to complete the Tupper Lake Triad, there are 3 mount ..read more