Types of maps to bring on day hike with kids

There are several types of maps you could take on a hike:
g Standard road map (also printed guides and handmade trail maps) - These maps show highways and locations of cities and parks. Maps included in guidebooks, printed guides handed out at parks, and that are hand drawn tend to be designed like road maps.
g Topo maps - Topographical maps give contour lines and other important details for crossing a landscape. You’ll find them invaluable on a hike into the wilds.
g Satellite photos - Sometimes a view from above that is rendered exactly as it would look from an airplane is useful. Thanks to Google and other online services, you can get fairly detailed pictures of the landscape. Such pictures are an excellent resource when researching a hiking trail.

Read more about day hiking with children in my Hikes with Tykes guidebooks.

Paper maps indispensable for hikes w/ kids

Paper maps may sound passé in this age of GPS, but you’ll find the variety and breadth of view they offer to be useful. During the planning process, a paper map (even if viewing it online), will be far superior to a GPS device. On the hike, you’ll also want a backup to GPS. Or like many casual hikers, you may not own GPS at all, which makes paper maps indispensable.

Standard road maps (which includes printed guides and handmade trail maps) show highways and locations of cities and parks. Maps included in guidebooks, printed guides handed out at parks, and that are hand drawn tend to be designed like road maps, and often carry the same positives and negatives.

Topographical maps give contour lines and other important details for crossing a landscape. You’ll find them invaluable on a hike into the wilds. The contour lines’ shape and their spacing on a topo map show the form and steepness of a hill or mountains, unlike the standard road map and most brochures and handmade trail maps. You’ll also know if you’re in a woods, which is marked in green, or in a clearing, which is marked in white. If you get lost, figuring out where you are and how to get to where you need to be will be much easier with such information.

Satellite photos offer a view from above that is rendered exactly as it would look from an airplane. Thanks to Google and other online services, you can get fairly detailed pictures of the landscape. Such pictures are an excellent resource when researching a hiking trail. Unfortunately, those pictures don’t label what a feature is or what it’s called, as would a topo map. Unless there’s a stream, determining if a feature is a canyon bottom or a ridgeline also can be difficult. Like topo maps, satellite photos (most of which were taken by old Russian spy satellites), can be out of date a few years. Google satellite photos aren’t in real time.

Learn about more than a hundred other hiking diversions for kids in Hikes with Tykes: Games and Activities.

Pre-hike checklist to ensure successful walk with kids

You’ll get more out of the day hike with children if you plan ahead. It’s not enough to just pull over to the side of the road and hit a trail that you’ve never been on and have no idea where it goes. In fact, doing so invites disaster.

Before leaving on any hike, plan out your trip:
g Print a road map showing how to reach the parking lot near the trailhead. Outline the route with a transparent yellow highlighter and write out the directions.
g Print a satellite photo of the parking area and the trail-head. Mark the trailhead on the photo.
g Print a topo map of the trail. Outline the trail with the yellow highlighter. Note interesting features you want to see along the trail and the destination.
g If carrying GPS, program this information into your device.
g Make a timeline for your trip, listing: when you will leave home; when you will arrive at the trailhead; your turn-back time; when you will return for home in your vehicle; when you will arrive at home.
g Estimate how much water and food you will need to bring based on the amount of time you plan to spend on the trail and in your vehicle. You’ll need at least 2 pints of water per person for every hour on the trail.
g Fill out two copies of a hiker’s safety form. Leave one in your vehicle.
g Share all of this information with a responsible person remaining in civilization, leaving a hiker’s safety form with them. If they do not hear from you within an hour of when you plan to leave the trail in your vehicle, they should contact authorities to report you as possibly lost.

Read more about day hiking with children in my Hikes with Tykes guidebooks.

Follow planning list when hiking with kids

Before leaving on any hike with children, plan out your trip. Here’s a useful planning checklist:
g Print a road map showing how to reach the parking lot near the trailhead. Outline the route with a transparent yellow highlighter and write out the directions.
g Print a satellite photo of the parking area and the trailhead. Mark the trailhead on the photo.
g Print a topo map of the trail. Outline the trail with the yellow highlighter. Note interesting features you want to see along the trail and the destination.
g If carrying GPS, program this information into your device.
g Make a timeline for your trip, listing: when you will leave home; when you will arrive at the trailhead; your turn-back time; when you will return for home in your vehicle; when you will arrive at home.
g Estimate how much water and food you will need to bring based on the amount of time you plan to spend on the trail and in your vehicle. You’ll need at least 2 pints of water per person for every hour on the trail.
g Fill out two copies of a hiker’s safety form. Leave one in your vehicle.
g Share all of this information with a responsible person remaining in civilization, leaving a hiker’s safety form with them. If they do not hear from you within an hour of when you plan to leave the trail in your vehicle, they should contact authorities to report you as possibly lost.

Read more about day hiking with children in my guidebook Hikes with Tykes.

How to easily locate the trailhead on a hike

Often the trailhead is a narrow path off of or near the parking lot. The advantage of researching the trail in advance is you’ll know where to park and where the trailhead is in relation to your vehicle. But be careful: Sometimes multiple trailheads lead from a parking lot, and signs don’t always make clear which trail is which, let alone if it even is a legitimate trail.

To make sure you’re on the right trailhead, use your satellite photo of the site. In addition, check it against a key landmark or geological feature on your topo map. Typically the start of any trail is nicely marked by well-placed rocks that outline the path.

Don’t rely on boot prints to point the way. While they are a good sign when walking well-traveled trails, they certainly aren’t proof that you’re in the right place. Deborah S., of Madison, Wis., recalls, “Once while hiking a national forest I found two trailheads at where my map said there should only be one. As there were no signs, I went with the one that had boot prints heading onto it, as the trail I wanted to hike was fairly popular among parents and kids. About a third of a mile on the trail, I realized looking at the landmarks on the horizon that I was heading the wrong direction and fortunately turned around before we got too far.”

Read more about day hiking with children in my guidebook Hikes with Tykes.

Best maps to bring on your day hike

What kind of map should you carry on a day hike with children?

For me, the answer always is more than one type.

I like road maps to show me how to get to the trailhead and printed guides to give me an overview of the trail's key points. I like a satellite pic to show me where to park and how to reach the trailhead, as they are not always easy to visually locate. I use topo maps to show me the trail and landmarks on the horizon I can see to help orient myself. With a yellow highlighter I mark the trail and direction of travel on my topo map.

Fortunately, you don't need to spend any money on maps or mapping software. Road maps, topo maps and satellite pictures are all available online for free. If you're going to make a number of hikes in a specific area, such as a national forest or a national park, purchasing a large map of that entire region can be useful in selecting a trail to hike, though.

When carrying paper maps, you'll want to place them in a waterproof bag. You can buy see-through map cases that string around your neck, which I recommend for those walking in rainy climates. Since you're mainly going to walk on sunny days, however, a quart-size re-sealable plastic storage bag (like Ziploc) usually is fine.

During the hike, you'll want to check your topo map regularly to make sure you're still on the right trail. Doing so at rest stops or at any fork in the path is a good idea.

Have your children carry duplicate copies of paper maps in their backpacks. Should yours get lost or wet, they'll then have one. If you have older teens, they even may need to use them in case you are injured. Paper also makes great tinder if you end up spending the night in the wilds and must make a fire; burning a duplicate map won't be a major loss to the expedition.

And don't forget, if your children are old enough, teach them to use the maps by having them help you navigate the trail!

Read more about day hiking with children in the guidebook Hikes with Tykes.

Use satellite photos to plan your day hike

Satellite photo of Temperance River State Park
in northern Minnesota.

Sometimes a view from above that is rendered exactly as it would look from an airplane is useful. Thanks to Google and other online services, you can get fairly detailed pictures of the landscape. Such pictures are an excellent resource when researching a hiking trail.

Unfortunately, those pictures don’t label what a feature is or what it’s called, as would a topo map. Unless there’s a stream, determining if a feature is a canyon bottom or a ridgeline also can be difficult. Like topo maps, satellite photos, can be out of date a few years. Google satellite photos aren’t in real time.

Read more about navigation when day hiking with children in the guidebook Hikes with Tykes.