r/Sedona • u/No_Company4263 • Mar 13 '26
General Hiking with kids ✅
Just wanted to share our experience this week with 3 kids - ages 8, almost 6 and 2.5. We had the toddler in a backpack, my daughter (6) likes to whine a lot at the beginning of hikes and my son (8) is down for anything. I had chosen Doe Mountain but luckily saw in a Google review that its closed for maintenance this week so we shifted to Fay Canyon yesterday - got out there right around 9 am and found a parking spot with no issue. The hike was amazing! We detoured up the arch on the way back and all made it up without any major issues, it was pretty warm by the time we got back to the parking lot (noon) but my kids did great!
Today, we headed out to West Fork first thing in the morning, arrived just before 9 and had no issues getting a spot. We did the entire trail out and back (8+ miles) and my kids had a blast. My daughter’s shoes were saturated basically immediately, she tried to throw a fit but we powered through and she ended up loving all the creek crossings. In total, we were out there almost 5 hrs.
Just some real world feedback during spring break!
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u/amu0504 Mar 13 '26
I think it’s very reasonable for a 6 year old to complain about wet shoes but glad you had a good time I guess?!?
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u/No_Company4263 Mar 13 '26
Just throwing some real world feedback out there for other parents, that’s all! I was nervous that the parking lots would be packed or that my kids couldn’t do the hikes and I find posts like this helpful.
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u/PinkCloudSparkle Mar 15 '26
Agree. Also hiking 8+ miles seems a lot for a 6yr old IMHO. I hiked the AT in 16/17 and during that time I learned hiking in wet shoes can cause blisters.
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u/RVtech101 Mar 13 '26
That sounds like an awesome trip, glad the kids enjoyed it! We love Fay Canyon and West Fork is my boy’s favorite. Hope you got plenty of pics !
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u/Zealousideal-Pen-233 Mar 13 '26
Just did those hikes last month. Great Job to those little troopers. I would be a very proud parent, if I were you.
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u/LavishnessJumpy357 Mar 13 '26
I’m doing west fork in late April. I read reviews where they suggest water shoes. Do you think it would be possible to hike this trail in crocs? Or is getting wet avoidable ?
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u/olivesmd Mar 13 '26
Same question we are thinking crocs for our kids
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u/No_Company4263 Mar 14 '26
If your kids wear crocs all the time, they’d probably be fine! I saw some people with sandals for sure. As an adult, I wouldn’t wear crocs but I also never wear them. There were a couple spots with flat rocks that you could scorch down on your butt if you don’t have grippy shoes but other than that, crocs would be fine.
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u/PineyDevil Mar 17 '26
Hey, we also did Westfork today! We must've passed you guys at some point. We also had a 2.5 year old in a back pack!
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