Over a decade ago, I engaged an ecotherapist whom I met at Pedernales Falls State Park for sessions that included grounding and tree-hugging. It was just a little too woo-woo for me at the time, but I do remember feeling calmer and more at peace after going barefoot in the dirt and putting my hands on some bark.
Six years and two kids later, I began reading books like ”Last Child in the Woods” and ”The Anxious Generation.” Upon finishing those texts, I’ve been a lot more intentional about hitting the trails with my kids. If you’re looking to do the same in San Marcos, here are a couple of things I learned along the way: Upper Purgatory’s ADA, crushed granite path is perfect for a running stroller. Whether you’re chasing the stroller marathon record (Two hours and thirty-one minutes!) or just looking for a way to walk with your kid in nature, this trail offers plenty of sun and flora. I loved pausing close to trees and grasses to let my kids reach out and stimulate their sense of touch with the natural world.
At some point, you’ll get tired of the same old Upper Purgatory route and want to return to single track — enter the hiking backpack. My backpacking buddies all chipped in and bought us an Osprey Poco Pack, which we’ve used for kids ages 1-5. In the world of kids’ gear, that’s equivalent to driving a car for 300,000 miles, so I highly recommend this Toyota Hilux of backpacks.
That being said, backpacking with a kid is different from carrying a tent and a Jetboil. Their dynamic, wiggly load tests your body and your footing in ways a static pack doesn’t, so stick to manageable trails like those found at Lower Purgatory. The Dante and Ripheus trails provide engaging scenery, like the Matilda Bridge to the dam overlook, while offering terrain that won’t send you sprawling the first time your toddler reaches for a leaf.
Lastly, there’s nothing more exciting than hiking with your kids for the first time on their own. I wanted to make a good first impression, so I subscribed to the ”Goonies” method of introduction, where I helped my kids discover a handdrawn map of a local park that led them to candy stashes and buried treasures.
Virgil’s Trail from Prospect Park to the Learning Tree and Cosmic Circle provides the perfect setting for a treasure hunt. This 0.6-mile round trip offers numerous benches for snacking, informative signage on the natural sciences, and easily identifiable features like switchbacks, sinkholes and marshes, where kids can practice their map-reading and adventure skills. Hide a Crown Royal bag filled with costume jewelry and Jolly Ranchers in the crux of the Learning Tree, and you’ll have them hooked on hiking for life.
Hitting the trail with kids has been one of the most rewarding parts of parenthood, and while the verdict is still out on tree-hugging, I gotta believe tree-climbing with my kids is positively impacting their mental health and moral character. “‘Goonies’ never say die!”
