Backpacking with kids in Rocky Mountain National Park

Story and photos by Rebecca Detterline, Estes Park

“Auntie, my legs are feeling tired. Can you carry me?” Of course my niece, Adeline, is completely oblivious to the fact that I am already carrying a 45-pound backpack and both of my hands are occupied with the trekking poles I am using in an attempt to keep myself from tripping and falling, adding more scrapes and bruises to the bodily evidence of my backcountry clumsiness.

​At first, indulging this small request on short hikes seems harmless. Like a candy bar in the grocery store checkout line, it could quickly de-escalate a meltdown or even prevent one altogether. Additionally, unlike a trip to get groceries, a trip into the backcountry with children is totally optional and perhaps even self- serving for the adults organizing it. A child screaming to go home in the middle of a trail only half a mile from the trailhead doesn't exactly make me look like Auntie of the Year.

I remind myself that she has done this to me on several summer backpacking trips and backcountry winter hut trips and that she always has an absolute blast once she arrives at the destination with her friends. She sobbed her eyes out while I shoveled M&Ms and gummy bears into her mouth on her first chair lift rides and now she loves them. She even had the audacity to look me straight in the eyes at water park and say, “Little girls never get to do anything fun."

I am the adult here and I like to believe that my thought process is a bit more rational than that of a four-year- old.
 
“No, buddy. My pack is too heavy and you are big girl now and you're going to have to walk to the campsite.” I feel sorry for interrupting the quiet solitude for the hikers passing by during her complete and utter emotional meltdown, and of course I feel a twinge of embarrassment as passersby look on with sympathy and what I imagine to be complete disapproval. In one minute, they will be several yards up the trail, enjoying their hike once more. I, on the other hand, hope to be hiking, camping and skiing with this child for the course of her outdoor upbringing and hopefully the rest of her life.

​So, my first piece of advice is: Let 'em scream. It's embarrassing and cringe-worthy and people might look down on you, but you are setting a precedent here and you need to stand your ground.
 
My second tip strays a bit from the approach I just spent several paragraphs defending. Your job as the adult is to get this child to walk or run or gallop or cartwheel all the way to the campsite by whatever means necessary. Bribery with snacks has proven to be a highly effective strategy and the kids are burning through the calories like little hummingbirds anyway. For some kids, dried strawberries and organic crackers ​will motivate them for miles. Adeline requires sour gummy worms, chocolate and Teddy Grahams to maintain a pace of one half mile per hour.

Speaking of pace, it is probably not going to be brisk. As an adult, I like to put my head down, hike quickly to camp, get my backpack off and start enjoying my time in the woods. Hiking with a child brings enjoying the journey rather than solely focusing on the destination to a whole new level. Every boulder, bog bridge and dilapidated cabin is an adventure waiting to happen.

I've found the best strategy is to let the kids stop and really play a couple of times along the route. On a recent trip to the Moore Park campsite, we stopped at the Eugenia Mine for an hour on the way in and out.

​Once at camp, kids are pretty quick to entertain themselves. Sticks and rocks and imagination combined go a long way. I always bring a tarp and parachute cord to build a shelter in case of rain. A lightweight hammock is always a hit and books are great for winding down at bedtime. A string of battery-powered LED lights create a nice ambient light for kids who like to sleep with a night light.

The one children's gear splurge that I absolutely swear by is the Big Agnes sleep system. The integrated sleeping pad sleeve keeps kiddos from sliding around and the bags are rated to 15 degrees. However, there is no need to spend a bunch of money to get your kids into the backcountry. Borrow a sleeping bag and sleeping pad from a friend or use of your old ones.

​Individual sites allow a maximum of seven people and group sites a maximum of twelve. Going with a group is always more fun. The kids can motivate each other by chasing one another down the trail and entertain each other while the adults set up camp, cook and collect water.

Wilderness permits for backcountry camping become available on recreation.gov in early March and the most sought-after sites get booked within seconds.

However, most child-friendly sites are not highly coveted, and I've had no trouble getting my first or second choice as long as I'm the website the day that reservations open. There were still a good amount of availability for many of these sites in September 2022. 

There are several sites in Rocky Mountain National Park within two miles of the trailhead. Specific information on all backcountry sites, including distances and elevation gain is available at https://www.nps.gov/romo/planyourvisit/site_details.htm.

List of Recommended Campsites for Backpacking with Children:
Cow Creek TH: Rabbit Ears, Peregrine
Cub Lake TH: Cub Creek
Hollowell Park TH: Mill Creek Basin, Upper Mill Creek
Sprague Lake or East Portal TH: Wind River Bluff, Over the Hill, Upper Wind River
Fern Lake TH: Arch Rock, Old Forest Inn
Longs Peak TH: Moore Park, Goblin's Forest
Wild Basin TH: Pine Ridge, Tahosa
East Inlet TH: East Meadow
North Inlet TH: Summerland Park
Green Mountain TH: Big Meadows Group

Rebecca Detterline is a lover all things RMNP. She is a wildflower aficionado whose favorite hiking destinations are alpine lakes and waterfalls. Her name can be found in remote summit registers in Wild Basin and beyond. Originally from Minnesota, she has lived in Allenspark since 2011.

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The publication of this article was made possible by Rock Creek Tavern and Pizzeria of Allenspark and MacGregor Mountain Lodge of Estes Park.