5 Reasons Why Hiking Is The Best Family Vacation Activity (& 5 Reasons Why It's Not)

When trying to plan a family vacation, there are a lot of things to think about. You want to plan a trip that will make everyone happy and that will allow for quality time together as a family.

Planning a trip depends largely on your specific family members and what you like to do. However, if you’ve never taken a more adventurous family trip together, there are some things for you to consider. A family hiking trip can be a great family vacation for many reasons, but this doesn’t mean that it’s great for all families.

Here are five reasons why hiking is the best family vacation and five reasons why it’s not.

10 10. BEST: THERE’S LOTS OF TIME TO TALK

As far as family vacations are concerned, part of the reason to go on them is to spend time together. You want to get some quality time away from the busy hustle and bustle of daily life.

Many hikes are great for this because you have a lot of time to talk to one another. Depending on the hike you’re going on, many stretches won’t be that intensive. That means you’ll be able to chat about what’s going on around you or get into deeper discussions that are often hard to have at home.

9 9. NOT: SOME FAMILY MEMBERS MIGHT BE IN BETTER SHAPE THAN OTHERS

Going on a hike might seem like the perfect idea for a family vacation full stop because it allows people to get some physical activity. However, not all individuals are able to go on hikes.

Some people aren’t in the best physical shape, and this can make going on a hike more stressful and harder than rewarding and fun. While getting physical activity is good, it’s important to be aware of the physical abilities of your family members and plan the trip around that.

8 8. BEST: IS A GREAT CHANCE TO LEARN ABOUT WILDLIFE AND NATURE

While people might first think of exercise when they hear the word hiking, there is a lot more hiking than just getting a good workout. Hiking allows you to enjoy nature including plants and maybe even animals.

Seeing the beauty of nature and some amazing views is a great way to reconnect with the natural world. This also allows you to teach the importance of respecting nature to younger children. You can help instill a lot of the natural world on a hike.

7 7. NOT: IT ISN’T ALWAYS POSSIBLE FOR ALL PEOPLE

This is an extension of another point on this list. While hiking might be a good family activity for some families, some families have individuals who are not physically able to hike. If someone uses a wheelchair or has other health situations that don’t allow them to hike, there are obviously other options that can be just as great.

If your family still wants to enjoy nature, you can find activities centered around the outdoors that are overall more accessible. There are some hikes that are more accessible for more people, however.

6 6. BEST: CAN PROMOTE SELF-CONFIDENCE BY OVERCOMING SOMETHING DIFFICULT

There are holes of varying degrees of difficulty. Some hikes can be quite strenuous and a lot of work while others are more leisurely and are more like a walk than an incline. If you’re taking your family on a hike that’s more difficult, this can be great for self-confidence.

The hike might have difficult moments, but reaching the top or the end can be rewarding. This is a great way to teach children that it’s important and worth it to do hard things.

5 5. NOT: IS GOOD AS PART OF A FAMILY VACATION BUT SHOULDN’T BE THE ONLY THING

For many people, hiking is a fun activity to do here and there, but it’s not their main thing. Unless you’re a super outdoorsy family who has experience hiking, you might not want to make your family vacation all about hiking.

You could make a hike part of your trip but not all of it. You can do other activities in the outdoors such as kayaking, swimming, picnicking, and more.

4 4. BEST: IT’S GREAT EXERCISE

There’s no denying that one of the greatest benefits of hiking is how good exercise it is. It’s a great way to get both exercise in that’s good for your heart and muscles. Plus, it can be a lot more fun and dynamic than working out in a gym.

Hiking as a family is a great way to promote health and wellness in your family while still doing a group activity. This is an exercise that the whole family can do and that doesn’t even necessarily feel like exercise.

3 3. NOT: CAN BE DANGEROUS

If you’re planning to go on a hike as a family, you need to make sure that you're prepared. If you’re not someone who has done a lot of hiking before, make sure to do your research. You'll need to be sure you have enough supplies such as food and water.

Also, be sure not to take on a hike that’s too intense for your family. It’s better to start with a less steep, busier hike if you’re new to spending time in the outdoors like this.

2 2. BEST: A CHANCE TO UNPLUG AND SEE BEAUTIFUL THINGS

In this modern-day world, most family members spend a lot of time on their phones, watching television, or on the computer. This can apply to people of all ages.

So, going out into the wilderness and on a hike is a good chance to not spend time online. This is a great way to reconnect with your family while also reconnecting with nature.

1 1. NOT: CAN LEAD TO ARGUMENTS

The biggest reason to avoid going on a hike for a family vacation is if your family isn’t interested. Some children might not want to hike, especially a lot of teenagers.

If they are completely against the idea and aren’t going to have a good time, it’s not really worth the fight. A family vacation is best if it’s something that suits your family and their interests, so there’s no need to force a hike.

NEXT: 10 Multi-Day Hikes In The Scottish Highlands