We Went Hiking with a Bunch of Toddlers and We Survived (AND Had Fun!)
Thank you to Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (BCBSNC) & Hike NC! for partnering with me on this post! All content and opinions are 100% my own. 🙂
I was a Girl Scout growing up and have always LOVED being outdoors. Regular exercise routines have always been a struggle for me, but just getting outside and going for a walk or a hike has always been something I love. We take nightly walks after dinner as a family… and if I get a chance to be alone, I love just going for a walk and clearing my head.
One thing that I LOVE about living in North Carolina is how beautiful this state is and how close you can be to nature no matter what part of the state you live in. BCBSNC actually created an AWESOME site called “Hike NC!” that is making it super easy for people to find a hike near them and just GET OUT and enjoy nature and the beauty around them!
Ultimately, Hike NC! is an initiative that really is aimed at making hiking an easier, more approachable experience for people across the state. It is also the next step in BCBSNC’s Get Outside North Carolina (GO NC!) community program, which was created in 2012 to encourage people just to get outside and get active. SO important.
Even though I’ve been hiking in the mountains of NC (which is beautiful!), I love that there are some gorgeous hikes (easy, moderate, AND difficult hikes) right here in the Triangle area.
It was an absolutely GORGEOUS fall day last week, so a few girlfriends, our kids, and I met up for a picnic lunch and then hit up one of my favorite hikes in the area – Occoneechee Mountain in Hillsborough, NC! This hike is AWESOME because there are a few different trails that you can take and you can really select the one best for you. There’s a difficult hike that’s a little over three miles and really is a work out. I actually did a blog post on this hike four and a half years ago… haha don’t judge the old pics!! And there’s an easy one that was perfect for taking the kids on.
Before we headed up the mountain, a park ranger stopped and talked to the kids about leaves. It. Was. Adorable.
The kids even got honorary Park Ranger badges! Lilly was pretty excited.
Then we got ready to head up on our hike! 
Hiking up the mountain with my babies!
Sweet friends. <3 
All smiles! 
On up the mountain. The easy route on the Occoneechee Mountain hike is also great because it’s gravel and open…
Getting to the mountain summit!!
That view!!!! I love that this is SO close to where we live.
On the rock overlooking the view!
Love these sweet friends <3
Thankful for these friends! <3 
So beautiful this time of year. It’s like a painting! 
So, if you’re in North Carolina (or planning to visit!) definitely check out Hike NC!! You can easily click “Find Your Hike” and locate different hikes near you!
What about you? Are you the outdoorsy type? Do you love to hike? Sound off in the comments below!
Thank you to BCBSNC & Hike NC! for partnering with me on this post! All content and opinions are 100% my own. 🙂
I love the smiles. My kids are in their late teens now and I smile when I hear them talk about going hiking with friends. What you are doing now for your young ones will stick with them for a lifetime.
This looks like an amazing place to hike and absorb nature. Love that the park ranger took the time out to talk to the kids.
That is awesome! We love hiking, so we’ll definitely check this out.
I absolutely love being outdoors & hiking!! I am so excited to check out this resource, and I will definitely need to check out that trail.
This looks like so much fun! We are going hiking with our little one this weekend. So much fun!
we love hiking!! we visit nc/sc a lot and go hiking quite a bit there!
Well now I want to go camping! Your photos are beautiful!
Beautiful pics!! Looks like y’all had so much fun!! 🙂
We did a hike this past weekend at Umstead! We’ll have to check out that park too!
You are brave!! But looks gorgeous and totally worth it!!
I love to hike and you are so adorable with Lilly and Amos! It looks like everyone had a great time. Jess at Just Jess
You didn’t just survive, you had an amazing time!! Go mama!!
Having grown up in western NC (near Boone), hiking is in my blood and it’s so wonderful to learn about an organization that makes hiking fun and easy! Some day I’d like to go on a multi-day hiking and camping trip but that will have to wait for now. The kids looked like they had a wonderful time; their smiles are beautiful!
NCsquared Life
Oh heavens, no. If the world becomes fully air-conditioned then yes, I may begin to bond with Nature and hiking could very well appear on my list of to-dos. Otherwise, I’ll live vicariously through you, Molly GRIN