Book Review: Best Hikes with Kids San Francisco Bay Area

When you have a child, the way you look at hiking trails (and the rest of the world) changes. With an infant, you may hike in the manner of your child-free days with only slight modifications -- add diapers to the baby backpack and as long as one of the adults "got milk," you're good to go. As the years go by and your child develops speed and opinions (to put it kindly), you may need to think a potential hike through beforehand. That trail where you sometimes spotted rattlesnakes? The path with the dropoff that seems to sweep all the way to Big Basin? A perfectly gorgeous park with meadows of wildflowers to tempt tiny hands? Hmmmm.

Luckily, Laure Latham has written a great guide to hiking in the Bay Area with kids big and small. She has selected 100 hikes that span the landscape from the Sonoma Coast to the Santa Cruz Mountains. Each hike is shared through parent eyes, suggesting natural features that will excite kids, warning about areas where caution is required, and showcasing opportunities to easily educate kids about science and ecology. Clear maps from local cartographer Ben Pease make navigating a pleasure.

Her book would be a great holiday or shower present for any new parents who used to hike pre-kids, or those who are discovering hiking as a fantastic family activity.

Check our Latham's website Frogmom for more info on the book and local family-friendly activities.