Hiking with Kids in Kitsap: 7 Trails That Won’t End in Meltdowns

Full disclosure: I don’t have kids. But I’ve been on enough hikes with friends’ kids to have strong opinions about what works and what absolutely does not work when you’re trying to get small humans into the woods without everyone ending up in tears.

Last summer—August 12th, it was hot, like actually hot for Kitsap which means maybe 82 degrees—I took my friend Rachel’s 4-year-old and 6-year-old on what I thought would be an easy hike to Guillemot Cove. I figured “two miles, minimal elevation, beach at the end—what could go wrong?” Reader, everything went wrong. The 4-year-old cried because a banana slug touched her shoe. The 6-year-old decided halfway down that he actually wanted to go home NOW. The hike back up nearly destroyed us all. Rachel has never fully forgiven me.

So I’ve since done my research. I’ve talked to parents who actually succeed at this. I’ve watched which trails have happy families versus which ones have desperate parents carrying sobbing children. And I’ve compiled this list of Kitsap trails where your odds of success are actually pretty good.

What Actually Matters for Kid Hiking

Before we get into specific trails, here’s what I’ve learned from watching families who don’t hate their lives on the trail:

Short is better than scenic. Kids don’t care about views. They care about interesting stuff they can touch and poke and collect along the way. A half-mile trail with a creek and some logs to climb on beats a three-mile trail with an amazing vista every single time.

Bathrooms matter. Like, really matter. Trails with actual restrooms at the trailhead win automatically. Trying to manage emergency bathroom situations in the woods with a 5-year-old is apparently everyone’s nightmare. One mom I talked to said she picked trails almost exclusively based on bathroom availability for an entire year.

Parking needs to be easy. If you have to parallel park on a narrow road while kids are losing it in the backseat, you’ve already lost. Look for trails with actual parking lots.

Something interesting at the end helps. A beach, a playground, a cool landmark—something that functions as a reward for the walking part. “We’re hiking to see the big stump house” works better than “we’re hiking to get exercise.”

And escape routes are important. Out-and-back trails are better than loops for kids because you can bail at any point. Once you commit to a loop, you’re committed to the whole thing even when someone is having a meltdown.

The Actual Trails That Work

Fish Park (Poulsbo)

This is like the training wheels of hiking. The trails are short (under a mile), mostly paved or boardwalk, and there’s a playground at the main entrance. You can literally see the parking lot from most of the trail, which makes kids feel more secure.

The wooden walkways go through wetlands where you can spot salmon (in season), ducks, herons, and occasionally seals in Liberty Bay. I watched a dad give his kids a scavenger hunt list—”find three different types of birds, spot a crab, find a piece of driftwood”—and they were totally into it. Smart guy. I should have thought of that before the Guillemot disaster.

Fair warning: the wooden walkways get incredibly slippery when wet. Like, danger-level slippery. Stick to the black grip tape they’ve installed or just avoid it in the rain.

Parking is easy. Bathrooms are available. There’s even a play structure if you need a bribe. This is basically family hiking on easy mode.

Point No Point Park (Hansville)

The beach is the real draw here. The actual hiking trail is only about 1.5 miles and includes stairs, but honestly? Most families just go straight to the beach and let the kids go feral for a while. Which seems to work great.

There’s the lighthouse to look at (kids love lighthouses for some reason), tide pools to explore at low tide, and usually enough driftwood to build an entire village. I’ve seen kids spend hours just moving pieces of driftwood around and calling it “building a fort.”

The trail itself goes through some pretty wetlands and forest if you do want to actually hike, but the stairs make it less stroller-friendly. The parking lot can fill up on nice days, so go early or be prepared to wait.

One dad I talked to said his strategy is to bring a bucket for “collecting treasures” (shells, interesting rocks, etc.) and let the kids fill it up, then make them pick ONE treasure to keep at the end. Apparently this works way better than “don’t pick up anything.”

South Kitsap Regional Park – Explorer Trail (Port Orchard)

This is specifically designed for kids and it shows. It’s only a third of a mile with interactive stations, balance beams, educational signs about forest animals, and little obstacle courses built into the trail. Like hiking meets playground.

The trail is sturdy enough for rugged strollers. There are bathrooms. There’s a playground nearby if the hiking part loses its appeal. And there’s also a skatepark and batting cages at the park if you need backup entertainment options.

I saw a mom with two toddlers here last spring and she told me this was their “gateway trail”—the one that got her kids interested in hiking because it was short enough that they never got bored or tired. Now they do longer trails and actually enjoy it. This seems like a smart strategy.

Clear Creek Trail (Silverdale)

Clear Creek is great for families because it’s flat, easy to navigate, and you can make it as short or long as you want. Want to do 20 minutes? Cool. Want to do two hours? Also fine. The trail system connects different sections so you can customize based on how everyone’s feeling.

There are multiple access points with parking, which means you can bail easily if things go south. There are salmon in the fall (kids love watching fish), ducks year-round, and usually a heron or two standing very still and judging everyone.

The trails are mix of gravel and boardwalk, mostly stroller-accessible. Parts go right along the creek, which keeps kids interested. “Let’s see if we can spot a fish” works as motivation for at least half a mile.

I’ve seen families with bikes here too, which seems to work well for older kids who get bored walking.

Grand Forest West – Main Trail (Bainbridge Island)

The Main Trail loop is 1.5 miles of relatively flat forest walking. Not too long, not too short, and interesting enough that kids don’t get bored. There’s a wooden bridge over Issei Creek that’s apparently very exciting if you’re under 8 years old.

The forest here is pretty—big trees, nice canopy, the kind of place where you can play “let’s find fairy houses” or whatever imaginative game makes the miles pass. I watched a family playing “I spy” with increasingly ridiculous clues and everyone seemed to be having fun.

The downside is parking, which is limited. Get there early or go on a weekday. Also, there are dogs on this trail, so if your kid is scared of dogs, be aware.

The ferry ride from Seattle adds to the adventure if you’re coming from the city. Kids apparently love ferries. I don’t understand it but I’ve observed it repeatedly.

Scenic Beach State Park

This is less of a “hiking” destination and more of a “pleasant walk to a pretty beach” situation, which is perfect for families. The trails are short (under 2 miles total), mostly flat, and lead to a rocky beach where kids can poke around in tide pools.

There’s a big old-growth cedar tree near the campground that’s pretty impressive. I saw a dad using it for scale—”look how many of you it would take to wrap around this tree!”—and the kids were very into it. They spent like ten minutes trying to measure the tree with their bodies.

The beach has views across Hood Canal to the Olympics, which is nice for the adults. The kids will be more interested in finding crabs and building driftwood structures, which is also fine.

There are restrooms, picnic areas, and if you’re feeling ambitious, camping. Though camping with kids seems like a whole different level of adventure that I’m not qualified to advise on.

Illahee Preserve (Bremerton)

Okay I’m going to be honest, this one is more “real hiking” than some of the other options. But there are shorter loop options that work for families, and the beach access is the big draw—you can hike through the forest and end up at a Puget Sound beach with views and tide pools. The trails are well-maintained and clearly marked. There’s enough elevation change to feel like actual hiking without being brutal. The old-growth trees are legitimately impressive. You get it.

The beach section is great for letting kids run around and burn off energy after the forest part.

Gear and Snacks

According to every parent I’ve talked to, having the right gear and enough snacks can make or break a family hike. Here’s what actually seems to help:

Rain gear for everyone. Even if it’s not supposed to rain, bring it. PNW weather changes fast and a kid who’s wet and cold is a kid who’s done hiking.

Extra layers. Kids apparently get cold faster than adults? And also hot faster? I’m not entirely clear on the science but multiple parents have emphasized bringing extra layers.

Way more snacks than you think you need. Trail mix, granola bars, fruit snacks, whatever works. Food solves a surprising number of hiking problems. One dad told me he budgets one snack break per half mile and it’s changed his whole hiking-with-kids experience.

Water bottles that are easy for small hands. Hydration is important and kids won’t drink if it’s too hard to operate the water bottle.

Something to collect treasures. A small bucket or bag for interesting rocks, pine cones, whatever they want to bring home. Apparently this gives them something to focus on besides “my legs are tired.”

My friend who’s actually good at hiking with kids swears by organizing everything the night before so there’s no morning chaos trying to find everyone’s shoes.

The REI guide to hiking with kids has more detailed gear advice that parents seem to find useful.

Things That Don’t Work

Based on observation and stories from traumatized parents:

Don’t pick trails based on what YOU want to see. Kids don’t care about your scenic viewpoint goals. They care about whether there are cool rocks to throw in water.

Don’t overestimate distance. If your kid is 5 years old and you’re planning a 5-mile hike, reevaluate. I’ve seen too many parents carrying sobbing children down trails to think this ever works out well.

Don’t skip the snack breaks. Every parent I know who successfully hikes with kids says they stop for snacks way more often than they would solo. It keeps energy up and morale high.

Don’t expect speed. A trail that takes you an hour will take three times that long with kids who want to examine every slug and throw every stick. Just accept it.

And don’t force it if everyone’s miserable. Some days just don’t work out. Turning around is not failure, it’s smart parenting.

Why Bother?

I asked my friend Sarah (the one whose kids I traumatized on that Guillemot Cove disaster) why she keeps taking her kids hiking when it seems so complicated. Her answer: “Because thirty minutes of complaining is worth the hour of them actually having fun. And I want them to grow up knowing that outside is where you go to have adventures.”

Which seems like a pretty good reason to me.

Also, apparently kids sleep really well after hiking, which every parent seems to consider a major win.

Local Resources That Help

There’s a group called Hike it Baby that does regular family-friendly hikes around Kitsap. They know which trails work with strollers, where the bathrooms are, and generally have the whole kid-hiking thing figured out. Multiple parents have told me joining that group saved their sanity.

The National Park Service also has good general tips for hiking with kids that apply to any trail system.

For general PNW hiking safety that applies to families, my hiking tips guide covers the basics.

Final Thoughts from a Non-Parent

Look, I’m not going to pretend I’m an expert on kids. I’m the person who somehow thought taking 4- and 6-year-olds down a steep trail to a beach was a good idea. I’ve learned by watching other people succeed and fail at this.

But what I can tell you is that these seven trails consistently have happy families on them. The parking lots are full of families unloading kids and dogs and snacks. The trails have children who seem to be enjoying themselves rather than crying. And the parents look tired but not desperate, which seems like the bar for success.

And if you see me on the trail giving you sympathetic looks while your kid has a meltdown, just know I’m internally reliving my Guillemot Cove disaster and sending you psychic support.

— Rob Kinsley