Obstacles Our Children Face with Our National Parks?

Half Dome in Yosemite National Park

There has been a lot of talk lately in many of my circles about engaging the Millennial generation in our National Parks. Is it too late to reach this generation? This generation certainly has it's share of obstacles. From technology addiction to limited jobs and income, it all factors into the equation of this problem. Here are 5 issues I see as relevant to the success of National Parks in future generations.


1. Time
I suggest that the problem is derived much earlier in childhood. Parents in general do not make getting outside a big enough priority in life. Many times, it is because they can't. Let's face it, vacation travel is a large endeavor for most families in America and time is a precious commodity for the majority of households. Society has changed dramatically with the advancement of technology. We can work from anywhere in many jobs thanks to cell phones, wifi, laptops and tablets, etc.

This adds to many parent's struggle with work life balance in today's society. Prioritizing nature and the outdoors is hard to do for parents when you are constantly worried if you are near wifi or if you can check email. What kind of example does this show our kids?

Unfortunately, I have to add that many kids are splitting weekend time between two families due to divorce as well. It has had a snowball effect on the youth and I fear the perfect storm has rolled in on the Millennial generation.


2. Education  
Recently, I was distraught to learn that many of the Recreation, Parks & Tourism programs in the University of North Carolina system were being phased out. The reasons are many, but less interest in the field must be a key factor in this. Where does this passion for learning more about our parks and wild areas come from?

Right now, it seems it is completely up to us as parents to introduce our children to both State Park systems and National Park systems. Right now, all 4th graders in the US are entitled to a Every Kid to a Park Pass. This is a free pass for the 2015-2016 year to EVERY National Park in the US. While I believe this should extend to every child under 16, it is a good start. That being said, I am curious to know how many families even know about this. From my personal conversations, not many people in my community have ever heard of this.

It is one thing to extend a program like Every Kid to a Park, but how do we educate the public on this program and others and get these kids and their parents to actually visit the parks?


3. Accessibility
We live in an "on demand" world. Accessibility in the digital world of internet, texting and social media has spoiled us. We expect information to be brought to us with as little effort on our part as necessary. So, how do we bring the National Parks to the community in a tangible and relevant way to engage further desire to learn?

I would love to see better partnerships between National Parks, State Parks and Municipal Parks. I feel this is one avenue that is grossly under utilized considering the majority of our population has immediate access to some State or Municipal park. Maybe a local park could host a National Park Day with Rangers present. It has to start somewhere, right?

Getting to know the ranger at Hanging Rock State Park

4. Visibility/Exposure
Luckily, we have the 100 year anniversary of our National Parks in 2016 to drum up publicity. The National Park Foundation has done a decent job with the #findyourpark campaign. But, what happens after that?

There is a great show broadcast on the CW on Saturday mornings called Rock the Park. Jack and Colton are visiting every National Park and are sharing their experiences on this program. It is a fantastic program for kids and adults to learn more about our National Parks System. How do we expand upon this?


5. Money
Let's face it. All of the problems listed above boil down to the same factor, not enough money. More exposure and more involvement can lead to more people getting involved monetarily with our parks. More involvement makes our voice a little louder to government when deciding on spending for our National Park System.

We can always contribute on our own through charities like the National Park Foundation, but many feel (and they are correct) they already contribute every year on April 15th when they pay their taxes.

Money is going to be a driving influence on any program or initiative that is put into action. The key is to initiate involvement and interest in our National Parks. I have heard this more than once, but it is so true..."Just get them to the park and let nature take over".

Wander Report: Piedmont Trail - Bur Mil Park, Greensboro, NC

Lake Brandt from the Piedmont Trail

It is the last weekend before school officially starts. Skittles is starting Kindergarten and The Doobs is in the 3 year old pre-K class. Friday, we asked "what do you want to do this weekend for your last summer hoo-rah." Both, to Mommy and Daddy's delight, said they wanted to go hiking on Saturday. We had gotten both of them new hiking shoes and they were dying to try them out.

We needed to stay fairly close to home due to a dinner engagement, so we headed over to Bur Mil Park in Greensboro, NC for a hike at Lake Brandt on the Piedmont Trail.

The trailhead for the Piedmont Trail

The trailhead was easy enough to find. We parked on Strawberry Road where the Greenway crosses, just off of 220 (Battleground Ave.) . The Piedmont Trail begins just up the Greenway about .10 miles.

Heading off into the Kudzu

 The trail begins with a narrow path through a field of Kudzu. The dragon flies greeted us as we trekked through the thick brush towards the woods surrounding Lake Brandt.

Just before heading into the trees, there is a great view of the lake. But, once we entered the woods nature took over and gave the kids a show they had not seen before on any of our previous hikes.

We were very fortunate to see quite a bit of wildlife on the trail this day. First, the ducks startled us as we walked close to the water to get a good view of the lake. A heron glided by us as it hovered inches above the water. We met a frog just off the side of the trail.

About a mile into the hike, we made our way around a bend to see a young deer standing right in the middle of the trail. To see the girls' faces was priceless as the deer just stood there and watched us in between bites of grass. As we crept softly closer, the deer just took a few leaps to get out of the way, but stayed close enough to see. Then when we thought we were clear of her, we look to the left and there was another young deer not 20 feet away from us.

The girls were so excited to see their first deer on a hike with us. But, a little further down the trail we got to see a black and yellow garter snake and then a 5 Lined Skink. The girls were in awe. They could not wait to tell everyone what all we were seeing today on the trail.

The trail is accented by some great wooden bridges and footpaths through some of the wetlands. It is a very flat hike and was fairly quiet for a Saturday. Just a few trail runners and hikers.

Wander Woman, The Doobs and Skittles

We were pleasantly surprised at the amount of distance The Doobs covered on her own two feet. She made it almost 3 miles on her own (way further than her 3 year old legs had ever carried her previously). Skittles (our 5 year old) championed the trail for over 4 miles and only needed to be carried for a brief stretch.

To be so close to home, we could not have imagined a better hiking day.

Wandering Notes:
Distance: 5.75 Miles
Elevation Gain: 67 Feet
Difficulty: This is an easy hike in regards to elevation, but I say moderate due to the length of the hike for kids. It is a flat, out and back hike that hugs the coast of Lake Brandt for the majority of the trek. Lots of roots in areas, but well blazed trail. Trail is hiking/running only - no bikes!

Wander Report: Eno River State Park - Durham, NC

A great hike for kids - Cox Mountain Trail

Just off Interstate 85 in Durham, NC, a hidden gem called Eno River State Park hides in the thick forest. Since my family had never been there, we did not know what to expect when we arrived to the park on Saturday, August 8th. Of course, we had done some on-line research of the park to plan our hike for the day and the good reviews that the park received on the websites were well deserved. We were set to hike the Cox Mountain Trail.

The weather when we met up Saturday morning was a little overcast and for August, cool at about 77 degrees. We were to meet at the Eno River Park office. Let me tell you, if you have a large group meeting - do not meet at the park office. Parking is not plentiful at the office. We had 34 total people (13 kids 8 and under) participate in our August club hike.

The trail head for the Cox Mountain Trail is located at the very end of the park's main road that feeds into a circular parking lot. There is plenty of parking down here and clearly marked signs showing the trails. For all of us parents, it is also important to note that there are full service restrooms here at the trail head as well.

Crossing the suspension bridge

The trail begins with a stroll through the park picnic shelter area and quickly turns toward the river. The trail is marked by blue trail blazes. About a quarter of a mile into the hike, you reach the river and one of the coolest features of the hike is right here.  A 50 foot suspension bridge crosses the Eno and below is a great area to let the kids get their feet wet in the river. We brought water shoes and change of clothes for the kids just in case we got a little too wet.

After crossing the river, the trail's only real climb awaits you.  It is a rocky terrain with wooden railroad tie steps to help navigate the inclines. The trail is surrounded by hardwood forest here. Close to a mile and a half in to the trail you come back to the river and hike along side the river for about half a mile. It is a great place to view and listen to local wildlife. We were lucky to see turtles, butterflies, toads, Cherry millipedes, Stag beetles and a Northern Ring Neck snake. Thank goodness our resident expert Sam (8 years old) was there to identify every insect we came across.


The hike is a loop that circles back and let's you cross back over the suspension bridge to get back to the trail head and parking lot.

Wandering Notes:

Distance = 3.7 miles loop

Elevation Gain = 350-400 feet elevation gain

Difficulty = It is a great choice for hiking with kids. It is not too difficult terrain to traverse and there is plenty to keep their attention. It took us around 2.5 hours to complete the hike with a break in the middle for snacks and a couple of play/explore breaks around the river.

We paired our hike with a trip to FULLSTEAM Brewery in Durham, NC. A family-friendly, dog-friendly tavern that has a wonderful selection of craft brews and an arcade to make any 40-ish year old jealous. The adults had a little tasting party while the kids played board games and pinball.  

My personal favorite was the Summer Basil, a Farmhouse ale that was quite refreshing and had a unique blend of flavor. I normally lean towards the extreme hoppiness of the IPA's, but the Summer Basil had a good controlled hops flavor. Honorable mentions were Carver, a sweet potato lager and the Rocket Science IPA.