"Hiking With Children" Seminar In Shenandoah National Park This Weekend

A two-hour seminar is scheduled for Saturday in Shenandoah National Park for parents who want to teach their kids all about hiking, but are just a little leery they might not be able to keep their kids focused.

The program will be led by Jeff Alt, the author of A Walk for Sunshine, and is structured to help teach parents how to stay safe while hiking, how to keep youngsters entertained, and what you and your kids should wear to be comfortable.

Mr. Alt is the father of two young children and regularly takes his family on overnight hiking trips. He has hiked the more than 2,100 mile length of the Appalachian Trail on his own. With his wife and extended family, he has also hiked 50 miles across a swath of Ireland while carrying his 21-month-old daughter. At the Hiking with Children program, Mr. Alt will provide tips on how families with children can experience nature together on the trails in Shenandoah. This program, which runs from 10 a.m. to noon, includes a short hike on one of the park’s trails.

The “Hiking with Children” program is free but reservations are required. There is a $15-per-car entrance fee to the park, good for seven days.

To register, go to the Shenandoah National Park website at http://www.nps.gov/shen/planyourvisit/resource_seminars.htm

Hiking with Children is one of the Shenandoah National Park Resource Seminars designed for those who want to get to know their national park a little more personally. Seminars provide a more in-depth experience to learn from scientists, researchers, educators, and other experts about resource issues and recreational opportunities in Shenandoah National Park.

Future seminars include The Basics of Family Camping, on July 16 –11. The complete Resource Seminar schedule can be found on the park’s website at http://www.nps.gov/shen/planyourvisit/resource_seminars.htm

Members of the Shenandoah National Park Association receive a 20 percent discount on seminars. The Shenandoah National Park Resource Seminars are co-sponsored by the Shenandoah National Park Association and ARAMARK, the park’s official concessioner.

For more information, contact the park’s Education Office at 540-999-3500, ext. 3489.