Exploring as an Outing

Long weekends and early release school days are perfect opportunities to go out and explore the land. Forest service roads, highways, backroads; there are so many unexplored sites to see for you and your curious kid.

Who says a trip has to be planned?

Going on an outing doesn't have to be designed with a particular place in mind. Just go!

Directional Game - As I'm leaving our driveway, if I have no specific area in mind, I'll sometimes ask "Which way?" My son or partner will reply left or east or toward a general feature on a map (nearby) and off we'll go.

At each major intersection, I might continue to ask or randomly decide myself on a direction until either I have an idea for somewhere to go, I'm on a new route I've never been, or I'm getting lost.

Us preparing for a spontaneous day adventure on a long weekend.

Maybe this doesn't appeal to everyone. But I much prefer the excitement of discovering new sights and roads, and playing in a random section of forest than the boredom of being home all afternoon. This is especially important for us because my son is very energetic. In the fall and winter when the parks are wet, the indoor playgrounds have become repetitive, and we're all suffering from cabin fever, taking an excursion out just for the sake of driving can be therapeutic.

Physically, I struggle with long road trips, so we aim for 2-3 hour round trips (driving time), something we can achieve in a day. I am consistently surprised by what we can find on roads less traveled.

Some trail systems, for instance, aren't popularized enough to show up in a general hiking search. You have to literally go out and find them.

We use two different apps for outdoor adventure:  Alltrails and c:geo. Alltrails is a hiking, backpacking, horseback riding trail map and guide which allows you to track favorite hikes so you can locate them again, choose a hike based on difficulty, length, altitude, conditions, and search for new trails. C:geo is a geocaching app for android with built-in GPS. The community and use within c:geo is very impressive. No matter where we are, there are geocaches marked nearby. (More on geocaching in another post :).


Excessive snow or ice are my limitations. I turn around and try another path if I encounter slippery terrain. Navigating my vehicle (4 wheel drive or not) on certain dangerous conditions isn't worth the risk to me and my family. While I am more daring than most, willing to straddle deep potholes the width of my undercarriage and 500 ft long, I don't mess around with ice on hills or curves. One thing I still need to carry in my vehicle is a winch. But even the best winch can only do so much if I slide into a ravine (which is what I tend to find myself skirting).

Usually my son is the one who decides when we're done. He'll be tired or hungry (despite the snacks I always carry in my car) or simply ready to mingle at home.

But while we are out, if not for an overnight stay on a random dirt road, we find the most simple, clean fun you can get anywhere.

Group of bicyclists encountered on deep back roads in Siskiyou National Forest.

Beautiful little creek in the fall in Forest Park Trail system.

Standing next to a spawning salmon in Applegate River tributary.

View from top of Pilot Rock Trailhead.

From odd campsites, random encounters with people and wildlife, to the most fantastic views you can capture to fill your mind with awe and your lungs with freshness, the wilderness has so much to offer.

The best day to day experiences I've had with my son have been on undefined, spontaneous adventures into the wild. There is always something to do for free. You just have to find it and be creative in your play.