FAQ's

Every kind! We just love to see families moving outside, from urban hiking to trail hiking to bushwhacking, so we try not to be too strict about how a "hike" is defined. We have stroller-friendly hikes, toddler led hikes, and tree climbing hikes. A hike can be as simple as a neighborhood walk or have some kind of activity. The majority of our hikes are at local parks. We also occasionally partner with other local businesses and organizations for events. Hikes may be several miles through rugged terrain or may be a .5 mile paved stroll. For each hike, we'll give you all the details so that you can decide if the hike is right for your family.

Children may not attend hikes without a caregiver. We are family-focused, and caregivers are fully responsible for their family members at all times. We do not offer childcare or drop-off programs (although we can recommend some!).

With a few very rare exceptions, our hikes and events are 100% free. There is no cost for a membership to Trail Kids RVA or to sign up for our Heylo account. If there is a cost associated with the event, such as an entrance fee to a state park, the hike host will clearly state this information in the hike description. We may also have paid fundraising events from time to time in order to raise money to support our general programming. Our generous volunteers and community partners help to keep our events free so that every family can enjoy the outdoors. If your family benefits from our programs, we ask that you donate so that other families can benefit as well!

That's one of the great things about our group--some folks hike with us weekly, and others pop in for a hike once or twice a year. It's completely commitment free and no pressure to attend. Everyone is welcome to try it out to see if it's a good fit.

It's so easy to join a hike! We use an app/website called Heylo to manage all of our events and attendance. Bookmark our Heylo page and/or download the easy-to-use app to stay up to date on new events.  From the "Events" tab, navigate to the hike you want to attend. Click "Register" at the bottom and answer any extra questions the hike host has added. If you sign up for a limited attendance hike, be sure to review our policy about no-shows and cancellations!

We get it, life is absolutely unpredictable with kids! However, if you can no longer attend a hike you signed up for, it is important to remove your registration as soon as possible as a courtesy to the hike host. This is especially true for hikes that have limited attendance. 

​

FOR LIMITED ATTENDENCE HIKES (i.e., hikes with waitlists): If you need to cancel within 12 hours of the hike, we require that you reach out to the hike host directly or in the Heylo chat. If you cancel within 12 hours or no-show for a limited attendance hike, you will not be able to join limited attendance hikes for the following 30 days. 

We empower parents to make decisions regarding safety and risk for their own families. We recognize that what is safe for one family may be unsafe for another. Always make sure a hike is appropriate for the ages of your children and the ability and experience level of your family, and ask the hike host if you are unsure.

​

We also recognize the risks associated with this community having an online, public facing presence. For this reason, our safety precautions include:

• We require all hike attendees to create a Heylo account and provide identifying information prior to registering for a hike.

• We require all hike attendees to RSVP in order to join an event.

• We do not post photos of children's faces on social media without caregiver permission. We will ask before each hike!

• We also allow hike hosts to ask additional questions to attendees (number of kids, ages, etc) if needed for safety purposes.

Of course! We will stop as a group to allow families to take the time they need and will make sure that everyone makes it back from a hike.

We hike year-round in all seasons and encourage folks to get outside in all kinds of weather. However, weather can be tricky, unpredictable, and sometimes unsafe. And because what is safe varies between families and between hike locations, we do not have a set weather policy. We leave it to the hike leaders and attendees to decide whether to cancel/attend a hike when the weather is very cold/hot/wet/etc. The hike leader will start monitoring the weather a few days before the hike and will let attendees know as soon as possible if there is a possibility of cancellation. If the hike leader ultimately decides to cancel, they will let the group know as early as possible. 

Each hike should list what ages and abilities the hike is geared toward. You are the best judge to decide whether the hike is appropriate for your family, so it's important that you consider your family's ability and disposition before committing to a hike.

​

Keep in mind that kids of different ages have very different abilities to walk for long durations, to maintain focus, and to stay safe. Make sure your family is able to keep up with the planned pace of the hike. 

​

For hikes that are targeted for older kids, keep in mind that play looks much different for older kids than for younger kids. We often see older kids engaging in more physical play and taking more risks. We believe in the benefits of risky play and support each family’s decision about what risk is tolerable for them, although we will intervene if a behavior is harmful to another hike attendee. For this reason, we ask that if you have younger kids, you consider whether taking on a hike in a older age bracket is appropriate for your family.  

We love moms, but Trail Kids RVA is not a mom's group! Any caretaker can join a hike. We have had aunts, uncles, grandparents, nannies, and neighbors join. 

​

Men and enby caregivers are ALWAYS welcome on hikes. We have some stay at home dads who join weekday morning hikes and tend to see a more even split between moms and dads on the weekends and late afternoon hikes.  

We take pictures and video on hikes because it's an important part of the work we are doing to encourage families to get outside. Seeing families outside having fun encourages others to do the same. However, we TOTALLY understand and have a strong respect for each family's decision to keep children's photos off social media. We will ask if you are ok with pictures/video when you are setting up your Heylo profile, and then again at the beginning of each hike. 

YES, yes, yes and yes!!! We love having the opportunity to make accommodations so that families can get outside with us. We may not be able to make every hike completely accessible, but we will find something that works for you. Please reach out to the hike host and/or email us at trailkidsrva@gmail.com if you require accommodations. 

​

The tax-deductible donations of our members is critical to support the work we do behind the scenes. Although our volunteers help keep our expenses very low, we still need funding for things like picnic shelter rentals at local parks, administrative costs like website and business filing fees, and to cover the cost of supplies for our programs. We ask that if Trail Kids RVA has had a positive impact on your family, you consider giving on an ongoing basis so that other families can benefit from our programs. 

Trail Kids RVA is more than just a family hiking group--we are a community of caregivers with a passion for the outdoors. We're working creating a central location so that our members can easily scroll through the treasure trove of information shared by the group. Until then, we invite you to check out our social media pages, where we share our favorite spots. 

​

We have a very active private Facebook group which is a great place to ask whatever questions you have about getting outside with kids and local places to check out. 

​

On Instagram, we recommend following @trailkidsrva as well as these accounts for family friendly trails in the Richmond area:

@rva.family.fun

@rvatots

@rvaoutdoorsmom