Travel The Best Family-Friendly Hiking Trails in Every Southern State By Southern Living Editors Southern Living Editors Since 1966, the editors of Southern Living have been carrying out the mission of the brand: to bring enjoyment, fulfillment, and inspiration to our readers by celebrating life in the South. We inspire creativity in their homes, their kitchens, their gardens, and their personal style. We are a friend they can trust, a guide to the seasons, a helping hand during the holidays, and a relentless champion of the Southern way of life. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Published on July 27, 2020 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: AllTrails Hiking with kids can be a real gamble. You may envision a walk filled with curiosity and views only to find yourself trudging uphill with endless groans from the little ones. Though you can't always control the elements, you can set yourself up for an enjoyable day of discovery with a little prep work. Simple things, like preparing the right snack and making sure you've got suitable gear, can go a long way. But most importantly, picking the right path will help make sure your family makes the right kind of memories on your journey. When you're taking the whole family into the wilderness, distance and difficulty can be the difference between adventure and disaster. Consider the age and experience level of your kids. You don't want to take on anything too aggressive if you've got little ones or novice hikers in tow. Take mileage and elevation into account as well as what kind of wonders you'll encounter along the way. Having a waterfall, creek, or vista point to look forward to can motivate the whole family to keep moving, young and old. To uncover some of the most enjoyable family-friend hikes in the South, we looked to AllTrails, a crowdsourced trail review app that makes finding the right trail near you a breeze. Here are their top kid-friendly hikes under 4 miles in every Southern state. 01 of 15 Alabama: Sougahoagdee Falls AllTrails William B Bakhead National Forest, Houston, AL Distance: 3.5 Miles AllTrails Rating: Easy Type: Out and back Pets: Dogs allowed on leash Expect to See: Forrest life and a waterfall Learn more 02 of 15 Arkansas: Whitaker Point Trail AllTrails Ozark National Forest, Pettigrew, AR Distance: 2.9 miles AllTrails Rating: Moderate Type: Out and back Pets: Dogs allowed on leash Expect to See: Forrest life and waterfall Learn more 03 of 15 Georgia: Amicalola Falls via East Ridge Loop Trail AllTrails Amicalola Falls State Park, Dawsonville, GA Distance: 2 miles AllTrails Rating: Moderate Type: Loop Pets: Dogs allowed on leach Expect to See: Forrest life and waterfall Learn more 04 of 15 Florida: Econ River Wilderness Area Loop AllTrails Econ River Wilderness Area, Oviedo, FL Distance: 2.6 miles AllTrails Rating: Easy Type: Loop Pets: Dogs allowed on leash Expect to See: River Learn more 05 of 15 Kentucky: Red River Gorge Rock Bridge Trail AllTrails Clifty Wilderness, Pine Ridge, KY Distance: 1.4 miles AllTrails Rating: Moderate Type: Loop Pets: Dogs allowed Expect to See: Natural rock arch, creek, and waterfall Learn more 06 of 15 Louisiana: Longleaf Vista Interpretive Trail AllTrails Kisatchie National Forest, Gorum, LA Distance: 1.4 miles AllTrails Rating: Moderate Type: Loop Pets: Dogs allowed on leash Expect to See: Forest life and river Learn more 07 of 15 Maryland: Cascade Falls Loop Trail AllTrails Patapsco Valley State Park, Elkridge, MD Distance: 3 miles AllTrails Rating: Moderate Type: Loop Pets: Dogs allowed on leash Expect to See: Forest life and waterfall Learn more 08 of 15 Mississippi: CCC Camp Trail AllTrails Tishomingo State Park, Dennis, MS Distance: 3.6 miles AllTrails Rating: Moderate Type: Loop Pets: Dogs allowed on leash Expect to See: Forest life, rock formations, and stream Learn more 09 of 15 North Carolina: Catawba Falls Trail AllTrails Pisgah National Forest, Old Fort, NC Distance: 2.1 miles AllTrails Rating: Easy Type: Out and back Pets: Dogs allowed on leash Expect to See: Forest life and waterfall Learn more 10 of 15 Oklahoma: Turkey Mountain Yellow Trail AllTrails Turkey Mountain Urban Wilderness, Tulsa, OK Distance: 3.7 miles AllTrails Rating: Moderate Type: Loop Pets: Dogs allowed Expect to See: River Learn more 11 of 15 South Carolina: Yellow Branch Falls AllTrails Stumphouse Mountain Bike Park, Walhalla, SC Distance: 3 miles AllTrails Rating: Moderate Type: Out and back Pets: Dogs allowed Expect to See: Forest life and waterfall Learn more 12 of 15 Tennessee: Laurel Falls Trail AllTrails Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Townsend, TN Distance: 2.4 miles AllTrails Rating: Easy Type: Out and back Pets: Not allowed Expect to See: Forest life and waterfall Learn more 13 of 15 Texas: Santa Elena Canyon Trail AllTrails Big Bend National Park, Terlingua, TX Distance: 1.5 miles AllTrails Rating: Easy Type: Out and back Pets: Not allowed Expect to See: Cliffs, river, and creek Learn more 14 of 15 Virginia: Dark Hollow Falls Trail AllTrails Shenandoah National Park, Stanley, VA Distance: 1.4 miles AllTrails Rating: Moderate Type: Out and back Pets: Not allowed Expect to See: Forest and waterfall Learn more 15 of 15 West Virginia: Seneca Rocks Trail AllTrails Spruce Knob-Seneca Rocks National Recreation Area, Seneca Rocks, WV Distance: 3.2 miles AllTrails Rating: Moderate Type: Out and back Pets: Dogs allowed on leash Expect to See: Rock formations Learn more Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit