5 family-friendly hikes around the world

My family loves going for hikes in the woods around Vancouver. It's one of our favourite weekend activities. The kids love it (even if they'll occasionally grumble if it's uphill) and it just puts everyone in a good mood. For some of our favourite hiking trails around Vancouver, you can look at this old post: 5 great forest-y hikes with kids in & around Vancouver.

Of course, there are great places to go for walks and hikes all over the world with your kids. Here are some trails I'd like to hike with my kids:

Mount Rainier in Washington, USA
This article from National Geographic lists family friendly hikes in US National Parks, including in Arizona, Kentucky, Wyoming, and Colorado. The one in Washington is right next door to where we live and the description sounds fantastic:

Fantastic views of western Washington’s snowcapped peaks, including Mount Rainier, make the Sourdough Ridge Trail a mini-adventure the whole family will love.

London, England
The Easy Hiker site has some great suggestions for trails and walks all over the world. I really like the idea of "hiking" in London because I think that walking is really the best way to get to know any city. The walks along the Thames and the "Ghosts of London Past" sound fantastic.

Banff National Park, Canada
The Canadian Rockies are an amazing place to visit, and I hope to take my kids there on a camping trip in the near future. The Canadian Mountain Holidays' website has some great suggestions for trails that are good for the whole family. Tunnel Mountain sounds like a great hike to try out!

Blue Mountains, Australia
This area in Australia is on the World Heritage List, and the photos from the area are amazing. The site BlueMountainsAustralia.com has some great information about how to hike safely, the various trails there, and their level of difficulty. Any of the easy trails sound like they would be do-able with kids, so I'm saving this one for when I finally, finally get to go to Australia.

Mt. Takao, Japan
Located near Tokyo, this mountain apparently offers some very nice hiking trails and there is also a cable car and a lift to help you ascend the mountain. The Japan National Tourist Organization's site has some great information and tips. Japan is definitely a destination on my bucket-list, so I'll tuck this away for future use!