nature trails - Pitstops for Kids

Day in the Ozarks with kids: Dogwood Canyon

April 26, 2017 By Amy Hagstrom

A day in Dogwood Canyon Nature Park is a great way to get an introduction to the beauty of the Ozarks with kids. Privately owned and operated as a non-profit by Johnny Morris, the owner and founder of Bass Pro Shops, my first impression of Dogwood Canyon was that 1. it’s beautiful enough to be a state park or otherwise preserved by the US government, and 2. that Morris is doing a pretty good job of preserving it himself.

The park is managed by the Johnny Morris Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving and protecting the canyon’s natural plant and wildlife environment. Because private ownership comes with an entry fee, I was prepared to dislike it based on the principle that lands such as this should remain accessible to all. However, the cost to enjoy the area is minimal (or can be, anyway…see pricing information below), and the benefit of private ownership is evident in the pristine nature of the park.

The paved and unpaved paths, signage, and structures of Dogwood Canyon are distinctly ‘Disney-like’ in my opinion. What I mean by this: everything is polished, pretty, and accessible. For an ‘enjoy right out of the box’ nature destination, it works very well. The 10,000 acres can be used for hiking, biking, and fishing, with optional tram and even Segway tours adding a bit of ‘theme park’ ambiance.

There are several ways for families to enjoy a day here, and yes, I do recommend reserving a whole day to the experience. The more affordable way to tour the park is by hiking or bringing your own bikes. There are 6.5 miles of paved paths for biking (or hiking), plus additional dirt trails for hiking. The canyon winds slowly upward on a very gentle slope along Dogwood Creek, and every quarter mile or so, there’s another beautiful vista, waterfall, or pool to stop and admire. Truly, it’s very lovely. There are picnic areas, fishing pools, and quaint stone bridges…even a wedding chapel. The mowed lawns on either side of the main paved path, as well as benches and sign posts give the canyon more of a ’manicured’ feel than I typically like in a nature setting, but once I acclimated, I was able to enjoy the area on its own terms.

The tram tour, which families will certainly see winding its way through the park, takes visitors the length of the 6.5 paved trail by guide, then continues past the point cyclists and hikers must turn around and ascends out of the canyon to an upper area of the park. Here, Morris’ herds of American buffalo (bison), elk, white-tailed deer, and long-horn cattle roam. This wildlife park aspect of Dogwood Canyon is worth the price of the tram tour if seeing these animals up close is important to you. I really enjoyed it, even though I’ve been through wildlife ‘safari’ parks in the past. The animals come right up to the sides of the tram (a feeding lends to their cooperation) and our guide was very personable and knowledgable. The whole tram tour takes a few hours, so plan accordingly…after we were done, I wished I had saved some time to walk along the unpaved trails, too.

With a whole day, a family could certainly hike or bike most of the day, stopping whenever and wherever to picnic or play, then take the tram tour before departure. This map of the hiking and biking trails can help in the planning process.

New at Dogwood Canyon:

Dogwood has undergone an extensive expansion, which is now complete. In addition to all of the above, families will find new activities in the park, such as horseback riding and organized wilderness walks, as well as the following attractions:

Working Mill – featuring live demonstrations with head miller Blake Adams
Canyon Grill Restaurant – a rustic-elegant destination restaurant with indoor and outdoor seating overlooking Indian Creek and stunning rock formations with a 120 foot waterfall
Education Center – educates guests about the importance of protecting, conserving and preserving the great outdoors through offerings including Kids Adventure Clubs, interactive displays, and live wildlife demonstrations
Treehouse – this majestic two-story treehouse was built for the “Treehouse Masters” TV show on Animal Planet and offers a hands-on approach to conservation and wildlife education for kids and kids-at-heart.
Little Indian Stables – the beautiful new barn features 24 stalls that allow riders to walk through and visit horses as part of their experience.
General Store & Outfitters – one-stop shop for everything you need before heading out into the park, including segways, bikes, fly fishing gear and more. Also offering a variety of logo’d apparel and goods such as ground cornmeal from the Dogwood Mill.

For the best overview of the park each month, to help you plan your day, check their Adventure Guides. Here’s an example for May 2017.

Distance from the interstate:

Dogwood Canyon is located about 45 minutes from Branson, spanning Missouri and Arkansas.

Admission:

Admission to Dogwood Canyon Nature Park provides access to the Mill, Canyon Grill Restaurant, Nature & Conservation Center and Treehouse for $10 per adult and $5 per child. If you live nearby, a season pass may be a better deal.

Families can get hiking and biking admission (if bringing own bikes) for $14.95 for adults and $9.95 for kids. Admission with bike rentals included is $22 for adults and $15.95 for kids. From my day in the park, I believe this is a good value.

The wildlife tram tour is $25 for adults, and about $12 for kids. As mentioned, Segway tours are also offered, as well as fly fishing classes and horseback rides. Fishing is permitted in the park for another fee, based on whether you need to rent gear and plan to catch-and-release or keep your catch.

Check the admission page for current pricing.

Dining:

There is dining at the entrance of the park, in a smaller building that was a one-time military post. Families can get sandwiches, wraps, and other casual fare here, but I recommend bringing a nice picnic.

Directions:

Dogwood Canyon is located outside Branson at 2038 West State Hwy 86 in Lampe, Missouri.

As we disclose whenever applicable, Pit Stops for Kid experienced Dogwood Canyon as a guest of the nature park, for the purpose of review. All opinions are our own.

Shasta Cascade pit stop: Turtle Bay Exploration Park

February 29, 2016 By Amy Hagstrom

If you’ve taken I-5 on a west coast road trip, chances are you’ve driven right through Redding, California. We had passed through numerous times before we had the opportunity to stop and check out this Northern California town. If you’re looking for a place to stop with kids, it’s a great choice! The Sacramento River runs through town, offering plenty of opportunity for families to cool off in summer. In the winter, it rarely gets too cold here. The best place to stop within Redding with access to the river is Turtle Bay Exploration Park.

This sprawling indoor and outdoor park is home to a natural history and science museum, botanical gardens, live animal exhibits, butterfly gardens, and walking trails. Young kids will find playgrounds and interactive exhibits, and older kids will love the miles of trail.

Families enter the park via the parking area by the Sundial Bridge. It’s worth letting the kids stretch their legs on this bridge first; it’s pedestrian only, and visually interesting with a tinted glass floor and sundial feature. Afterward, head to the Turtle Bay park entrance and museum, and explore the indoor exhibits. We loved the aquarium with fish from the Sacramento River, the mining exhibits explaining the area’s rich mining history, and the river lab, with information about watersheds and the nearby Shasta Dam.

The museum does a great job incorporating local landmarks, such as Lake Shasta, into its educational exhibits on water and land management.

Don’t miss the temporary exhibits, tucked a bit out of sight in the museum’s Exploration Hall and Art Gallery room. During our visit in the early spring of 2016, they were featuring an interesting Charles Schulz exhibit called Peanuts…Naturally, and an interactive maze-type exhibit on the water cycle in which kids can pretend they’re a raindrop and spin wheels to determine their fate. It was a lot of fun for all of us.

Outdoors, the Paul Bunyan’s Forest Camp is a huge area with winding trails leading to animal enclosures, play areas, and outdoor exhibits. Be sure to grab a program and look for daily shows and demonstrations on offer. Our crew enjoyed the creek water feature at Stipple Creek, where they could create dams and watch a water wheel turn, and the Mill Building, which houses reptiles. The bird exhibits in crude hawks, golden eagles, and magpies, among others. I enjoyed seeing red and gray foxes and a bobcat. By far, our son Tobias’ favorite exhibit was the Parrot Playhouse, where he could feed nectar to lorikeets (bring $1).

Dining at Turtle Bay:

There’s a small gift shop and coffee shop attached to the museum, but while it has some snack type items, you’re best off bringing your own picnic lunch. There are numerous places to eat outdoors, and Redding is almost always warm enough for this. Find a place along the paths by the river, or find shade at the tables outside the coffee shop.

Lunch in Redding:

If you’re not bringing a picnic lunch into the Turtle Bay area, we suggest one of the following two excellent lunch spots for families, only 5-10 minutes from Turtle Bay and the Sundial Bridge:

Wilda’s Grill: This small restaurant has limited indoor seating and some nice patio seating, but the main draw is the great food! Choose between their Buddha bowl (rice and veggies with tofu or chicken), their falafel, or their gourmet hot dog options. Either way, be sure to get their ‘hot mess’ instead of fries: this side order consists of all Wilda’s side dish offerings in one, including sweet potato fries, french fries, onion rings, and cheese and chili fries! I loved the Buddha bowl, and the others each tried a hot dog entree. Located at 1719 Placer Street, Redding.

Carnegie’s: Carnegie’s is a local favorite, with hearty sandwiches, soups, and craft beer on tap. It’s located adjacent to Wilda’s, and often gets crowded at lunch. Take this as a good sign, as we did, and enjoy! Located at 1600 Oregon Street, Redding.

In the area:

From the same parking area, you can access miles of walking and biking trails, especially along the Sacramento River National Recreation Trail. We didn’t see a bike rental shop in the Turtle Bay area, but it would do a brisk business if it existed…this area is perfect for a family bike ride. After crossing the Sundial Bridge, you can pick from several riverwalk trails. If you bring your own bikes, even better. In the summer, Redding gets very hot, so plan to stay close to the river to cool off as needed.

Note: there is currently some construction going on in the area behind Turtle Bay, as they build a Sheraton hotel. It didn’t impact our visit, but families should be aware.

Admission and hours:

Turtle Bay Exploration Park admission is $16 for adults (16 and up) and $12 for kids. Children under age 4 are free. On the 5th and 10th of each month, Turtle Bay hosts ‘Nickel and Dime Days’, in which admission is $10 for adults and $5 for kids. By far the best deal, if you think you’ll find yourself passing through even a handful of times a year, is a family membership for $80/year. Check here for current hours.

Directions:

Turtle Bay is located at 844 Sundial Bridge Drive, about five minutes from I-5.

As we disclose whenever applicable, we were hosted at Turtle Bay Exploration Park for the purpose of review. All opinions remain our own.

Things to do in Sitka Alaska with kids: three not-to-miss attractions

August 26, 2013 By Amy Hagstrom

Whether you’re embarking upon an Alaska cruise from Sitka or charting a fishing excursion, there are multiple things to do in Sitka Alaska with kids. The town is rich in Russian and Tlingit (Alaska Native) history, and is a bustling fishing port to this day. Be sure to schedule at least one extra day in town to explore the natural, historical, and cultural sights. Sitka boasts 8,500 residents, but the central downtown area is entirely walkable; no need for a car. The three attractions for kids in Sitka below are all within a few blocks of one another, and all walkable from Sitka hotels.

Alaska Raptor Center:

Spend a few hours at the Alaska Raptor Center, located just outside of town just past Sitka National Historic Park (walk through the trails to get there!). This rehabilitation center for as many as 30 Alaskan birds of prey includes permanent housing for raptors who cannot be reintroduced back into the wild, as well as ‘rehab’ exercise and observation rooms for those who are recovering from injuries. The staff is well-educated on the goings on at the center, and can answer any questions about the rescue process.

Start at the birds of prey presentation to ‘meet’ some bald eagle friends and get an overview of the center, then tour the rehab area and the outside viewing areas. The kids loved the owls best–especially the very animated snowy owl–and the ravens. There’s a nice walking path where wild bald eagles can be spotted (and perhaps a bear or two) and a gift shop, of course. The good news: proceeds help the raptors.

Located at 1000 Raptor Way, off Lincoln Street. Admission is $12 for adults and $6 for kids, and the center is open May through September 8 am to 4 pm.

Sitka National Historic Park:

En route to the Raptor Center is Sitka National Historic Park, which we were told is the smallest national park in the nation. Don’t judge it by its size, however: Sitka’s historic park has enough to do to keep a family busy for several hours. Start at the small but well-designed visitor’s center: view the short film which gives a good overview of the history of the area, then take a walk through the coastal rain forested trails to see the site of the Russian-Tlingit battle of the late 17th century and many authentic totem poles. Better yet: take one of the park’s guided walks to learn the most about the significance of each totem.

The walk deposits visitors near the beach, where great tide pool and intertidal viewing is possible at low tide. Either way, stop to take a photo of beautiful Sitka Sound and see if you can spot any large cruise ships anchored off-shore (the harbor cannot accommodate them). Back in the visitor’s center, check out the indoor totem poles and pick up a Junior Ranger booklet to complete in Sitka.

The park is free to visit and open 8 am to 5 pm. Located on Lincoln Street (a main thoroughfare), the park is a 10 minute walk from another historical site, the Russian Bishop’s House (also on Lincoln, toward town). Download a walking map.

Sitka Sound Science Center:

The Sitka Sound Science Center is easy to overlook, located in a set of warehouses by the bay, but we found it to be a hidden gem of Sitka. Locals enjoy the center’s educational day programs and camps, and there’s plenty to see as a visitor as well. Plan to spend at least one hour to tour the outside salmon hatchery (where you can learn about the process of tagging and tracking Alaskan Wild Salmon) and explore the indoor touch tanks. These tanks are extensive, showcasing the abundance of wildlife in the intertidal zone. Kids and adults can touch everything in the tanks (with one finger to ensure nothing gets accidentally pinched or squished), and we had a great time learning what all these critters felt like! The water in the touch tanks is very cold, so be prepared for a numb hand after a while!

In the touch tank room are also several exhibits about the intertidal zone, marine wildlife, and eco-conservationism. An orca whale skeleton draws the eye, too. The guides here comprise mostly of scientists and students, and are very knowledgeable about the animals and SE Alaska.

Admission is $5 per person (over age two), which includes the hatchery. The center is located at 834 Lincoln.

While walking Sitka, Castle Hill, the site of the signing of Alaska over to the U.S. from Russia, is also worth a stop. A series of stairs takes visitors to the best views around, with cannons kids enjoy seeing and vistas of both the town and the sound. Find Castle Hill at the end of Lincoln Street, by the Sitka Hotel and Totem Square.

Looking for a place to stay in Sitka? Read our review of Totem Square Inn.