Natural Stone Bridge and Caves

We've been looking for a hike to take as a field trip with our homeschooling neighbors. Since the boys have such limited walking ability with just one Sherpa, we couldn't do a mountain or anything long. Our group of bigger girls are all 6-10, and they wanted something more exciting than just a half mile hike. 

We decided Stone Bridge and Caves was perfect because the trail is so short, but there are so many cool things to see and explore. It didn't disappoint!

Natural Stone Bridge and Caves

Today we took an impromptu field trip to the Natural Stone Bridge and Caves because our library yoga class was cancelled. Also, what better place to be on a 90 degree day than in a cave? It wasn't quite as much "in a cave" as I planned (so we were definitely more hot and sweaty than I would have liked) but it was an awesome place to visit. We took some friends and everyone enjoyed the walk and the sights. They had a scavenger hunt for kids which a few of them were really into, and for the most part (with the exception of a much too steep rock staircase) it was a walk that two of us moms did with babies and that the 2 & 3 year olds could navigate on foot. Totally worth it and doable!!

And of course, we had to stop for ice cream on the way home!

Natural Stone Bridge and Caves

A couple years ago we took a field trip, just a couple moms, me and the kids, to Natural Stone Bridge and Caves.  I've been wanting to take the kids back for a while, but with a baby and a two year old who makes it his mission to find dangerous things to do at places without cliff drop offs, moderately fenced wooden bridges, and sinkholes, I needed another pair of hands. 

We teamed up with one of the other families we went with and brought the husbands along for reinforcement. The big kids had a much more exciting time exploring this year, so even though the stamp scavenger hunt was no longer active, there was plenty to look for to keep this crew busy: mushrooms, sticks, bugs, and a tiny frog! My stuntman lasted only a few minutes on foot with his little legs and it being so close to naptime. It was a huge relief when Daddy wore him in the backpack so I didn't have to worry about him. It couldn't have been a more beautiful day for the short hike and we had such a great time we ended up staying most of the day! 

The boys must have felt left out since they were both backpack-bound most of the day, so they had their own excitement when we got home.