Waterfall Hiking Fun {And Family Hike Essentials}

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #BlueLizardSummer #CollectiveBias

I love finding new places to explore with my family. Whether it’s sitting by the ocean, walking around a small town or going out on the lake in a paddleboat, spending time with my family brings me joy. This Mother’s Day I wanted to go somewhere we’d never been before so I chose to take my family on a hike to check out a waterfall in a local forest preserve. It was a short drive there and once we arrived we applied sunscreen and grabbed our bag of hiking essentials before we headed out into the sun.

We found the main trail to the waterfall easily but it wasn’t long before we spied water and followed a small trail that led us to it. We had discovered the end of the creek.

For a while the boys enjoyed throwing rocks into the water and even tried skipping rocks with their Nana. Since it was a beautiful day out Jake took off his shoes and socks so he could wade around in the water.

He was having lots of fun until he accidentally fell down and got soaking wet!

Luke meanwhile, stayed nice and dry, sitting in the sand collecting little shells.

After an hour or so of playing we headed back to the main trail and continued on towards the waterfall. The beautiful weather had brought out dozens of people who had the same idea as I’d had but we still enjoyed checking out the waterfall and walking along the rock paths in the water.

The waterfall was smaller than I imagined it would be but I was still excited to show my boys their first waterfall. If you live in Illinois you will want to check out this place called “Waterfall Glen”. If you live out of state, check online to see if there are any waterfalls near you. You may be surprised to learn about a hidden gem nearby!

Before you go hiking though, you’ll want to gather some hiking essentials.

The first thing you’ll want to pack is sunscreen. Blue Lizard® Australian Sunscreen has been dermatologist recommended for over 15 years and provides broad spectrum UVA/UVB protection (SPF30+) to keep you and your family safe from the sun while you are outside enjoying the day together. Blue Lizard® should be applied to dry skin at least 15 minutes before sun exposure and/or water activities and reapplied at least every two hours to ensure SPF protection is maintained. The products have a unique zinc oxide formulation and the Sensitive variety we used is paraben-free, chemical-free and fragrance-free. I love their patented Smart Bottle™ technology, too! The bottle changes color when exposed to harmful UV sunlight which can be a great reminder for busy parents that it’s time to re-apply sunscreen.

We found Blue Lizard® at Walmart on a fun summer sunscreen display they had towards the front of the store near the gardening entrance. It’s easy to find because it has a giant umbrella on top! Save some money by joining iBotta and earn $4.00 when you purchase Blue Lizard® Australian Sunscreen – Sensitive, 5 oz. bottle only.

Another important thing to bring along on your family hike is water to drink. It’s important to stay hydrated while you are exercising, especially when it’s hot outside.

We also packed a trail mix of nuts, raisins and candies to snack on when we took rest breaks (which was pretty often since we were hiking with kids….)

Other things you’ll want to pack include a first-aid kit, ponchos (if rain is in the forecast), and a trail map if you need one.

Family hikes are a lot of fun and lead to some nice photo opps along the way!

Does your family like to hike? If so, I’d love to hear your stories! Also, let me know what other things you consider hiking essentials so I can add them to my bag for our next family hike.