From Dungannon Plantation Heritage Preserve to downtown Summerville, Goose Creek’s Middleton Park to West Ashley’s Avondale: most every day of the week, members of Hike it Baby Charleston set out to some intriguing corner of the Tricounty area. ”We’ll have as many as six hikes a day,” says Nicholl Summers, who established the Lowcountry chapter of the international nonprofit in November 2015.
Today, 3,000 locals bring their kiddos, from newborns on up, to free gatherings that include trail hikes, urban strolls, child-led walks, park play dates, even ”puddle stomps” and “Bubbles and Brew” afternoons at Palmetto Brewery. Any member can organize an event, posting it to the calendar at hikeitbaby.com (and to a private Facebook page) along with notes about the terrain, suggested gear, nearby facilities, and more.
“Each hike begins with a ’welcome circle’ where everyone introduces themselves and their kids,” says Summers. ”And our number one rule is ‘No hiker left behind.’”
