Kid Tracks: Kid Tracks Column: Carson Refuge great hike for little ones

Level terrain that's easy on little legs, numbered stations to find and a trail map with descriptions to read at each stop provides a gem of a place for parents with young children. Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge in Wells has all that and more to compliment its natural beauty and makes it a great destination for families.

The one-mile loop trail at the refuge is well marked. Maps at the trail head includes information about each numbered station that help visitors identify the aspects of a specific view. I always appreciate this sort of resource when hiking with my kids, as they ask 101 questions and rarely do I have more than the most basic of answers. But with the trail map and supplemental brochure from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, I can answer the kids' questions like a ranger. Well, sort of. My daughter took over the map to read each station description to me, so she was the ranger on the trail on this trip.

We explored this trail system with birding in mind but it was quiet on that front the windy day we visited. A woodpecker, chickadees and a mourning dove could all be heard, but we never did spot them. There were a couple of black specks near the open sea in the distance, but moving too fast for our novice bird identification skills. Birding in spring and summer should be more productive at the refuge than this late winter trip, so a return visit is in order.

Our hike was an easy, leisurely one, and we found a lot to enjoy along the way. The benches were a highlight for my 12-year-old. They were positioned to appreciate the surroundings at various stations, and she decided she needed to assess the comfort of and view from each one. She also always has had an affinity for walking on boardwalks, so any trail with more than one is tops in her book (there are three at the refuge). Most kids like hiking on varied terrain.

My daughter also enjoyed another less noisy, tactile experience by tracing the carved wooden numbers at each station with her fingers. Over the years I have found that in order to keep kids interested in hiking, especially when they're very young, it's helpful to give them something to look forward to finding. That's not always possible when parents don't know themselves, but there's no guesswork here. The markers are fairly close together -- there are 11 on the one-mile loop -- and kids will find them easily.

Most parents encourage kids to look for wildlife while hiking, but that might not keep a young child's attention for long. Little ones have a tendency to scare off birds and critters with their squeals and chatter, so wildlife can be elusive. But when there are numbered stations, boardwalks and benches -- things that can't run away and hide -- it makes for a better hiking experience for everyone. And with a bathroom at the trail head, a trip to the refuge has everything a parent needs to make this a fun outdoor destination for the whole family.

TRAIL: Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge
TRAIL HEAD: 321 Port Road, Wells
MILEAGE: One-mile loop
DIFFICULTY: Easy, level terrain
FEE: Free
BATHROOM: Yes
DOG FRIENDLY: Yes, on a leash
OTHER: Open seven days a week, except for federal holidays
12-YEAR-OLD'S REVIEW: "I liked sitting down on all the benches. I liked walking on the boardwalks … We thought the trees creaking were woodpeckers until we saw them moving because it was really windy. Then later we heard a woodpecker and a mourning dove. We got to go on the observation deck to see the marsh and that was pretty. The marsh looks like rivers with hay."