Hiking Leader Guide

What are my responsibilities as a hiking leader? You are responsible to lead a successful Hike. You should arrive, in advance of the hike start time, and well prepared. Plan to record the names of attendees (scouts and parents). Record the length of the hike, rounded up, to the nearest half mile.

What Should I do in advance of my hike? Familiarize yourself with the park and trail you intend to hike (See the Trail Maps and Resources Page). If possible, visit the trail in the preceding days to look for any issues that may present an issue with the hike. Watch the weather. This is most important following heavy rains during the spring and summer when trails may be impassible.

What should I bring to the hike? In addition to your own personal hiking gear, consider bringing extra water bottles/bug spray/winter gloves/trail snacks for scouts who may have forgotten there’s. It is not your responsibility to clothe every scout, but an extra item or two can help smooth things over if one scout happens to be lacking these items. Bring a garbage bag to collect any garbage found along the trail.

How do we keep the hike safe? Coordinate with another adult leader to have one leader serve as the “Lead” and the other the “Tail” position. The group hikes together, with no one in front of the Lead or behind the tail. Utilize the buddy system.

What should we do on the hike? Have fun! Scouts love being in nature. You can enhance the experience by incorporating advancement requirements such as teaching the scouts to look for animals or signs of animals. Teach the scouts to identify plants, practice knot tying, review the Outdoor Code and Leave No Trace Principles, etc.