Ships to Hikes, an Activity Guide

Families aren’t lazing on the beach this vacation. They’re sailing the Pacific Northwest, hiking the Sierra or navigating Idaho’s white water.

Outfitters and tour companies report they’ve never seen so many families ready to adventure with their kids, even if the youngest hasn’t finished kindergarten.

“The whole idea of a family vacation has changed,” observes Debbie Baretta, co-founder of the San Francisco-based Rascals in Paradise, a travel service that specializes in sending adventurous families all over the world. “Families go on vacation now to do things, not to sit and look.”

“We have more people who want to go than we have trips,” says Johanna Van Hise from the Sierra Club, which offers 26 family trips. Especially popular, says Van Hise, are the Sierra Club’s Toddler Tromp camping trips designed to introduce young children to the outdoors.

“The No. 1 reason families say they take vacations is to be together as a family. There’s no better way to do that than out in the woods or in a raft,” says Peter Mason, the travel marketing director for Better Homes & Gardens magazine, which commissioned a national family travel survey done by the U.S. Travel Data Center. The study found that adventure trips ranked right behind theme parks and family reunions as the top three vacation picks for families this year.

Adventure vacations aren’t cheap, however. Outfitters say families should figure on spending $100-$150 per person per day. Sometimes, there’s a discount for children. That means a five-day trip typically would cost at least $2,000 for a family of four, not counting air fare. But the price tag doesn’t seem to deter families. Two- thirds of all those planning to take adventure trips in 1996 say they’re bringing the kids, the survey indicates. That could mean as many as 10 million parents out there canoeing or kayaking, backpacking or riding the trail with their children.

As a result, outfitters are designing trips that work for kids as well as adults: canoe trips with little portaging, river trips with calmer waters or less arduous hikes.

“There are many more family trips offered than just a few years ago,” says Steen Hansen, who publishes the Specialty Travel Index, a directory of about 600 adventure tour operators (available for $10 a year for two issues; telephone [415] 459-4900).

Resorts and ranches are joining in too, offering an array of adventures aimed at parents in their 30s and 40s and their pint-size travel companions: fly-fishing clinics, heli-hiking (the helicopter drops you at the top of the mountain so there’s no hiking up) and kids’ rodeos.

For vacation planners, here’s a list of adventures and family-friendly outfitters for a variety of sports. Prices are per person. The trips work especially well for children past the first or second grade:

Riding

American Wilderness Adventures--P.O. Box 1486, Boulder, CO 80306-1486. Experienced company representing 67 ranches and offering a variety of pack trips and cattle drives as well as river rafting and canoe adventures. Tel. (800) 444-0099.

The Colorado Dude and Guest Ranch Assn.--P.O. Box 300, Tabernash, CO 80478. Has a free directory of 40 Colorado guest ranches, some offering daylong raft trips. Tel. (970) 724-3653.

The Dude Ranchers Assn.--P.O. Box 4716, LaPorte, CO 80535. Has a directory of 109 ranches in 13 Western states and two Canadian provinces; cost $5. Tel. (970) 223-8440.

Equitour--P.O. Box 807, Dubois, WY 82513. Emphasizes wilderness rides. Foreign riding trips are offered, including to Costa Rica and New Zealand. Weeklong trips for adults range from $1,000 to $2,000, not including air fare. Tel. (800) 545-0019.

Biking

Backroads--801 Cedar St., Berkeley, CA 94710. Venerable touring company offers about 40 family trips each year ranging from biking in the Canadian Rockies, Point Reyes and France to mountain biking in Idaho. Weeklong trips are about $1,100 to $2,000, not including air fare or bike rental. Tel. (800) 462-2848.

Mammoth Mountain Inn--P.O. Box 353, Mammoth Lakes, CA 93546. Offers packages for the Mammoth Bike Park, one of area’s most popular summer attractions, with 65 miles of trails including one that leads to a 14-mile downhill ride. There’s also plenty of fishing, hiking and riding, as well as the adventure challenge ropes and junior ropes course. Packages range $156 to $317, double occupancy. Tel. (800) 228-4947.

Hiking

Family Adventure Tours--Los Angeles-based Dave Wyman has led family camping trips for the last 15 years to Yosemite, the Santa Monica Mountains and other places. He cooks the meals and even tells bedtime stories. Most weekend trips are $95 to $100 for adults, $65 for kids. Tel. (213) 939-2819.

Canadian Mountain Holidays--P.O. Box 1660, Banff, Alberta T0L0C0, Canada. Offers heli-hiking vacations in British Columbia. Families stay in lodges and are whisked by helicopter to wilderness areas. Three-day trips start at about $900 per adult. Tel. (800) 661-0252.

California Division of Tourism--Has several camping and hiking guides including California Escapes, a free guide to state parks. Tel. (800) 862-2543.

Eco-Touring

The Sierra Club--730 Polk St., San Francisco, CA 94109. Has a variety of hiking, biking, kayak, canoe and even burro trips into wilderness in the U.S. and overseas. Some in Acadia National Park in Maine and Yosemite in California are ideal for children or those with special needs. Others are designed for grandparents and grandchildren. Prices vary greatly depending on the location but can be as little as $325 per adult and $215 per child for a six-day camping trip to Lassen Volcanic Park. Tel. (415) 923-5522.

The National Wildlife Federation--8925 Leesburg Pike, Vienna, VA 22184. Its Conservation Summits are for families. In Alaska this summer, for example, families can take boat excursions to the Kenai Fjords National Park to learn about whales, sea lions, eagles and bears (June 15-21). They’ll hike and fish. Costs average $1,000 per adult including lodging and meals, $550 per child. Tel. (800) 245-5484.

Outward Bound--Route 9D R2, P.O. Box 280, Garrison, NY 10524-9757. These trips are designed to help adults and kids learn to work with others toward common goals; 30,000 people participate in the programs each year. Kids must be 14. Family trips include white-water rafting in Colorado, dog sledding in Minnesota and sailing in Maine. Trips range from four days to several months and $400 to $7,500 plus air fare. Tel. (800) 243-8520.

Wildland Adventures--3516 NE 155th, Seattle, WA 98155. Offers international family trips, to Nepal, Africa, Costa Rica, Belize among other places. Families might visit rain forests or watch giant sea turtles, explore Mayan ruins or trek the Himalayas. There’s the Dolphin Discovery Camp in Honduras as well as the Marine Adventure Safari Camp in Washington’s San Juan Islands. Prices could top $10,000 for a family of four including air fare. Tel. (800) 345-4453.

Overseas Adventure Travel--Based in Cambridge, Mass., offers some foreign trips designed for families. Includes a tented safari trip to Africa and a nature trip to Costa Rica. Again, prices could top $10,000 for a family. Tel. (800) 221-0614.

Baja Expeditions--2625 Garnet Ave., San Diego, CA 92109. Offers whale watching-camping trips to Baja California’s San Ignacio Lagoon, one of the main breeding spots for the California gray whale. Kayak, explore the lagoon, snorkel or get close to whales in the skiff. Swim with sea lions. One five-day whale-watching camping trip costs $1,425 per person. Tel. (800) 843-6967.

Escapes Unlimited--626 E. Chapman Ave., Orange, CA 92666. Offers family eco-tours, some for single parents and their children. Offers such locales as Costa Rica, Borneo, the Amazon. The nine-day Costa Rica trip runs $1,399 for adults and $1,199 for kids under 12, including air fare. Tel. (800) 243-7227.

Sailing

Experts suggest children be at least 6 for such trips. Costs typically are $1,000 and more a day per person for a crewed yacht complete with captain and cook. Bare-boat charters are considerably less but require you to do all of the work.

Sailing Vacations--415 W. Magnolia Ave., Merritt Island, FL 32952. Represents a dozen companies and hundreds of yachts, mostly in the Caribbean. Ask for its Guide to Crewed Chartering and Selecting Your Best Bare Boat. Tel. (800) 922-4880.

The Moorings--19345 U.S. Highway 19N, Suite 402, Clearwater, FL 34624. One of the larger yacht chartering companies in the world. Specializes in bare-boat vacations. It also offers learn-to-sail trips as well as crewed yachts. Tel. (800) 535-7289.

Interpac Yacht Vacations--1056 Anchorage Lane, San Diego, CA 92106. Brokers crewed charter yachts in Mexico, the Caribbean, Mediterranean and the Pacific Northwest. Tel. (619) 222-0327.

Blue Water Yacht Charters--2130 Westlake Ave. N, Seattle, WA 98109. Specializes in family charters with crews that will provide pirate treasure hunts, cooking lessons in the galley. Try the San Juan Islands or the British Virgin Islands for a family adventure. Tel. (800) SEA-SAIL.

Resort Adventures

Alisal Guest Ranch and Resort--1054 Alisal Road, Solvang, CA 93467. Luxury resort offers novice-, intermediate- and advanced-level horseback rides as well as an array of other children’s and teens’ activities from fishing to nature hikes to helping with the animals. Costs easily can be over $500 a day for a family. Tel. (805) 688-6411.

Tenaya Lodge at Yosemite--P.O. Box 159, Fish Camp, CA 93623. Near park entrance. Offers pools and a fitness center as well as Camp Tenaya for kids, a hiking program, mountain biking in the Sierra National Forest, fly fishing and white-water rafting. There’s a challenge course and climbing wall where older kids can practice mountain climbing. Summer room rates about $120 to $250, some activities extra. Tel. (800) 635-5807.

Montecito Sequoia Family Vacation Camp--1485 Redwood Drive, Los Altos, CA 94024. In Sequoia National Forest between Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Park. Has children’s and teens’ programs including horseback riding, fishing and guided hiking. Accommodations range from rustic cabins to lodge rooms. A full all-inclusive week, including meals, activities and rooms could be about $2,500 for a family of four. Tel. (800) 227-9900.

Snowbird Ski and Summer Resort--7350 Wasatch Blvd., Salt Lake City, UT 84121. In Utah’s Little Cottonwood Canyon. Offers Camp Snowbird for kids, including guided hikes and plenty of mountain biking. Accommodations vary from the luxe Cliff Lodge to on-site condos. Tel. (800) 453-3000.

Rascals in Paradise--650 5th St., Suite 505, San Francisco, CA 94107. Specializes in arranging small group trips for families to places from Colorado to Australia as well as booking families into family-friendly resorts around the world. Call (800) U-RASCAL.

Eileen Ogintz is author of “Taking the Kids” and several books, including “Are We There Yet?” and “A Kid’s Guide to Vacation Fun in the Rockies” (HarperCollins).