5-7 Day Family Backpacking Ideas – Early July – WA/ID/MT/Canadian Rockies

What I’m going about to say varies from the parameters of your posting and suggest this as a trip you might want to explore in the future. Our family started backpacking back when our three boy were ages 4, 6 and 8. We traveled to Isle Royale National Park for a eleven day adventure that covered a small portion of the main island AND we  rented a small boat from the concessioner on the island and explored a small portion of outer islands that had lots to see for three days. The topography on the island runs from ~700’ to 1300’, many lakes to explore by boat or packraft, fish and enjoy, vast amount of history concerning the early copper mining to see and explore, plant and animal wildlife is abundant, camp sites point to point distances run from 3mi to lengthy ~13mi depending on the routes you take (average 6mi), many campsite have lean to shelters and tent sites that are excellent and free to use. Could expand more on its attributes but there is a lot of published information printed and available. This is a place to place in your “bucket list” of areas to backpack as it is a great place for kids to start the craft of backpacking and being just kids.

Early July may be too early for the higher elevations but what about taking the boat from Chelan up to Stehekin and then hiking there. I think there is a trail on the east side where you get dropped off halfway up the Lake Chelan and then hike northward to Stehekin. From Stehekin, you could do an out-and-back up the PCT or connect something different; there seems to be a ton of trails up there.

I haven’t been up there, and have no idea about reserving campsites, shuttles up to various trailheads, etc. But it would be memorable!

Olympic Coast. Lots of great choices. My favorite​ with new backpackers is to hike in to Toleak point, set up base camp and play for 3 to 4 days.

Stehekin is good too, you can hike in From Rainy Pass. Some neat things to do in Stehekin for a 9 year old.

Ross lake is another good choice, but dependent on your canoe skills and access to equipment.

White pass to Chinook pass could be good, but you might face a couple spots of snow in early July. I would feel comfortable with my kids doing that when they were nine, but then again I took the glissading when they were 4.

Lots of nice trips in the Goat Rocks, and some good ones north of Snoqualmie too.

Ingalls Creek trail starting near Blewett pass is a great hike. Lots of trees, a great Creek, beautiful scenery and easy to set up camp in so many places.

Pete’s lake north of the I90 and west of Cle Elum is great for single day trip, but could also be part of a string of camps ending up at Snoqualmie pass. However it will have a couple of fierce climbs for an encumbered 9 year old.

Another one is a hike from Sulfur Creek Campground out the Suiattle River trail 9 miles to the intersection with the PCT.  From there head South another 4 miles to some beautiful old growth forest and there is great fishing along the creek there. Out and back would be 26-30 miles and the trail is pretty benign with plenty of designated and also other potential campsites.