Night Hiking

By Naturalist Haylee Hinton

As the sun sets over the horizon during free time, kids and adults alike start moving closer to the cabins and the lodge, drawn by instinct towards shelter and the light that it provides. Humans have always been drawn to the places they know to be safe, and it can be hard to feel safe in a world where you can’t see what waits in the dark. During dinner, the announcement is made that there are no lights of any kind allowed on the night hike, and that’s when the nervous energy starts. 

As naturalists, we embrace the dark and love taking visitors to experience the wonders of the Indiana Dunes at night. But no matter what, when we get ready to go out on night hike, questions, from both children and chaperones, begin.

“But how will we see?” 

“What if something is out there?”

These are the questions I receive the most often before night hike, so I always take the time to reassure our visitors before we begin. The most important part of night hiking, I tell them, is to embrace a different way of walking through the world, to trust ourselves and our other four senses, despite the path not being visibly clear. Throughout the night, I lead them through activities designed to highlight and allow them to test their other senses.

My night hike activities vary, but there is one activity that every naturalist always includes: a short solo hike. For this, I leave the chaperones with the group and walk ahead of them until I’m a good distance down the path, then I have the kids follow one at a time until they meet up with me. For the adults, this activity is carefully controlled and structured, but for the kids, it’s a moment where they rely on no one but themselves. 

I know this can be scary to the kids, so  I always give them time to warm up to the idea before we start the activity. I make sure they know that they have a choice not to, but I strongly encourage them to challenge themselves by taking those moments to walk by themselves. For those that choose to go (and most have), when they reach me, I always take a moment to tell them I’m proud of them and ask them what they thought. The overwhelming answer is this: “I was scared at times, but I’m so glad I did it.” It’s in those moments, seeing the pride in themselves at what they just accomplished, that I really feel the impact of what I do.

When I started as a naturalist, there were many aspects of the job that I expected I would love: spending my time outdoors, learning about an entirely new natural environment, and the energy and atmosphere that only working around children could provide. However, I could never have imagined how much personal growth our programs could  provide to these children, and acting as a facilitator for those moments - watching them overcome their fears and challenges - fills me with immeasurable pride.

Haylee Hinton

Naturalist