10 Family Fitness Ideas from Around the Country

Hitting the Trail

Perched on a wide granite outcropping at 2,865 feet, three families savor the stunning view of the U-shaped valley of Crawford Notch, their reward for the heart-pumping, muscle-building 1.6-mile trek up New Hampshire's Mount Willard. As volunteers in the Mountain Watch program of the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC), they're doing more than admiring foliage -- they're tracking it. Acting as "citizen scientists," they measure color change and leaf drop and then record their observations, contributing to a long-term study on signs of climate change. "My kids love it because they feel like they're doing something to help the environment," says Nancy Ritger, an AMC naturalist and mother of three.

For more info: "Citizen scientist" programs exist across the U.S.; go to citizensci.com to find one near you.