Hike & Seek aims to get families outdoors -- that includes you, L.A.

Looking for an excuse to get the kids out in the fresh air this fall? Los Angeles and 10 other U.S. cities will be hosting Hike & Seek events, a combo hiking and scavenger hunt aimed at getting families outside to enjoy nature together.

The one- to two-mile hikes, sponsored by the National Wildlife Federation, will feature live wildlife displays, activities and interactive stations. Every child will receive map and mission guidebooks. Participants move along the trails at their own pace.

Interested families are encouraged to sign up at Hike & Seek early to buy tickets. The program is part of NWF’s “Be Out There” effort to reconnect families with the outdoors.

The organization cites studies that show that children today spend twice as much time indoors as their parents did. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends at least one hour of outside play per day.

The schedule:

Sept. 28 Chicago (Bemis Woods South)

Sept. 28 Denver (South Platte Park)

Sept. 28 Minneapolis (Lebanon Hills Regional Park)

Oct. 5 Seattle (Seward Park)

Oct. 5 New York City (Central Park)

Oct. 19 Bernardsville, N.J. (New Jersey Audubon/Scherman-Hoffman Sanctuary)

Oct. 19 Washington, D.C. (Seneca Creek State Park)

Oct. 26 Baltimore (Druid Hills Park)

Nov. 2 Atlanta (Piedmont Park)

Nov. 2 Los Angeles (Griffith Park)

Nov. 9 Houston (Cullinan Oyster Creek Park)

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