Story Walk Trails Combine Nature Hikes With Story Time

Imagine following the pages of a storybook along a nature trail, reading as you explore the outdoors. “Ten or eleven years ago, this idea was just kind of magic,” says Sean Higgins, interpretation and education manager at North Carolina State Parks. “I’m thrilled to see it pop up all over.”

- Elizabeth Brignac

As a community educator and parent, Higgins has joined individuals and communities across the country in his enthusiasm for Story Walk trails: outdoor learning experiences that combine nature exploration with story time.

The Story Walk concept began in 2007 with Anne Ferguson of Montpelier, Vermont. A specialist in chronic disease prevention, Ferguson was looking for fun ways to get families outside and moving. She came up with the idea of separating out the pages of a children’s book and posting them along a local nature trail. The community responded with enthusiasm, so Ferguson began loaning out other Story Walk books through Montpelier’s Kellogg-Hubbard Library. Eleven years later, Story Walk trails have been installed in parks, on library campuses and along nature trails in all 50 states and 12 countries.

How It Works

The basic Story Walk concept is simple: Select a children’s book, take apart the pages, laminate them and post them along a trail so families can follow the trail from page to page, reading the story as they go. The process is perfectly legal as long as the pages are not altered in any way (including enlarging them). Making changes requires permission from the book’s copyright holder.

Within that basic framework, Story Walk trails can vary widely. Durability is a prime concern for long-term Story Walk installations. Partnership for Children, for example, recently installed a Story Walk trail in Kinston. Because the installation is permanent, they ordered custom metal frames and posts that can withstand time and wear.