Kids enjoy a fall hike in the Fells

What: A walk in the woods

Where: The Middlesex Fells

We’re not big backpackers or campers, but my wife and I do try, as much as weather, busy weekend schedules, and our exceedingly suburban lifestyle will allow, to get the kids out for an occasional walk in the woods.

Like their father, Julia and Beck prefer to have a destination - somewhere to go - so the appeal of walking for the sake of walking, especially when they’re being chased by flies or climbing a hill in clunky boots, can sometimes be a tough sell. But their resistance never lasts long.

We’ve gone for hikes in Lincoln, Concord, and the Blue Hills in recent months, but our favorite is still a stroll in the Middlesex Fells, a 2,060-acre swath of ponds and panoramas that’s right outside our front door in West Medford. It feels good not to need a car to get outdoors. (Of course, if you don’t happen to abut conservation land but do have a car, the Fells, which includes parts of Medford, Winchester, Stoneham, Melrose, and Malden, is handy from Interstate 93, Route 28, the bus, and the T.)

I have a terrible sense of direction, so before venturing out we sometimes consult the Friends of the Fells website (www.fells.org), which includes helpful information about history, trails, and activities. (We were sorry to miss last Saturday’s Halloween hike around Spot Pond and over Bear Hill.)

There’s a ton of wildlife in the Fells, and we’ve even managed to see some of it, including a red fox, snakes, and white-tail deer. I’m not so great at identifying birds, but we did once spy a winged creature in a tree that looked like an eagle or maybe a hawk on Andro.

According to the website, Native Americans hunted in the Fells thousands of years ago, and it’s not hard to imagine that as you roam these picturesque woods and fields. Perhaps paying subconscious tribute to these long-ago tribes, some kids in our neighborhood, including my daughter, have used branches to build a primitive tepee beside a trail near our house.

When we’re in the Fells, it’s just like old times.