We took WTA's suggestion to explore the Cinder Mine Trailhead with our 4.5yo and 1.5yo and had a great time.
Always use WTA's directions! Google knows where the Cinder Mine Trailhead is, but it doesn't know there's a parking lot or trail down the hillside, so directions to it will still take you to the main Coal Creek lot which is a few hundred yards away.
We did the mile-ish hike to the Coal Creek main parking lot and back via the trail and had a great time looking at the ferns and moss (while avoiding the stinging nettles everywhere) and learning about the history of Coal Creek.
Our 4.5yo had so. many. questions. about coal and mining, so it was a very educational trip! You get to see a mine's air shaft, plenty of debris from the past 100 years, and there are little bits of coal all over the place (we spent more time looking at the ground near the underwhelming little waterfall). We only found one of the cinders (we think) the trail is named after, but we didn't look very hard or go very far.
It's hard to believe the area was clear cut and a huge producer of coal for the entire west coast and Pacific Rim. We made sure he thought about who benefited from that mining, the negative impacts of coal on the environment, and the people who were displaced to get it as well.
It's a perfect trail for kids with enough interesting things to keep the grownups happy too!
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