If you love the idea of hut hiking with your children but aren’t sure if you’re quite ready to commit to three or four days in the mountains, this first hut hike with kids in Grossarl is an excellent taster family hut hike.
The whole circuit is just under 10 km with roughly 550 m of ascent, but instead of walking it in a day, you can split it over two short days and one night at a really fairly luxurious (by hut standards at least!) mountain hut – with loads of kid friendly entertainment on site!
You still get all the best bits of a proper Austrian hut hike – walking into the mountains, carrying your overnight things, eating far too much delicious Austrian food and waking up high in the hills – without committing to a full multi-day trek.
I walked the complete circuit with my children when they were 12 and 14, and they managed it comfortably as a day hike. But having walked the route, visited all the mountain alms (huts serving food) along the route, eaten lunch at the overnight stop (where I also had a nosy around the bedrooms), my main thought was: I wish I’d known about this when they were younger.
For primary-school-aged children who already enjoy walking in the hills, I think it makes a brilliant first overnight adventure, and a great taster for hut hiking with kids. Some younger children could manage it too; walking experience matters far more than age.
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. Should you click on a link to purchase, it is at no extra cost to you, but I receive a small commission, which helps to support this blog! Views are always my own. See my privacy policy for more information.
Why this is such a good first hut hike with kids
The jump from family day hikes to a multi-day hut trek can feel quite big, particularly with younger children.
This route gives you a chance to give it a try – carrying your overnight kit and sleeping in a mountain hut – without committing to several consecutive days of hiking.
Split over two days, you’re looking at roughly 5 km of walking a day. There is some proper uphill involved, so it still feels like you’ve made a decent effort and covered ground, but there are several staffed “alms” (a summer farm / refuge serving food and sometimes offering accommodation) around the circuit where you can stop for food and a rest.
The Loosbühelalm, where I suggest you overnight, is a particularly good overnight stop for children. There’s a large playground and climbing frame, plus an enclosure where children can get in amongst the guinea pigs and rabbits. This is a helpful carrot to dangle as you encourage your child up the hill at the start, and keeps them well entertained on arrival. They’ll love it – mine did!
Most importantly, one night gives you a chance to find out whether your family actually enjoys hut hiking before committing to a longer route. You can find plenty more practical advice and ideas for taking things further in my guide to hut to hut hiking with kids.
Quick overview of this 2 day hut hike from Grossarl
If you’re trying to work out whether this is realistic for your family, these are the numbers and details that might help you decide:
- 🥾 Days: 2 days / 1 night
- 📏 Total distance: Just under 10 km
- ⛰️ Total ascent/descent: Roughly 550 m
- 🛏️ Overnight: Loosbühelalm
- 📍 Location: Ellmautal above Grossarl, Salzburgerland, Austria
- 👨👩👧👦 Best for: Families trying their first overnight mountain-hut hike, particularly younger children who are already comfortable walking in the hills
- 🥾 Terrain: Mountain tracks and paths through Alpine pasture, with a decent climb involved
- 🥨 Alms on the circuit: Filzmoosalm, Loosbühelalm, Weißalm and Ellmaualm
📘 Want to do this exact hike?
I’ve put the detailed planning into my 2-Day Grossarl Family Hut Hike Guide, including the exact Day 1 and Day 2 routes, distances and ascent, where to start, public transport information, navigation and GPX, Loosbühelalm details, what to pack and the family-specific things I’d want to know before setting off.
This post should give you a good idea of whether the hike will suit your family. If you decide you want to do it, the PDF has all the practical details you’ll need to plan it.
Where is this family overnight hike in Austria?
This hike is in the Ellmautal, a side valley above Grossarl in SalzburgerLand. Grossarl is around 70 km from Salzburg, so it works well for a family holiday where you want plenty of mountain time but with nice easy access. It’s just 1.5 hours on a train and short bus from Salzburg, or about an hour’s drive.
We stayed in Grossarl for a week on a family farm holiday in Austria and did this walk from there. You don’t need to stay in Großarl itself to do the hike, but it makes a very convenient base.
Find family accommodation in Grossarl
Getting to Grossarl from Salzburg
If you’re coming from the UK, Salzburg Airport is the most convenient airport (or you could even take the overnight train from Amsterdam or Brussels to Salzburg train station), and Großarl is also straightforward to reach by public transport. If travelling by train, the nearest station is St. Johann im Pongau, with buses continuing into Großarl in around 20 minutes.
Once you’re there, getting to walks without a car is surprisingly easy. We used the local bus from Grossarl to reach this hike. The current 541 bus connects Großarl with the Ellmautal, and overnight visitors can use public transport across SalzburgerLand for free with the Guest Mobility Ticket.
Check current public transport information with Großarltal Tourism
What the hiking is actually like
This is a short hike, but it isn’t flat. The route starts with a steady climb through the Ellmautal, so younger children will need to be comfortable walking uphill rather than simply covering the distance.
The good news is that much of the climbing comes early. Filzmoosalm makes a useful first target, after about 2.6 km and once you’ve reached it, you’ve done most of the main climb, and a good chunk of the work needed to reach Loosbühelalm. From there, the walking feels considerably more manageable.
The route is mainly on mountain tracks and paths through the woods and then more open Alpine pasture, with big open views rather than exposed high-mountain terrain. There are also several staffed alms (summer farms serving food) around the circuit, which breaks the walk into much more child-friendly chunks. And they all have playgrounds! A drink or slice of Apfelstrudel on the horizon, along with a bit of a play, can be remarkably effective at restoring tired legs.
What age children could manage it?
I don’t really want to put a minimum age on this hike. Some four- or five-year-olds who are good walkers could manage it happily, while an older child with little hiking experience might find the climb hard.
I’d suggest kids should be happy walking for a couple of hours and be willing to trudge uphill for a while (or at least not sit down and refuse to continue). It’s fine if they complain – that is normal – but eventually they’ll need to keep going.
I don’t think children need loads of special training for a hike like this. Part of the appeal of hut hiking with kids is that there is something exciting waiting at the end. You’re not just asking them to walk up a hill and then walk back down again. There’s a mountain hut to sleep in, a playground, animals to see, enormous plates of Austrian food and the novelty of waking up in the mountains the next morning. It’s a real adventure!
Parents do need to be prepared to coach younger children through the harder bits, though. That might mean encouragement, snacks, plenty of stops and possibly carrying a tired child for a while if that’s realistic for you.
The more you do this sort of thing, the more kids learn that they can keep going when something feels hard, and that the effort is worth it when they get there. It’s a great life lesson!
If you do want to build up your children’s walking beforehand, I’ve got some practical ideas in how to get kids fit for hiking mountains, but you definitely don’t need a major training programme!
Staying overnight at Loosbühelalm
The Loosbühelalm is one of the main reasons I think this route works so well as a first mountain hut stay with kids. It feels more like a comfortable mountain guest house than a basic high-Alpine hut, which removes some of the uncertainty if this is your family’s first night in the mountains.
We stopped here for lunch when we walked the circuit, and the very kind staff let me have a nosy at the bedrooms too, so I’ve had a good look around!
What Loosbühelalm is like with kids
The food was excellent, with a much bigger menu than you often find in mountain huts. Alongside a great selection of Austrian dishes, there was a whole children’s menu, and of course the important business of strudel, Kaiserschmarrn, cake and ice cream.
Outside, there’s a large playground and climbing frame, but the highlight for younger children will probably be the guinea pig and rabbit petting enclosure that they can actually go inside. They also have a selection of toys, and even cots on request.
What are the rooms like?
The bedrooms are modern, simple and really quite lovely, with lots of wood and a really traditional, cosy feel. All the rooms are private and work well for families, with 2-, 4- and 6-bed rooms available. Showers and toilets are along the corridor; two rooms share one bathroom.
If the accommodation side of hut hiking is making you hesitate, have a read of my guide to what to expect in Austrian mountain huts. Though just so you know, the Loosbühelalm is a really very civilised place to stay. It’s still simple, and you will have to share a bathroom, but it’s really lovely and one of the best mountain huts I’ve ever seen in terms of rooms and facilities.
Why start with just one night?
You don’t need to start hut hiking with a three- or four-night route. One night at the Loosbühelalm still gives your family the full experience of walking into the mountains, staying overnight and continuing on foot the next morning.
The difference is just that there’s less commitment. You’ll carry less, as you only need kit for one night, there’s only one hut to book, and if you discover that sharing mountain-hut bathrooms isn’t for you, or your kids need another year or two before they’ll find this sort of thing fun, you haven’t got another three nights of it ahead of you.
For younger children in particular, I think that’s a really sensible way to start.
Even now that my kids are bigger, I still try to keep our adventures fun and manageable and stop while we’re ahead, so everyone wants to return! I also don’t want to be cajoling unwilling kids along a trail for hours – that isn’t fun for me either.
And if everyone loves it, you can make the next adventure a little bigger. My beginner hut-to-hut hike in Austria is a good place to start looking at longer routes.
What do you need to carry for one night?
Another advantage of starting with a one-night hut hike is that you really don’t need to carry very much.
You’ll need suitable hiking clothes and footwear, waterproofs, a warm layer, water and the few overnight essentials required for staying in the hut. The Loosbühelalm provides full, and really comfy bedding, so you don’t even need a sleeping bag liner, which some huts require.
Children can carry a small backpack with some of their own things, but I’d keep their packs light, particularly if this is their first overnight hike.
I won’t duplicate my full kit list here because I’ve already put together a complete packing list for hut hiking, including the little hut-specific things that are easy to forget.
If you need to sort out what the children will wear or carry, these might also help:
Tried & tested gear for our hut hikes
Over the years we’ve worked out which bits of kit really make hut to hut hiking easier for us and for the kids. Here are the exact things we actually use and would recommend packing. For much more detail, read my full guide to the best kids’ hiking gear here.
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. Should you click on a link to purchase, it is at no extra cost to you, but I receive a small commission, which helps to support this blog! Views are always my own. See my privacy policy for more information.
Kids’ hiking backpack
We rate the Decathlon 28 litre kids’ hiking backpack and the Decathlon 40+10 litre kids’ backpacks:
👉Decathlon MH500 28L Kids’ Hiking Backpack (kids up to around 10 to 12)
👉Decathlon Quechua MH500 40+10L Kids’ Backpack (for bigger kids who need a bit more structure for heavier loads)
Kids’ hiking shoes
Comfortable, supportive shoes make a huge difference. These Salomon Kids’ Hiking Waterproof shoes have been a winner for our kids.
👉 Kids’ Salomon waterproof hiking shoes
Small trekking towel
Huts usually have shared bathrooms and don’t provide towels. These trek towels are light, compact, and dry fast overnight.
👉 Microfibre towel
Sleeping bag liner
Most mountain huts require one. Silk packs down smaller and lighter than cotton and is warmer.
👉 Silk sleeping bag liner
Kids’ trekking trousers
Zip-offs for warm days, and a soft shell pair or leggings for cooler weather.
👉 Zip-offs (unisex)
👉Softshell (boys’ fit)
👉Softshell (girls’ fit)
Lightweight headtorch
Essential for finding the loo at night! We use this super lightweight rechargeable one
👉 Rechargeable, lightweight headtorch
Is this first mountain hut stay right for your family?
I think this route works best for families who have done a bit of walking with their kids, can cope with a decent stretch of uphill, even if there’s some complaining involved, and want to try something a little more adventurous and fun.
You don’t need experienced little mountaineers, just children who are keen for an adventure, willing to keep going and parents who are happy to help them along when enthusiasm starts to flag.
You’ll find that there is usually a lot more enthusiasm for a hike like this which is much more of an adventure, than for a circular “let’s go for a day walk” type hike!
It would be a good fit if:
- Your children can comfortably walk for a couple of hours.
- They’ve done some hill walking before.
- You want to try a family overnight hike in Austria without committing to several nights.
- The promise of a mountain hut, playground, animals and plenty of food will provide the motivation they need.
- You’re happy to take the walking slowly and let the day revolve around what the children need. There’s plenty of time for this!
I’d choose something else if:
I’d build up with some shorter walks first if your children haven’t really walked for a couple of hours before, or if sustained uphill walking is currently a complete non-starter.
Likewise, if you’re looking for a more challenging and remote multi-day mountain journey, this probably isn’t the route. It’s deliberately small and manageable!
How to plan this first overnight hike with kids
Once you’ve decided the hike sounds right for your family, there are a few practical things to sort out: where to start, how to divide the route over two days, getting there, booking Loosbühelalm and knowing what to expect along the way.
I’ve put all of that into the downloadable guide.
📘 Get the complete 2-day Grossarl family hut hike guide
The PDF includes:
- Exact Day 1 and Day 2 routes, distances and ascent
- Detailed route map and GPX/Komoot route
- Exact starting point and public transport information
- Loosbühelalm booking and accommodation details
- Food and water information
- Suggested timings
- Family-specific notes from the route
- Packing checklist
- Bad-weather and contingency information
If you’ve read this far and decided that this hike is for you and your family, the guide is there to make the actual planning – and implementing – straightforward.
FAQs about a first hut hike with kids in Grossarl
How old should kids be for their first hut hike?
There really isn’t a perfect age. I’d judge it by what your child can already do. For this route, I’d want them to be comfortable walking for a couple of hours and willing to keep going when the path heads uphill. For some children that could be four or five; for others it will be considerably later.
Is 550 m of ascent too much for young children?
The 550 m is the approximate total ascent for the whole circuit, but the lion’s share of the climb happens right at the start, with a sustained uphill section with an elevation gain of 370m. It’s doable, and there are plenty of places for a snack break along the climb, but probably wouldn’t choose this as your child’s very first experience of walking uphill. If they’ve already managed hilly family walks reasonably happily, they should be fine. And once that first climb is over, it’s pretty plain sailing for the rest of the circuit.
Do we need previous hut-hiking experience?
No. In fact, that’s exactly why I like this route. You can try staying in a mountain hut without committing to a longer multi-day hike.
What is sleeping in an Austrian mountain hut with children like?
It varies enormously from hut to hut. Generally, expect simpler accommodation than a hotel, shared facilities and a really fun, traditional experience. Loosbühelalm is at the more comfortable end of the scale, with wonderful food, amazing facilities for kids and very comfy – if simple – bedrooms, which is another reason it works well for a first stay.
I’ve covered the practicalities, etiquette and what you can expect in much more detail in my guide to staying in Austrian mountain huts.
A small adventure is sometimes a better place to start
Your first hut hike with kids doesn’t need to involve five nights, enormous backpacks and a complicated itinerary. One night is quite enough to find out whether your family actually likes hut hiking.
This great little route from Grossarl gives you the best bits: a proper walk into the mountains, the excitement of staying overnight in a hut (which happens to be super child-friendly) and another day on the trail before heading home.
Having done quite a few longer hut hikes with my family, I do really wish I’d found this one when my children were smaller!
It’s a lovely way to show younger kids that a good walk can take you somewhere really exciting and fun. And that they can do hard things!
There may still be complaints on the way up the hill, obviously. We’re not performing miracles here.
📘 Ready to plan it?
My 2-Day Grossarl Family Hut Hike Guide has all the practical information you need to walk the route yourself, including the exact two-day itinerary, map and GPX, transport details, Loosbühelalm information, packing checklist and family-specific route notes.
🥾 What to read next
Ready for a longer hike?
Try my beginner hut-to-hut hike in Austria for a longer family route with more nights in the mountains.New to Austrian mountain huts?
Read what to expect in Austrian mountain huts for more on the food, sleeping arrangements, facilities and general hut etiquette.Want more family hut-hiking ideas?
Head to my guide to hut-to-hut hiking with kids for more routes and practical advice from our family trips.Need to sort out the kids’ kit?
I’ve rounded up the best kids’ hiking gear we’ve actually used, including the things worth buying and what your children genuinely need for the trail.
