Photo Courtesy of HAWKs

A new outdoor program in the Lake Norman area is giving children a throwback option for camps and after-school activities by hiking and exploring nature at parks and trails across the region.

HAWKs Lake Norman, which stands for Hiking Adventures With Kids, operates programs for children ages 5-12 in Cornelius, Davidson and Huntersville. Rather than operating from a single camp property, the program moves between parks and natural areas.

In Cornelius, HAWKs visits Jetton Park, Ramsey Creek Park and Robbins Park. Its Davidson locations include Fisher Farm, Abersham Park and the Rocky River Greenway. In Huntersville, programs are held at Latta Nature Preserve, Bradford Park and Torrence Creek Greenway.

Danni and Drew Chalfant

Activities are built around the locations where children are hiking. A typical program can include identifying plants and wildlife, nature games, outdoor science activities, scavenger hunts, hiking and lessons about trail safety and conservation. Longer programs include more extended hikes and outdoor skills.

The Lake Norman franchise is operated by Drew and Danni Chalfant, who launched the program earlier this year. The Chalfants’ territory is the first franchise in the Eastern United States.

“I think you’re starting to see a swinging back of the pendulum when it comes to kids where we need to balance out all this tech with some actual real-world experiences,” said Drew Chalfant. “We want kids to put away the screens. Let them slow down. Get outside and do some learning on the trail where there’s some time for mindfulness. The idea here is just let the kids have the childhood that we had in the ’90s before all of this technology was so omnipresent in all of our lives.”

The program also offers after-school care, with transportation from designated schools to outdoor locations, as well as day camps, school-closure programs, field trips and birthday parties.

HAWKs limits groups to seven children per educator and requires at least two educators for each group. The company says its educators undergo background checks and receive training in CPR and first aid.

The program is part of HAWKs Hiking Adventures With Kids, a California-based company founded in 2022. The company began franchising in 2025 and has expanded to several markets nationwide. The company uses a mobile model, allowing franchisees to operate programs at parks and other outdoor locations rather than maintaining a dedicated camp facility.

HAWKs Lake Norman’s programs cost about $20 per hour, with weekly camps starting at $425.