Keith Cradle aims to teach kids: Black people camp and hike, too

His nonprofit Camping with Cradle teaches youth, ages 12-17, life skills through the outdoors, such as problem solving, hiking and fishing.

• Cradle founded the nonprofit in 2020 and started leading trips in 2021.
• His work made him one of 25 Charlotteans who inspired us in 2021.

Why it matters: There’s a lack of diversity in outdoor spaces, and Cradle defies stereotypes that would lead his mentees to believe Black people don’t camp or hike.

Some North Carolina State Parks are within two hours of Charlotte, while others require driving several hours through more rural parts of the state, where Confederate flags still fly.

• “No one wants to go through that,” Cradle told me. “No one wants to deal with that.”
• While gathered around the campfire after a day of adventures, his group discussed these uncomfortable truths. “Those parts [of the state] belong to all of us,” Cradle said.

Camping with Cradle provides access and a safe environment. Kids just have to show up. Everything they need for the adventure is provided, from food to gear, and kids don’t need any prior camping experience to participate.

• As an experienced camper and backpacker, he’s showing them how to feel more comfortable in the elements, but he’s also teaching them to be “part of the fix,” hoping one day. “Folk will just see you as a camper,” he said.

During Camping with Cradle’s first year, it led six trips with a total of 20 kids.

• It received its first grant – $1,000 from the JumpStart Community Safety Micro-Grant Project from the city of Charlotte — to create a winter camping experience at Hanging Rock State Park.
• Within the first 12 days of 2022, donations doubled.
• Cradle hopes to hit the trails by April, with trips already lined up for July and August, and they’ll head to South Carolina for the first time.

Cradle’s highlights from year one?

• Giving kids space to be kids and just enjoy the moment.
• “I always feel like a kid again too,” Cradle said.

Context: Like many people in 2020, Cradle turned to the outdoors, particularly North Carolina State Parks, to get out of the house. He documented his experiences on Instagram, with the help of friends like image-activist Alvin C. Jacobs, who became a Camping with Cradle board member.

• Camping wasn’t a new hobby; Cradle had been doing it for years, but hadn’t posted about it.
• Now you can live vicariously through his Instagram, but it wasn’t always so easy.
• The first time he went camping, over a decade ago, it was miserable. He and a friend just wanted to grill in nature, but Cradle has since become an aficionado. 

Cradle’s top five North Carolina State Parks include:

1. South Mountains for its ridge lines and waterfalls.

2. Gorges

3. Grandfather Mountain 

• “You can’t beat Grandfather,” he said.

4. Lake James 

• “It’s amazing in the summertime,” he said.

5. Cliffs of the Neuse

“If anybody can get to those five, you’ll have an amazing time,” Cradle said.

The big picture: The pandemic pushed everyone outside. Even with North Carolina State Parks being closed for weeks in 2020, they still saw a record 19.8 million visitors, and 2021 crushed that record with 22.8 million visitors across the state’s 41 sites.