#admitely they werent outdoorsy or prepared so they shouldnt really have been on that trail at dusk

[absolxguardian]

Exactly. The fear about predators isn't rational, but even once you realize that- you aren't allowed to change your parenting style because of the policies and attitude developed because of decades of media fearmongering. And putting all that aside, there is a rational fear of your kid being hit by a car. Or even simply having nowhere for them to go even if you let them wander. A few months ago my brother had his baseball team (15-17) over for a team dinner and they wanted to hang out away from the house. The only place for them to go was to do some light trespassing on the informal hiking trail. My mom had to call them back because if one of them sprained an ankle in a hole or got pushed off a cliff when they were roughhousing, she'd have hell to pay. (The fact its a baseball team is important. Minor injuries can be much more life altering if you're an athlete)