So far, we’ve been to over half of the country’s 63 national parks! So I wanted to share our thoughts on the best national parks for kids. But you know who knows more about the best national parks for kids than one full time travel family? Multiple full time travel families. No one knows more than a group of families who collectively have decades and decades of full time travel under their belts.
So today we’re sharing picks for the best national parks for kids from some of our favorite full time travel families! We’re so grateful to these families for sharing their wisdom with us today!
Before we get to the national parks we’re highlighting today — for those of you planning a bucket list adventure with your families, might I suggest checking out our travel journal worksheets for kids? It’ll give kids a place to record their favorite memories, what they learned, and to reflect on what is so different and interesting about the places you visit:
State Worksheet / Travel Journal for Kids
If you’ve ever wished for an easy way to capture what your kids learn as you travel, this is it! Forget other state worksheets that require boring, irrelevant details like the state flower. Let’s write about what we learned and experienced! This state worksheet digital product includes leveled worksheets for kids: one two page log…
Let’s jump in to the best national parks for kids now, shall we? There are some amazing gems, some excellent insider tips, and some gorgeous photos as a bonus!
Best National Parks for Kids: Glacier National Park
Julia of Roaming Nomads (@roaming.nomads) chose Glacier National Park as one of the best national parks for kids and had this to say:
“Our favorite National Park with kids is hands-down Glacier. We’ve been there at least 6 times now, with babies, toddlers, pre-schoolers, and the last time with pre-teens and every single time it’s a visit we all keep talking about. It’s accessible enough to enjoy while breastfeeding or managing toddler naps, but interesting enough to keep the older kids engaged and fascinated.
Our favorite memories are:
• Swimming in and paddle boarding on Lake McDonald (don’t forget your watercraft launch permit!). It’s cold but worth it!
• Watching a Grizzly Mom try to manage her three cubs at the side of the road (my most relatable animal interaction to date) on the East side of the park
• Biking up the Going to the Sun Road when it was open still closed for cars in the spring. They open it up just for bikes for two or three weeks each year, depending on how fast their plowing is going. It was absolutely peaceful once you were past the day hikers, and great with the kids because we didn’t have to watch out for cars.
• Eating Bear Claws in Polebridge in a surprise snow storm. Polebridge is always worth the detour, both for the scenery and the bakery.
• Spontaneously deciding on a car camping trip out to Bowman Lake. It’s a long dirt road to get there, which means less people, more animals to watch and a peaceful sunrise on the lake.
And some tips on making the best out of your visit: Stock up before you go, because there’s not a lot of food to be found. Especially fresh stuff and especially if you’re headed to the east side of the park. If you’re driving up and down the Going to the Sun Road, get up early (to avoid the crowds and see the sunrise, and maybe even don’t require a vehicle permit), and going West to East is easier to drive. And don’t forget that your 4th-grader gets a free parks pass, even the homeschooled ones.”
Best National Parks for Kids: Yellowstone National Park
Ali Enerson of A Family Adventures (@a.family.adventures) chose Yellowstone National Park as one of the best national parks for kids and had this to say:
“Yellowstone National Park was high on our bucket list when we set out to RV full-time. Our goal is to make memories and spend more time with our kids while we’re traveling, so knowing there was this colorful, unique, smelly, other-worldly place not all that terribly far from where we lived in Wisconsin brought it toward the top. It’s a massive park, which can in some ways make it not super young kid friendly but we tackled it head on with a 8, 5 and 3 year old.
We were able to break it up into 5 days, our car was loaded with sticker puzzle books, car games, notebooks & pencils, mess free coloring pages, lunches and extra snacks in case the bison jam lasted hours. We looked at the map, broke the park into sections & prioritized. Then we chose the key features we wanted to visit in that section, knowing full well it’s impossible to see it all. We had a goal to hit our top 2-3 things for the day & considered anything else a bonus.
Some of our favorite things were the abundant wildlife viewing, making lunch along the river and just playing and relaxing away from crowded spots, our boondocking site, the boiling mud pots and the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. We think even if you only had 1 day in Yellowstone, it would be worth it! Don’t discount the popular and busy parks, they’re usually busy for a reason and with a little pre-planning and preparation it can work for your family!”
Best National Parks for Kids: Olympic National Park
Ryane Smith of Roaming with the Smiths (@roamingwiththesmiths) chose Olympic National Park as one of the best national parks for kids and had this to say:
“Our favorite national park for kids is Olympic National Park! Nestled in the heart of the Pacific Northwest, this park offers a captivating blend of diverse ecosystems that make it an ideal playground for kids. The highlights for our little explorers were the abundance of banana slugs and hidden creatures in the tide pools! The park’s combination of lush rainforests, towering mountains, and breathtaking coastline offer very unique terrains with a wide variety of species all in one place! Olympic National Park isn’t just a place; it’s a natural classroom, a playground, a wonderland, a place where kids roam, learn, play, and develop a deep connection with the incredible diversity of the environment around them!
‘In Olympic National Park, nature unfolds its grand story, and each tree, mountain, and tide pool narrates a chapter of wonder.’”
Best National Parks for Kids: Joshua Tree National Park
Heather Metcalf of The Wandering Herd chose Joshua Tree National Park as one of the best national parks for kids and had this to say:
“Joshua Tree National Park provides plenty of opportunities for a memorable experience when traveling with kids! Two favorite activities we did were: the mesmerizing sunrise at Cholla Cactus Gardens, and the enchanting Hidden Valley Trail. Consider starting your day off venturing to Cholla Cactus Gardens for a breathtaking sunrise show. The soft glow of the rising sun illuminates the desert landscape, casting a warm glow over the sea of cholla cacti. It’s a serene and awe-inspiring moment that will create lasting memories against the backdrop of this otherworldly desert environment. The Hidden Valley Trail offers a short, 1 mile flat, family-friendly loop hike. It allows kids to explore the landscape, climb boulders, and discover the unique Joshua Trees. Together, these offer a perfect blend of adventure and natural beauty for families to enjoy in a half day excursion to this must-see national park, just in time for an afternoon nap!”
Best National Parks for Kids: Acadia National Park
Jamie Schumacher of Letters From the Road Podcast chose Acadia National Park as one of the best national parks for kids and had this to say:
“Our family loved Acadia for its accessibility, variety of activities, and stunning views. While you can drive up Cadillac Mountain with reservations and a small-enough vehicle, we found the hike up the South Ridge Trail to be a beautiful use of a day. It’s about 7 miles round trip and easy enough for little hikers if you take plenty of snack breaks. We also enjoyed the Jordan Pond House for popovers and bike rides on the carriage trails. We stayed at Narrows Too with our Thousand Trails camping pass and enjoyed that we could use the bus system to get into the park and Bar Harbor. As an added bonus, Acadia is a more dog-friendly park, with dogs allowed on many of the hiking trails. This is one we can’t wait to get back to.”
Best National Parks for Kids: Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks
Mel Lahrs of Lahrs With Latitude (@lahrs.with.latitude) chose Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks as one of the best national parks for kids and had this to say:
“Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks stand out as one of our families top memories while traveling to the National Parks. These two parks are practically one as they are connected and you should definitely see both when you visit.
The parks are renowned for their towering sequoia trees, including the iconic General Sherman Tree, the largest living tree on Earth, providing children with a sense of awe and amazement as they marvel at these ancient giants.
One of my best memories is of our kids running through the downed trees on the trails in Grant Grove and identifying pine cones to find out that the smaller ones actually come from the largest trees. We were also very surprised by the beautiful Kings Canyon Scenic Byway. To learn more details about our adventures and plan your own trip, head to our blog here.”
Best National Parks for Kids: White Sands National Park
Leanna Kreifels of Simply Scenic (@simply.scenic) chose White Sands National Park as one of the best national parks for kids and had this to say:
“White Sands National Park is an absolute gem when it comes to family-friendly destinations. One of the highlights of our visit was watching our kids sled down the pristine white sand dunes, creating memories that will last a lifetime. Additionally, our daughter Kaylee participated in the Junior Ranger program as she does at every National Park we visit. This program not only sparked her curiosity but also taught our entire family about the unique ecosystem and history of the area. The park offers a variety of trails to explore, allowing us to immerse ourselves in the stunning landscapes and endless hills of sand. It truly is a place of unmatched beauty, making White Sands National Park an ideal destination for families seeking adventure and educational experiences all in one.”
Best National Parks for Kids: Saguaro National Park
Aimée Gading of Going with the Gadings (@goingwiththegadings) chose Saguaro National Park as one of the best national parks for kids and had this to say:
“As lovers of trees & lush forests, we weren’t sure what to expect when visiting the desert (kids and giant sharp plants with venomous/poisonous creatures don’t seem like they’d mix, right?) but we quickly fell in love with Saguaro National Park and the varied plants and animals that call it home. There are a few shorter trails we frequented with kids aged 3 and 6, such as the Valley View Overlook Trail & Desert Discovery Nature Trail, both in the Tucson Mountain District, and loved the evening ranger-led hike we did in the Rincon Mountain District.
We felt confident and safe in our knowledge of what to do should certain situations arise with wild life in the area after reviewing information on the NPS website & speaking to rangers. There is a majestic quality to the saguaro cacti we didn’t quite understand until basking in their presence & watching their shadows dance across the land as the sun set against the explosion of color that is a desert sunset. While Saguaro National Park is still in Tucson, a considerably large city, you’d be mistaken to think you can’t find quiet, one-on-one time to make priceless family memories there.”
Best National Parks for Kids: Capitol Reef National Park
Clarie Hamm of Rollin with the Handleys (@_rollinwiththehandleys) chose Capitol Reef National Park as one of the best national parks for kids and had this to say:
“Capitol Reef National Park was a park that wasn’t on our radar on “must visit NP’s” but once there, it quickly became one of our favorites! We were there in October and the park seemed empty. The weather was perfect, the trees were a gorgeous yellow color and there was still fruit on the trees. We had Mule Deer walk right up to us for a snack while we were picking pears and it was the highlight of our trip. Capitol Reef is known to be a desert oasis with the Fremont River running directly through it. If you follow the river in the park, you can pretty much always find a secluded spot away from everyone for the kids to play. We explored for the day and ended up at the river each afternoon for lunch and water time. “
Best National Parks for Kids: Kenai Fjords National Park
I couldn’t leave this post without a little input from the O’Phalen family, right? My pick for one of the best national parks for kids is Kenai Fjords National Park in Alaska. I found Kenai Fjords to be much more exciting than Denali National Park. This is a bit of a controversial opinion, but one I stand by. If you’re planning a trip to Alaska, don’t miss our post with everything I’ve written about our RV trip to Alaska.
Besides an adorable visitor center in downtown Seward, Alaska, Kenai Fjords National Park has two main offerings: glacier hiking and water adventures. You can find more information about the glacier hiking in our post about the best hikes in Alaska with kids. But the climb to the Harding Icefields was one of my favorite (if challenging!) days in Alaska. Teens and adults might love an ice climbing tour that looks difficult and magical. The photo above is from a kayaking tour I took to Bear Glacier Lagoon that was also absolutely breathtaking. Younger kids may be more wowed by a wildlife boat tour out in the ocean, where sea lions, otters, puffins, whales, and more are readily available to marvel at. I’m not sure how you beat a park that has glacier hikes, ice climbing, glacial lagoons, and abundant sea life.
Thank you SO much to all of our full time travel family friends who contributed to this post! Your wisdom and generosity is so much appreciated.
For more about how we travel with kids, check out these posts:
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