National parks are just like natures playgrounds. They are some of the most incredible places on Earth. With so many national parks to choose from you may find yourself asking “which parks are the best national parks for kids?”
I know when we were planning a month long road trip visiting the West Coast this was definitely on my mind. At the time we had three children and I was about 25 weeks pregnant so I wanted to be sure that we used our time wisely and visited the best parks for kids and families.
Arches National Park
This is hands down my all time favourite national park to visit with kids. We visited the first week in April which I feel is probably the ideal time. I think it was actually spring break for many schools. The weather was perfect for hiking.
If you aren’t from Southern Utah you will find the huge red canyons awe inspiring. It really is like something you have never seen before.
There are ample hikes for even the littlest hikers which are all well paved and many are even pram friendly which makes things so much easier for parents. Have you seen these super compact strollers that you can buy? They fold down so small that they actually fit perfectly into a planes overhead bin! They are perfect for taking on your travels when space is tight.
The kids will love all the opportunities they will have to climb on rocks and play. It is so much fun for them, and makes things a little more interesting than just walking.
Arches National Park has a well appointed visitors centre with some of the best water I have ever tasted available for free outside.
Even if you don’t feel up to hiking that day the drive through the canyons and photos opportunities are abundantly worth it.
Canyonlands National Park
Canyonlands is also located in the same area as Arches National Park less that 30 minutes apart. It is also a must do park with kids.
There are plenty of kid friendly hiking options. We arrived late in the afternoon but were still able to fit in a hike before dinner. The kids loved the rugged landscape.
One of the hikes we did at Canyonlands called the Mesa Arch was slightly terrifying as a mother when I saw how far the drop was on the other side with no guard rails. Apparently no one has ever fallen but my heart definitely raced seeing my 2 year old get precariously close to the edge (okay he wasn’t that close but still…)
The visitors centre is a much smaller than Arches but it will have all the information you need.
Moab, which is where both Arches and Canyonlands are located is an incredible place to spend a week exploring National Parks and hiking with kids. There are ample places to stay and activities to do, from hiking, swimming, four wheeling, rafting and so much more. It is an adventurers paradise!
Grand Canyon National Park
Can you even put together a list of national parks and not include the Grand Canyon?!
The last time we visited we were almost going to skip the Grand Canyon because we were absolutely exhausted. I am so glad we didn’t. This was one of our favorite national parks to visit with our kids.
What made it so amazing was the flexibility available. You have the option to do long hikes, short hikes, or not hike and all but just walk around the various view points and take in the magnitude that is the Grand Canyon.
We sat with our children at one such view point for at least two hours whilst the scrambled up and down rock and observed the numerous wildlife that walked freely through the park. Those little squirrels are adorable!
One thing that we would love to do next time is hire bikes so we can cover more ground when we are hopefully less tired. They have numerous options for bike hire, including bikes for kids, and bikes with trailers so you can take the little ones along for the ride too. It is one of the most family friendly places I have visited.
There are a few different visitors centres which have so much history and information to impart to those visiting. The movies that they show are engaging for children and had my children’s eyes glued to the screen for the entire showing.
One fun attraction that you may want to indulge in while visiting the area is to take the train to the Grand Canyon from Williams Arizona. This is no ordinary train! The train itself is and old and historic but it is the entertainment that is second to none. Old Wild West Cowboys entertain and excite the children as well as musicians who make their way through the carriages serenading passengers.
Yellowstone National Park
Yogi bear was all that I knew about Yellowstone National Park until recently! Oh but it is so much more than that! Oh actually I just read it was called Jellystone…my bad.
There is a mix of incredible wildlife, thermal activity and waterfalls. Personally I think if you are taking kids they will enjoy the thermal activity and the wildlife the most.
One of the most exciting and activities to do in Yellowstone with kids is to take a dip in Boiling River. It’s not literally boiling…that could be a little gruesome but it is the perfect temperature to take a dip. How often do you get to experience natures hot tub?! Although it may not be posted it is a good idea not to put your head under thermal water. ( I grew up in New Zealand where hot springs like this abound and it is common knowledge)
High on the list of things to do in Yellowstone with kids is to see all the animals. One of the easiest ways to do this is to take a drive through Lamar Valley. It is here that you will have your eyes in awe at the sheer number of bison and all other manner of animals feeding. The best time to visit to see the most wildlife is early morning at sunrise or just as the sun is setting. Sunset is probably going to be your best bet if you are visiting with kids.
Old Geyser Basin is home to 25% of the world’s geysers! This is a perfect place for families and you can even bring your stroller. I am always in favor of strollers over hiking backpacks if I can or heaven forbid letting the 2 year old walk!
Old Faithful, the geyser is infamous, you NEED to see this when you visit Yellowstone. The kids will be duly impressed as will you. It erupts regularly around every 90 minutes or so. You might want to head to the visitors centre first to learn a bit about this natural wonder before seeing in in real life.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
This park is an absolute beauty. It is the most popular national park in the United states, hosting more that 11 million visitors in 2017. That is more than twice the amount of visitors to the Grand Canyon which takes second place. If that is not a recommendation then I don’t know what is.
One of the best things to do in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is to go tubing down the river next to the Deep Creek of Great Smoky. This is one of the only places to swim in the national park. Tubes are avaliable to rent for a small fee to then float down two miles of beautiful river and past mesmerising waterfalls.
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is also home to many waterfalls. Personally Meigs Falls just off Little River Road is my favorite. Kids will be in awe seeing this impressive creations which are an easy walk from the road.
Did you know there are also family camps the run at the Great Smoky Mountains National Park? What a great opportunity for your family to make some memories and explore nature together. The camps are five days long and include all the traditional summer camp activities such as hiking, swimming and a lot of fun.
Yosemite National Park
The sequoia trees are what really impresses kids at this park. Yosemite is huge, and magnificent. It is probably my favorite west coast national park. The sequoias aren’t the tallest tree in the world but they are truly magnificent, and having a whole forest of them is even more enchanting. Head to Mariposa Grove to stand beneath these true giants of nature.
Kids always love to swim. My children will swim want to swim regardless of whether it’s the middle of summer or the dead cold of winter. The best place to swim with kids at Yosemite National Park is Merced River.
There are swimming spots all along the river. The summer months are the most ideal times to swim as the river is slow moving and shallow for the kids. During spring it is known to be a little too swift for kids to be safe.
Waterfalls yet again make the must do list with kids. My kids find it so exciting to be close enough to a thundering waterfall to be able to actually feel the spray on their face. It’s always squeals of joy as they pretend to not want to get wet yet we walk out of there completely wet! Visit Bridalveil falls in spring to get this awesome opportunity. You won’t even have to walk far.
