Find a trip that isn't the obvious one

Why this one

• Mammoth Cave is the world's longest known cave system, with passages stretching over 400 miles.
• Cave tours range from a fully wheelchair accessible tour to off-trail crawling tours, so you can match one to your group.
• Above ground the park has over 80 miles of trails and over 30 miles of the Green and Nolin Rivers to canoe or kayak.
• Kids can earn a badge with the Junior Ranger activity book, and short Nature Track for Kids programs run in summer.

Watch out for

• Cave tours often sell out, sometimes weeks ahead, so reserve on Recreation.gov before you go.
• Many tours climb and descend several sets of stairs, and some are too strenuous for visitors with limited mobility.

Why this one

• The state park has towering cliffs, waterfalls and deep hemlock-shaded gorges, with trails of a mile or less to Old Man's Cave, Cedar Falls and Ash Cave.
• The park lists the Ash Cave Gorge trail as a quarter mile, easy and wheelchair accessible.
• A rock climbing and rappelling area is available in the neighboring Hocking State Forest.
• Canopy tours in the area run along strings of ziplines through the tree canopy, and a local livery rents canoes, kayaks and rafts on the Hocking River.

Watch out for

• Visitors must stay on marked trails, many of which run one way, and the park asks that young children be closely supervised.
• Trails are often covered in ice in winter, and the park recommends ice cleats.

Why this one

• The Tennessee Aquarium has two buildings, River Journey and Ocean Journey, on one ticket.
• At Ruby Falls, a glass-front elevator descends 260 feet into Lookout Mountain and a guide leads a walk to an underground waterfall.
• The Incline Railway, a funicular more than a hundred years old, has daily departures between its lower and upper stations on Lookout Mountain.
• Creative Discovery Museum is Chattanooga's children's museum.

Watch out for

• Ruby Falls sells timed-entry cave tickets and says time slots sell out quickly, so buy online before you go.

Why this one

• The New River, among the oldest rivers on the continent, runs through deep canyons in a park of over 70,000 acres.
• Licensed outfitters run guided river trips from April through October, from mild pools and riffles on the upper river to big rapids in the lower section.
• On Bridge Day, held every third Saturday in October, spectators can walk across the New River Gorge Bridge and watch BASE jumpers.

Watch out for

• Rapids in the Lower Gorge range from Class III to Class V while the upper river is milder, so pick the section with your kids in mind.

Why this one

• The U.S. Space & Rocket Center shows one of only three real Saturn V rockets in the world, inside the Davidson Center for Space Exploration.
• Younger kids have KidSpace, for kids up to 46 inches tall, and Kids Cosmos, where they can crawl around a mock International Space Station.
• EarlyWorks Children's Museum downtown focuses on hands-on history and STEAM exhibits.
• Monte Sano State Park near Huntsville has 20 miles of hiking trails, rustic cabins mostly built by the Civilian Conservation Corps, and a campground.

Watch out for

• Some rides have height minimums, such as 54 inches for Moon Shot and 48 inches for the G-Force Accelerator.

Why this one

• City Museum is an artist-built playground with installations you can climb up, slide down and crawl under.
• At Gateway Arch National Park, a tram carries visitors up inside the Arch for a view over St. Louis.
• The Magic House, St. Louis Children's Museum, has hands-on exhibits including a bubble room and a climbing sculpture.
• Gateway Arch National Park also covers the Old Courthouse, where Dred and Harriet Scott sued for their freedom.

Watch out for

• Arch tram tickets sell out early and often, and advance reservations are strongly recommended.
• The play area on City Museum's roof opens only when weather and other factors permit.

Why this one

• Indiana Dunes National Park covers 15 miles of Lake Michigan coast, with over 50 miles of trails through dunes, woods, prairie and wetlands.
• West Beach has lifeguards, locker rooms and showers from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend.
• Kids can work through the Junior Ranger Park Explorer booklet and visit Chellberg Farm and the Bailly Homestead.

Watch out for

• Lake Michigan has dangerous rip currents, often when the wind is out of the north, and an uneven bottom with sudden drop-offs.
• Beach parking lots fill up quickly on summer weekends and holidays, some by mid-morning.

Why this one

• Mackinac Island's streets have been car-free for over 100 years, so people get around by bike, horse and carriage.
• Passenger ferries run from Mackinaw City and St. Ignace, and day visitors park in ferry lots on the mainland.
• At Fort Mackinac, costumed interpreters lead tours and cannon and rifle firing demonstrations, and the fort includes the oldest building in Michigan.
• Most of the island is state park land, with Arch Rock and 70.5 miles of signed roads and trails.

Watch out for

• Fort Mackinac is seasonal: it is closed for the rest of the 2026 season and opens for the 2027 season on April 30.
• Ferries run about every half hour from late April through the end of October and about once an hour in the slower season.

Why this one

• Castillo de San Marcos is the oldest masonry fortification in the continental United States.
• Cannon firing demonstrations are scheduled at the Castillo every Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
• The St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park has daily wildlife shows, crocodile and lemur exhibits, and a zip line over the zoo.
• Visitors can climb the 1874 St. Augustine Lighthouse, and the museum around it has hands-on exhibits and nature trails.

Watch out for

• Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30, so watch the forecast for summer and fall trips.

Why this one

• The Georgia Sea Turtle Center is the state's only sea turtle education and rehabilitation facility, and visitors can see rehabilitation in action.
• The island has more than 24 miles of paths and trails for biking.
• Driftwood Beach is lined with old driftwood along the waterfront.
• Jekyll Island has more than a thousand acres of maritime forest and 10 miles of shoreline.

Watch out for

• A parking fee is charged for each day your car is on the island.
• From May to October, flashlights are not allowed on or near the beaches unless they are turtle-safe, so bring a red or amber light for night walks.

Why this one

• Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary includes the only coral barrier reef in the continental United States.
• The Turtle Hospital in Marathon is a working veterinary hospital for sea turtles, and its guided programs end with guests feeding the permanent residents.
• Dry Tortugas National Park, about 70 miles west of Key West, is reached only by boat or seaplane and is home to Fort Jefferson.

Watch out for

• There are no roads to Dry Tortugas, visitors must travel by ferry, seaplane, private boat or permitted charter, and services in the park are limited.
• Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30.

Why this one

• Saguaro National Park protects the giant saguaro, the nation's largest cacti, in two districts east and west of Tucson.
• Sabino Canyon has been closed to private cars since 1978, and an open-air shuttle makes a one-hour round trip with an audio tour.
• Pima Air & Space Museum displays hundreds of historic aircraft, from a Wright Flyer to a 787 Dreamliner, across six indoor hangars and outdoor grounds.
• Kids can earn a Junior Ranger badge while exploring Saguaro National Park.

Watch out for

• In summer the park advises finishing hikes by 10am when highs reach 95 to 110 degrees, and not hiking at all above 110.
• Monsoon season runs from June 15 to September 30, with rain mostly in the afternoons sending water down the drainages.

Why this one

• The Wildlife Loop Road in Custer State Park passes the park's free-roaming buffalo herd, prairie dogs and a band of feral burros.
• Wind Cave National Park has bison and elk on its prairie and, beneath it, one of the longest and most complex caves in the world.
• Mount Rushmore National Memorial shows the figures of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln in the Black Hills.
• Custer State Park covers 71,000 acres with camping, hiking, biking, swimming and fishing.

Watch out for

• Wind Cave tours often sell out from March through October and on holiday weekends in winter; the Garden of Eden, Natural Entrance and Fairgrounds tours can be booked ahead on Recreation.gov, and same-day tickets are first come, first served at the visitor center.
• Park rules say to stay in your vehicle or at least 100 yards from bison, elk and other animals.

Why this one

• White Sands has the world's largest gypsum dunefield, with wave-like dunes covering 275 square miles of desert.
• Sledding down the dunes is popular with children and adults, and waxed plastic saucers can be rented or bought at the park's gift shop.
• Fossilized trackways in the park record ice age animals and the people who lived alongside them.
• The New Mexico Museum of Space History in Alamogordo includes the International Space Hall of Fame and a dome theater and planetarium.

Watch out for

• Missile testing on the neighboring White Sands Missile Range can close the park and its road, so check the park's closure page.
• Amenities in the park are limited, and the closest are in Alamogordo, 15 miles away.

Why this one

• Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park takes in the summits of Kīlauea and Mauna Loa, two of the world's most active volcanoes.
• The park's Junior Ranger programs are for families with children up to age 12, who can earn a collectible badge.
• About 20 miles south of Kailua-Kona, Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park preserves a traditional place of refuge, and a walk through its Royal Grounds leads to a temple built centuries ago.

Watch out for

• Volcanic gases can be a risk for infants, children and pregnant women, so check air quality alerts before visiting.
• The park asks visitors to stay on marked trails and overlooks, and a construction project at the summit is bringing closures and delays.

Why this one

• Rocky Mountain National Park covers over 415 square miles, from mountain meadows and forests up to alpine tundra.
• Elk can be seen any time, and the fall rut, when bulls bugle, is a popular time to watch them.
• Park visitor centers hand out Junior Ranger booklets and badges.

Watch out for

• In summer and early fall a timed entry reservation is needed to enter during certain hours of the day; check the park's timed entry page for the current season's rules.
• Trail Ridge Road is not designed as an all-season road: it closes to through travel for winter, and when it reopens depends on spring snow and plowing.

Why this one

• There are few places in the United States where you can view wild horses, and on Assateague they roam freely throughout the Maryland portion of the island, in the marshes, along the beach and often in the campgrounds, parking areas and roads.
• Assateague is an undeveloped barrier island with 37 miles of beach to wander, and camping is available in the Maryland portion of the island.
• The Assateague Island Visitor Center in Maryland has marine aquariums, a touch tank and a film about the wild horses of the island.
• Kids can earn a Junior Ranger badge with an activity booklet from the visitor centers.

Watch out for

• Feeding or petting the horses is illegal, and visitors are kicked, bitten and knocked down every year.
• Mosquitoes, biting flies, gnats and ticks are abundant from spring through autumn, and winter is often cold, damp and windy.

Why this one

• Congaree National Park protects the largest intact expanse of old growth bottomland hardwood forest remaining in the southeastern United States.
• The 2.6 mile Boardwalk Trail has benches along the way and is wheelchair and stroller accessible.
• You can paddle Cedar Creek into the heart of the park, renting a canoe or kayak from outfitters in the city of Columbia.
• Kids can pick up a Junior Ranger program book at the Harry Hampton Visitor Center and earn an official Congaree National Park Junior Ranger badge.

Watch out for

• The park floods about ten times a year, which can make backcountry trails and even parts of the boardwalk inaccessible.
• From mid-spring until mid-fall you will encounter mosquitoes in the park, so bring insect repellent.

Why this one

• Petrified Forest National Park blends colorful badlands, vast grasslands, and one of the world's largest and most vivid collections of petrified wood.
• The drive through the park is 28 miles and takes about an hour without stopping, and most visitors spend 2 to 3 hours.
• The Blue Mesa Trail is a 1 mile loop among badland hills of bluish bentonite clay and petrified wood.
• Kids can ask for a Junior Ranger Activity Booklet at the Painted Desert Inn or Rainbow Forest Museum and earn an official Junior Ranger badge.

Watch out for

• Removing petrified wood from the park is against the law, and every piece sold in gift shops comes from private lands outside the park.
• There is no RV, car or front country camping in the park, and the park is closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Why this one

• Cape Cod National Seashore protects forty miles of sandy beach, marshes, ponds and uplands, including the great Outer Beach described by Thoreau in the 1800s.
• Lifeguards are typically on duty at all six national seashore beaches from late June through Labor Day.
• Near Salt Pond Visitor Center are the 1.5 mile Nauset Marsh Trail, the Nauset Bicycle Trail and the Buttonbush Trail, which has discovery activities for children.
• There are several lighthouses within the national seashore, and Nauset Light in Eastham opens for visits on set days from May through September.

Watch out for

• There are no lifeguards on duty between Labor Day and the third week of June, and the Province Lands Visitor Center closes for the off-season.
• Sharks are active in park waters through October, so heed all guidelines and signage at beaches.

Why this one

• Redwood National and State Parks protect some of the world's tallest trees, coast redwoods that are often more than 300 feet tall.
• The Trillium Falls Trail is an easy, family friendly 2½-mile loop through old-growth redwoods and past a small waterfall.
• Fern Canyon is famous for its 30-foot fern-covered walls, and a day-use reservation is required for it from May 15th to September 15th.
• Seven elk herds call the parks home, in areas such as Elk Meadow, Gold Bluffs Beach and the Bald Hills.

Watch out for

• Winter brings heavy rain to the coast, and storms can close roads and trails such as Davison Road to Fern Canyon, so check the park's current conditions page before you go.
• Elk can be aggressive during calving season, late May through June, and the fall rut, late August through October, and the recommended viewing distance is 25 yards.

Why this one

• Skyline Drive runs 105 miles along the crest of the Blue Ridge Mountains, with over 75 scenic overlooks.
• Shenandoah offers over 500 miles of hiking trails, from short, easy walks to long, rugged rock scrambles.
• Deer, black bear, wild turkey and other woodland animals regularly cross Skyline Drive.
• Kids can be sworn in as official Junior Rangers, hike kid-friendly trails and learn from a ranger during a ranger program.

Watch out for

• Most facilities in Shenandoah begin opening in March and close by late November, and portions of Skyline Drive are periodically closed during bad weather.
• No waterfalls are visible from Skyline Drive, so you must hike to see them, and the rocks around waterfalls are extremely slippery.

Why this one

• The Quarry Exhibit Hall shows a wall of approximately 1,500 dinosaur bones, and there are several places where you can touch real 150 million year old dinosaur fossils.
• Rangers in the hall help kids complete their Junior Ranger booklets, and kids who share their answers with a ranger receive an official Junior Ranger badge.
• You can see petroglyphs left by the Fremont people nearly 1,000 years ago, and several petroglyph sites are easily viewed.
• On the Colorado side, the Harpers Corner Road is a 31-mile scenic drive with overlooks of the Yampa and Green rivers, and rafting trips go into the monument's remote canyons.

Watch out for

• Dinosaur fossils are only on the Utah side, and many map programs send visitors to Monument Headquarters in Colorado or near Echo Park instead of the Quarry Visitor Center.
• There is no lodging inside the monument, and storms can close its back roads and campgrounds, so check current conditions before heading to Echo Park or Rainbow Park.

Why this one

• Acadia National Park protects the highest rocky headlands along the Atlantic coastline of the United States.
• There are 45 miles of carriage roads open to bikers and walkers, and bikes can be rented in nearby towns.
• Children of all ages can take part in the Junior Ranger Program, and many ranger-led programs are designed for children and families.
• The park has two campgrounds on Mount Desert Island and one on the Schoodic Peninsula, and all campsite reservations must be made online in advance.

Watch out for

• Vehicle reservations are required to drive Cadillac Summit Road from late May to mid-October, and they are sold online in advance, not at the park.
• The Park Loop Road closes on December 1 and reopens on April 15 if weather permits, and there is no winter camping in Acadia.

Why this one

• Crater Lake is 1,943 feet deep, the deepest lake in the United States, and no rivers or streams feed into it.
• The lake occupies the shell of Mount Mazama, a collapsed volcano, and eruptions from new vents built the base of Wizard Island.
• The water is so blue because there is hardly anything else in it, just water.
• When all the roads are open you can drive 100 miles within the park, and depending on the season you might visit 32 overlooks and two waterfalls.

Watch out for

• With an average snowfall of 41 feet the park is covered by snow most of the year, and the North Entrance and Rim Drive close for winter.
• The Cleetwood Cove Trail, the only place where it is safe and legal to get down to the lake shore, is closed for construction until 2029.

Why this one

• The Dune Climb is a 284-foot-high wall of white sand that visitors climb for fun, and continuing across the dunes to Lake Michigan is a strenuous hike that takes most people about three hours.
• Bluffs tower 450 feet above Lake Michigan, and the Lake Michigan Overlook is stop 9 on the 7.4-mile Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive.
• You can bike the 22-mile Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail, and in Glen Haven you can watch a blacksmith in action and learn about the US Lifesaving Service at the Maritime Museum.
• Junior Ranger workbooks are available by request at the Philip A. Hart Visitor Center in Empire, which is open seven days a week, year-round.

Watch out for

• There are no lifeguards on duty, so be aware of rip currents, and Lake Michigan stays cold even when the air is very warm.
• Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive closes to vehicles in late October or early November and is open late spring to late fall.

Why this one

• Brandywine Falls is a 60-foot waterfall, and a boardwalk with steps takes you into its gorge to view it head-on, with a boardwalk option without stairs also available.
• You can walk or bike the park's 20-mile section of the Towpath Trail, which follows the historic route of the Ohio & Erie Canal.
• From Ledges Trailhead, the trail leads to the rocky cliffs of the Ledges, a striking outcropping of Sharon Sandstone and Conglomerate.
• Kids can become Junior Rangers by completing the Junior Ranger Handbook or activity sheet, and Junior Ranger Challenges and programs are offered in summer.

Watch out for

• The Brandywine Falls boardwalk may be closed during icy conditions, and sections of the Towpath Trail can close for repairs, so check the park's alerts before you go.
• The Brandywine Falls parking area is a very busy location with no overflow parking, and Brandywine Falls closes at dusk.

Why this one

• For over 700 years, the Ancestral Pueblo people built communities on the mesas and in the cliffs of Mesa Verde.
• Cliff Palace is the largest known cliff dwelling in North America, with 150 rooms and 23 kivas.
• Except for Step House, you can enter a cliff dwelling only on a ranger-led tour, and tour reservations are only available on recreation.gov.
• Children from age 4 to 12 can become a Junior Ranger at Mesa Verde with an activity booklet from the Visitor and Research Center or the entrance station.

Watch out for

• Cliff dwelling tours run seasonally from spring to October, and many facilities, including Far View Lodge and Morefield Campground, are closed in winter.
• There are no age or height limits for tours, but everyone must be able to walk steep trails, climb wood ladders and negotiate steps on their own.

Why this one

• Olympic National Park encompasses nearly a million acres, including glacier-capped mountains, old-growth temperate rain forests and over 70 miles of wild coastline.
• In the Hoh Rain Forest, the Hall of Mosses and Spruce Nature Trail are two short trails that loop from the visitor center.
• Rialto Beach has views of offshore islands to the south and sea stacks to the north.
• Lake Crescent is a deep, glacially carved lake filled with pristine waters.

Watch out for

• Storms and snow can close roads and whole areas of the park, such as the Hoh Rain Forest and Hurricane Ridge Road, so check current conditions before each day.
• From October through May some roads, campgrounds and visitor facilities are closed or have reduced hours, and June through September are the most popular months.

Why this one

• Great Sand Dunes has the tallest dunes in North America, and Star Dune rises 750 feet from its base to its crest.
• Sandboarding and sledding are permitted anywhere on the dunefield away from vegetated areas, and smaller slopes at the base are fine for young children.
• Medano Creek flows seasonally: in an average year it runs from April to late June, and in dry years it may not even reach the main parking area.
• Kids may choose a patch or a badge for completing the Junior Ranger booklet.

Watch out for

• Sand surface temperatures can reach over 150 degrees F on summer afternoons, so plan dune time for early morning or evening in summer.
• The National Park Service does not rent sand sleds or sandboards, so rent them from retailers in the San Luis Valley before you arrive.