Water Adventures with Kids

Austin, TX

Barton Springs Pool

Iconic 3-acre spring-fed pool in Zilker Park at 68 degrees year-round. Paid entry. Best from about age 3. A half-day trip.

Swimming
Ages 3+
~3h
Paid

Burnet, TX

Inks Lake State Park

Spring-fed lake swimming and cliff jumping at Devil's Waterhole. Paid entry. Best from about age 3. A half-day trip. Dogs welcome.

Swimming
Ages 3+
~4h
Paid

Corpus Christi, TX

Padre Island National Seashore

70 miles of wild beach with sea turtle releases and shell hunting. Paid entry. Best from about age 3. Easily a full day.

Camping
Ages 3+
~5h
Paid

Little Elm, TX

Little Elm Beach

Sandy lake beach on Lewisville Lake with roped swim area and free life jacket loans. Free. Best from about age 3. A half-day trip.

Swimming
Ages 3+
~4h
Free

Cleburne, TX

Cleburne State Park

No-wake lake for safe paddling and swimming near Fort Worth. Paid entry. Best from about age 3. A half-day trip. Dogs welcome.

Camping
Ages 3+
~4h
Paid

Comfort, TX

Guadalupe River at Horseshoe Falls

Natural horseshoe waterfall on the Guadalupe River near Comfort. Free. Best from about age 3. About two hours. Dogs welcome.

Swimming
Ages 3+
~2h
Free

Georgetown, TX

Good Water Trail

26-mile lakeside trail with canyon overlooks and Hill Country terrain. Free. Best from about age 5. A half-day trip. Dogs welcome.

Hiking
Ages 5+
~3h
Free

Grapevine, TX

Great Wolf Lodge Grapevine

Indoor water park hotel in Grapevine kept at 84 degrees year-round, with body slides, a wave pool, a lazy river, an arcade and a ropes course.

Swimming
Ages 1+
Overnight
Paid

Little Elm, TX

Johnny Broyles Nature Trail

Paved 2.7-mile nature trail along Lake Lewisville in Little Elm. Free. Works from toddler age. About an hour. Stroller-friendly.

Hiking
Ages 2+
~1h
Free

Meridian, TX

Meridian State Park

CCC-era lake park with screened shelters and paddleboating. Paid entry. Works from toddler age. A half-day trip. Dogs welcome.

Camping
Ages 2+
~3h
Paid

Pilot Point, TX

Ray Roberts Lake State Park

Sandy beach swimming, kids fishing pond, and lakeside camping at Ray Roberts Lake - a big North Texas family destination near Pilot Point

Camping
Ages 2+
~5h
Paid

Wimberley, TX

Jacob's Well Natural Area

Crystal-clear artesian spring near Wimberley TX with three miles of free trails. Swimming is cancelled; the well overlook stays open.

Hiking
Ages 6+
~2h
Free

Fayetteville, NY

Green Lakes State Park

Swim in Caribbean-blue glacial lakes at Green Lakes State Park near Syracuse NY - sandy lifeguarded beach, flat lakeside trails, $10 per car

Swimming
Ages 2+
~4h
Paid

Haines Falls, NY

Kaaterskill Falls Trail

The tallest two-tiered waterfall in New York State at 260 feet. Free. Best from about age 5. About two hours. Dogs welcome.

Hiking
Ages 5+
~2h
Free

Sundown, NY

Peekamoose Blue Hole

Stunning blue-green natural swimming hole with waterfall in the Catskill forest. Free. Best from about age 5. A half-day trip.

Swimming
Ages 5+
~3h
Free

Trumansburg, NY

Taughannock Falls State Park

Easy walk to a 215-foot waterfall taller than Niagara Falls. Paid entry. Works from toddler age. About two hours. Stroller-friendly.

Hiking
Ages 2+
~2h
Paid

Geneva, NY

Seneca Sailing Academy

A nonprofit school on Seneca Lake with Opti weeks for little kids and free public First Sail days off Geneva. Ages 7 and up.

Sailing
Ages 7+
~7h
Paid

Grafton, NY

Grafton Lakes State Park

Lifeguarded sandy beach, easy nature trails, and shore fishing at Grafton Lakes State Park near Troy NY - day use $10 per vehicle in season

Swimming
Ages 2+
~3h
Paid

Lake George, NY

Hearthstone Point Campground

Waterfront state campground on Lake George close to the village. Paid entry. Works from toddler age. Plan to stay overnight.

Camping
Ages 2+
Overnight
Paid

Lake Placid, NY

Lake Placid Public Beach

Free sandy village beach on Mirror Lake in Lake Placid NY with summer lifeguards, a roped toddler-friendly swim area, and Adirondack views

Swimming
Ages 1+
~3h
Free

Lake Placid, NY

Mirror Lake Boat Rental

Rent a small sailboat by the hour on motor-free Mirror Lake, right on Main Street. Paid, walk-up, no reservation needed.

Sailing
Ages 5+
~1h
Paid

Massena, NY

Robert Moses State Park (Massena)

River beach, nature center, and ship-watching on the St. Lawrence Seaway. Paid entry. Works from toddler age. A half-day trip.

Swimming
Ages 2+
~4h
Paid

Naples, NY

Grimes Glen Park

Wade up a fossil-filled creek to reach two hidden waterfalls in a narrow gorge. Free. Best from about age 5. About two hours.

Hiking
Ages 5+
~2h
Free

Rome, NY

Delta Lake State Park

900-foot sandy swimming beach on Delta Lake in central New York. Paid entry. Works from toddler age. A half-day trip. Stroller-friendly.

Swimming
Ages 2+
~4h
Paid

Honolulu, HI

Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve

Snorkel with colorful fish in a volcanic crater bay with protected reef. Paid entry. Best from about age 3. A half-day trip.

Swimming
Ages 3+
~3h
Paid

Kapaa, HI

Wailua River Kayaking

Kayak Hawaii's only navigable river, then hike to a 120-foot hidden waterfall you can swim under. Paid, ages 5+. No kayaking on Sundays.

Kayaking
Ages 5+
~5h
Paid

Koloa, HI

Poipu Beach Park

America's Best Beach with a protected keiki pool, monk seals, and sunny south shore weather. Free. Works from toddler age.

Swimming
Ages 1+
~4h
Free

Wailea, HI

Maui Sailing Canoe

A Hawaiian sailing outrigger canoe off Polo Beach, capped at eight people, with a turtle snorkel stop. Paid. Ages 4 and up.

Sailing
Ages 4+
~2h
Paid

Eleele, HI

Na Pali Coast Boat Tour

Boat tour along 4,000-foot sea cliffs with waterfalls, sea caves, and dolphins. Paid entry. Best from about age 5. Easily a full day.

Nature
Ages 5+
~5h
Paid

Hana, HI

Ohe'o Gulch (Seven Sacred Pools)

Tiered waterfall pools spilling to the ocean in Haleakala's Kipahulu district. Swimming is closed; Kuloa Point Trail overlooks them.

Hiking
Ages 5+
~2h
Paid

Kailua-Kona, HI

Kahalu'u Beach Park

Best beginner snorkeling on the Kona Coast with shallow reef and sea turtles. Free. Best from about age 3. A half-day trip.

Swimming
Ages 3+
~3h
Free

Koloa, HI

Spouting Horn

Natural ocean blowhole shooting water through a lava tube with an eerie moan. Free. Works from toddler age. About an hour.

Nature
Ages 2+
~0.5h
Free

Lanai City, HI

Hulopo'e Beach Park

Pristine marine preserve beach with dolphins, snorkeling, and amazing tide pools. Free. Works from toddler age. A half-day trip.

Swimming
Ages 2+
~4h
Free

Lihue, HI

Kauai Tubing Adventure

Float through century-old plantation tunnels on inner tubes with headlamps. Paid entry. Best from about age 5. A half-day trip.

Tubing
Ages 5+
~3h
Paid

Princeville, HI

Queen's Bath

Dramatic ocean-filled lava pool for experienced families in calm conditions only. Free. Better for ages 10 and up. About two hours.

Hiking
Ages 10+
~2h
Free

Waimea (Big Island), HI

Hapuna Beach State Recreation Area

Big Island's best white sand beach with crystal-clear water on the sunny Kohala Coast. Paid entry. Best from about age 3.

Swimming
Ages 3+
~4h
Paid

Crystal River, FL

Three Sisters Springs

The only place in the US where you can legally snorkel alongside wild manatees, plus a boardwalk view for families staying dry.

Snorkeling
Ages 6+
~3h
Paid

Fort White, FL

Ichetucknee Springs State Park

Float a crystal-clear 72-degree spring run through shaded forest on inner tubes - the classic Florida tubing trip for families.

Tubing
Ages 4+
~4h
Paid

Key Largo, FL

John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park

The first undersea park in the US. Snorkel boats run out to living coral reef, and two calm beaches work for kids not ready for the boat.

Snorkeling
Ages 5+
~5h
Paid

Williston, FL

Devil's Den Spring

Snorkel inside a collapsed underground cavern lit by a single opening in the roof - a prehistoric spring reached by a staircase.

Snorkeling
Ages 6+
~2h
Paid

De Leon Springs, FL

De Leon Springs State Park

Swim in a walled 72-degree spring pool, then cook your own pancakes on a griddle built into your table at the 1830s sugar mill restaurant.

Swimming
Ages 2+
~3h
Paid

Jupiter, FL

Blowing Rocks Preserve

At high tide on a windy day, waves force seawater fifty feet into the air through blowholes in the largest limestone outcrop on Florida's coast.

Nature
Ages 4+
~2h
Paid

Key West, FL

Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park

Key West's best swimming beach, with genuine snorkelling off the rocks and a Civil War fort full of seacoast cannon to explore between swims.

Swimming
Ages 4+
~3h
Paid

Marathon, FL

Curry Hammock State Park

Shallow, protected flats ideal for a first family paddle, a quiet beach, and the best hawk-watching site in the Keys each October.

Kayaking
Ages 4+
~4h
Paid

Sarasota, FL

Siesta Key Beach

Quartz sand that stays cool underfoot even in August, and Gulf water so shallow and calm it works as a giant paddling pool for small children.

Swimming
Ages 1+
~4h
Free

St. Augustine, FL

Anastasia State Park

Four miles of Atlantic beach plus a warm, shallow tidal lagoon that is close to perfect for beginner paddlers, ten minutes from St. Augustine.

Swimming
Ages 3+
~5h
Paid

St. George Island, FL

St. George Island State Park

Nine miles of undeveloped barrier island beach with almost nobody on it, plus calm bay-side water and excellent shelling.

Swimming
Ages 2+
~5h
Paid

Titusville, FL

Canaveral National Seashore

Twenty-four miles of undeveloped Atlantic beach next to the Kennedy Space Center, with sea turtle nests and no buildings in sight.

Swimming
Ages 3+
~4h
Paid

Culebra, PR

Flamenco Beach

Routinely called one of the best beaches in the world: a horseshoe bay of white sand and impossibly clear shallow water.

Swimming
Ages 2+
~5h
Paid

Rio Grande, PR

El Yunque National Forest

The only tropical rainforest in the US National Forest system, with roadside waterfalls and a canopy tower a short walk from the car.

Hiking
Ages 4+
~5h
Free

Vieques, PR

Mosquito Bay

The brightest recorded bioluminescent bay in the world - on a dark night, fish leave visible glowing trails under the kayak.

Kayaking
Ages 6+
~3h
Paid

Aguadilla, PR

Crash Boat Beach

Submerged pier pilings have grown coral and sponge into an artificial reef, making this the easiest genuinely good snorkel on the west coast.

Snorkeling
Ages 5+
~3h
Free

Cabo Rojo, PR

Playa Buye

A calm, shallow, palm-shaded cove on Puerto Rico's west coast, and one of the gentlest beaches on the island for toddlers and nervous swimmers.

Swimming
Ages 1+
~4h
Free

Cabo Rojo, PR

Playa Sucia (La Playuela)

A curved bay under limestone cliffs at the island's south-west tip, with the 1882 Los Morrillos lighthouse on the headland above.

Swimming
Ages 4+
~4h
Free

Carolina, PR

Balneario de Carolina

A large, well-run public beach five minutes from the San Juan airport, with lifeguards, palm shade, showers, a playground and food kiosks.

Swimming
Ages 2+
~4h
Paid

Culebra, PR

Tamarindo Beach

Swim out a short way from a quiet Culebra shore and you are over turtle grass where green sea turtles graze most mornings. No facilities at all.

Snorkeling
Ages 5+
~3h
Free

Fajardo, PR

Laguna Grande Bioluminescent Bay

Paddle a mangrove channel after dark into a Fajardo lagoon where every stroke of the blade lights up blue-green with living microorganisms.

Kayaking
Ages 6+
~3h
Paid

Guanica, PR

Gilligan's Island (Cayo Aurora)

A tiny mangrove cay a short ferry hop off Guanica, where shallow turquoise channels between the roots work like natural swimming pools for kids.

Snorkeling
Ages 4+
~4h
Paid

Loiza, PR

Pinones

A coastal boardwalk and bike path through mangrove and palm, lined with kiosks frying the best street food on the island.

Biking
Ages 4+
~4h
Free

Luquillo, PR

Charco Frio, Rio Sabana

A cold, clear river pool on the edge of El Yunque, reached by a short forest walk - a local swimming hole rather than a sight.

Swimming
Ages 5+
~3h
Free

Broken Bow, OK

Beavers Bend State Park

Oklahoma's premier family state park with trails and river access in the Ouachita Mountains. Paid entry. Works from toddler age.

Hiking
Ages 2+
~4h
Paid

Broken Bow, OK

Broken Bow Lake

Crystal-clear 14,000-acre mountain lake with calm swimming coves and 180 miles of shoreline. Free. Works from toddler age.

Swimming
Ages 2+
~3h
Free

Wilburton, OK

Robbers Cave State Park Camping and Cabins

Classic Oklahoma state park with campgrounds, cabins and a real outlaw cave in the sandstone bluffs of the San Bois Mountains

Camping
Ages 2+
Overnight
Paid

Broken Bow, OK

Beavers Bend Marina

Pontoon and boat rentals on crystal-clear Broken Bow Lake. Paid entry. Works from toddler age. A half-day trip. Easy going.

Kayaking
Ages 2+
~3h
Paid

Broken Bow, OK

Broken Bow Lake Paddleboarding

Stand-up paddleboard rentals and lessons on crystal-clear Broken Bow Lake. Paid entry. Better for ages 6 and up. About two hours.

Paddleboarding
Ages 6+
~2h
Paid

Broken Bow, OK

Evening Hole Fishing Area

Popular family fishing pier on the Mountain Fork River with trout and bass. Paid entry. Best from about age 4. About two hours.

Fishing
Ages 4+
~2h
Paid

Broken Bow, OK

Mountain Fork River Kayaking

Kayak and canoe rentals on the crystal-clear Mountain Fork River near Beavers Bend. Paid entry. Best from about age 5. About two hours.

Kayaking
Ages 5+
~2h
Paid

Clayton, OK

Clayton Lake State Park Camping

Small quiet state park in the Kiamichi Mountains with lakeside campsites, a few cabins and some of the darkest skies in Oklahoma

Camping
Ages 2+
Overnight
Paid

Hugo, OK

Hugo Lake State Park Camping

Quiet lakeside state park camping on Hugo Lake, a calmer alternative to Beavers Bend about 90 minutes west of Broken Bow

Camping
Ages 2+
Overnight
Paid

Oklahoma City, OK

OKC Sailing School

Week-long learn-to-sail camps for kids on Lake Hefner, open to non-members, plus a half-day Pirate Camp for ages 5 to 7. Paid.

Sailing
Ages 5+
~7h
Paid

Valliant, OK

Pine Creek Lake Camping

Basic Army Corps campgrounds on a quiet reservoir west of Broken Bow, for families who want an empty boat ramp over restaurants

Camping
Ages 3+
Overnight
Paid

Wister, OK

Lake Wister State Park Camping

Shoreline camping areas and cabins on Lake Wister in the Ouachita foothills, an easy pairing with the Talimena Scenic Drive

Camping
Ages 2+
Overnight
Paid

Christiansted, VI

Buck Island Reef National Monument

A marked underwater trail through an elkhorn coral barrier reef, on an uninhabited island reached only by licensed boat.

Snorkeling
Ages 6+
~6h
Paid

St. John, VI

Trunk Bay

An underwater snorkel trail with signs mounted on the seabed, in shallow calm water inside Virgin Islands National Park.

Snorkeling
Ages 4+
~4h
Paid

Christiansted, VI

Cane Bay Beach

Swim a couple of hundred feet from the sand and the reef simply ends at a wall dropping thousands of feet into open blue. Easy entry, big drop-off.

Snorkeling
Ages 6+
~3h
Free

Christiansted, VI

Salt River Bay Bioluminescent Bay

Night kayaking in a glowing bay at the only documented place where a Columbus landing party came ashore on what is now United States soil.

Kayaking
Ages 6+
~3h
Paid

Frederiksted, VI

Frederiksted Pier

Pier pilings encrusted with orange and purple sponge hold seahorses, frogfish and octopus in shallow, sheltered, unusually clear water.

Snorkeling
Ages 7+
~3h
Free

St. John, VI

Cinnamon Bay Beach

The longest beach on St. John, with a small offshore cay within snorkelling range and a Danish sugar plantation ruin trail just behind the sand.

Swimming
Ages 2+
~4h
Free

St. John, VI

Hawksnest Bay

The closest good reef to Cruz Bay: elkhorn coral heads sit a short swim from the sand, with parking directly beside the beach.

Snorkeling
Ages 4+
~3h
Free

St. John, VI

Honeymoon Beach

A calm crescent reached by a half-hour walk from Cruz Bay, with kayak and paddleboard rental, snorkelling gear and a beach bar on the sand.

Swimming
Ages 2+
~4h
Free

St. John, VI

Maho Bay Beach

Green sea turtles graze the seagrass a few yards off the sand, in water so shallow and calm you can watch them standing up.

Snorkeling
Ages 3+
~3h
Free

St. Thomas, VI

Coki Beach

The best shore snorkelling on St. Thomas - dense reef fish right off the sand, in shallow, protected, usually calm water.

Snorkeling
Ages 4+
~3h
Free

St. Thomas, VI

Magens Bay

A mile-long horseshoe bay so sheltered that the water barely moves, which makes it the safest and calmest swimming on St. Thomas for small kids.

Swimming
Ages 1+
~4h
Paid

St. Thomas, VI

Sapphire Beach

Reef within easy swimming range at both ends, a long shallow sandy middle for small children, and a straight view across to St. John from the sand.

Snorkeling
Ages 4+
~3h
Free