Spring Adventures with Kids

Canyon, TX

Palo Duro Canyon State Park

Second-largest US canyon with the iconic Lighthouse Trail hike. Paid entry. Best from about age 4. A half-day trip. Moderate effort.

Hiking
Ages 4+
~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

Glen Rose, TX

Dinosaur Valley State Park

Real dinosaur tracks in a riverbed plus 20 miles of trails. Paid entry. Best from about age 3. A half-day trip. Dogs welcome.

Hiking
Ages 3+
~4h
Paid

Needville, TX

Brazos Bend State Park

Wild alligator viewing from boardwalks and stargazing at the observatory. Paid entry. Best from about age 3. A half-day trip.

Nature
Ages 3+
~3h
Paid

Burnet, TX

Longhorn Cavern State Park

Kid-friendly guided cave tour near Burnet TX - walk a mile through cathedral-sized underground rooms formed by an ancient river, great for ages 4+

Nature
Ages 4+
~2h
Paid

Cedar Hill, TX

Dogwood Canyon Audubon Center

Shaded canyon trails with a nature play area for kids. Free. Best from about age 3. About two hours. Moderate effort.

Hiking
Ages 3+
~2h
Free

Garland, TX

Rowlett Creek Preserve

524-acre preserve with creek crossings and mountain bike trails. Free. Best from about age 3. About two hours. Dogs welcome.

Hiking
Ages 3+
~2h
Free

Grapevine, TX

LEGOLAND Discovery Center Dallas Fort Worth

Indoor LEGO play center at Grapevine Mills with build zones, two rides, a 4D cinema, soft play and a MINILAND model of DFW landmarks.

Indoor Play
Ages 2+
~3h
Paid

San Angelo, TX

San Angelo State Park

50 miles of trails with Texas longhorn cattle on the reservoir. Paid entry. Best from about age 4. A half-day trip. Dogs welcome.

Hiking
Ages 4+
~3h
Paid

San Antonio, TX

The DoSeum

San Antonio children's museum with a multi-story climber, a robot lab, a mock vet clinic and a toddler-scale town with its own market.

Indoor Play
Ages 1+
~3h
Paid

Whitney, TX

Lake Whitney State Park

White limestone shoreline swimming and easy trails on Lake Whitney. Paid entry. Works from toddler age. A half-day trip.

Camping
Ages 2+
~4h
Paid

Wylie, TX

East Fork Park

Sandy swim beach and lakeside camping on Lake Lavon. Paid entry. Works from toddler age. A half-day trip. Stroller-friendly.

Camping
Ages 2+
~4h
Paid

Hawaii National Park, HI

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

Active volcano with lava tubes, steam vents, and a massive caldera. Paid entry. Best from about age 3. Easily a full day.

Hiking
Ages 3+
~5h
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

Honomu, HI

Akaka Falls State Park

Easy paved walk to a jaw-dropping 442-foot waterfall through tropical jungle. Paid entry. Works from toddler age. About an hour.

Hiking
Ages 2+
~1h
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

Captain Cook, HI

Captain Cook Monument Snorkel Trail

Steep hike down to world-class snorkeling in a marine sanctuary with dolphins. Free. Better for ages 8 and up. Easily a full day.

Snorkeling
Ages 8+
~5h
Free

Captain Cook, HI

Hawaii Tropical Fruit Farm

Guided tour tasting 60+ exotic fruits straight from the tree on a family farm. Paid entry. Works from toddler age. About an hour.

Nature
Ages 2+
~1h
Paid

Haiku, HI

Twin Falls Maui

Easy waterfall hike with swimming at the first stop on the Road to Hana. Free. Best from about age 4. About two hours. Easy going.

Hiking
Ages 4+
~2h
Free

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

Laie, HI

Malaekahana State Recreation Area

Beachfront camping with a wadeable offshore island on the quiet North Shore. Paid entry. Works from toddler age. Plan to stay overnight.

Camping
Ages 2+
Overnight
Paid

Lihue, HI

Kauai Sailing Association

A nonprofit community sailing center on Nawiliwili Harbor where kids learn to rig and sail small boats. Paid. Ages 7 to 16.

Sailing
Ages 7+
~6h
Paid

Wailuku, HI

'Iao Valley State Monument

Paved walk to the iconic 1,200-foot Iao Needle in a lush valley. Paid entry. Works from toddler age. About an hour. Stroller-friendly.

Hiking
Ages 2+
~1h
Paid

Waimea (Kauai), HI

Koke'e State Park

Highland trails and Na Pali Coast cliff-top lookouts in a mountain forest park. Paid entry. Best from about age 4. A half-day trip.

Hiking
Ages 4+
~3h
Paid

Castile, NY

Letchworth State Park

Grand Canyon of the East with three major waterfalls and a 600-foot gorge. Paid entry. Works from toddler age. A half-day trip.

Hiking
Ages 2+
~4h
Paid

Kerhonkson, NY

Minnewaska State Park Preserve

Sky lakes, cliff-top trails, and swimming on the Shawangunk Ridge. Paid entry. Best from about age 3. A half-day trip. Stroller-friendly.

Hiking
Ages 3+
~4h
Paid

Lake Placid, NY

Mount Jo Trail

Short family hike with a spectacular High Peaks panorama above Heart Lake. Paid entry. Best from about age 4. About two hours.

Hiking
Ages 4+
~2h
Paid

Tupper Lake, NY

The Wild Center

Natural history museum with a treetop Wild Walk and live animal exhibits. Paid entry. Works from toddler age. A half-day trip.

Nature
Ages 2+
~3h
Paid

Albany, NY

New York State Museum

Free Albany museum with a full-size mastodon, New York habitat dioramas and a working 1890s carousel running rides on the top floor.

Museum
Ages 2+
~3h
Free

Caroga Lake, NY

Kane Mountain Fire Tower

Quick and easy fire tower hike perfect for young or beginner hikers. Free. Best from about age 4. About an hour. Dogs welcome.

Hiking
Ages 4+
~1h
Free

Eagle Bay, NY

Cascade Lake Trail

Easy loop trail around a scenic Adirondack lake with lean-tos and swimming spots. Free. Best from about age 4. About two hours.

Hiking
Ages 4+
~2h
Free

Howes Cave, NY

Howe Caverns

Guided cave tours 156 feet underground with an underground boat ride. Paid entry. Best from about age 3. About two hours.

Nature
Ages 3+
~2h
Paid

New Paltz, NY

Mohonk Preserve

World-class rock climbing and cliff-top hiking on the Shawangunk Ridge. Paid entry. Best from about age 4. A half-day trip.

Hiking
Ages 4+
~4h
Paid

Pilot Knob, NY

Buck Mountain Trail

Challenging summit hike with sweeping Lake George views from 2,334 feet. Free. Better for ages 7 and up. Easily a full day.

Hiking
Ages 7+
~5h
Free

Poughkeepsie, NY

Mid-Hudson Children's Museum

Hands-on children's museum on the Poughkeepsie waterfront with circuits, bubbles, water tables, and a climbing structure.

Indoor Play
Ages 1+
~2h
Paid

Voorheesville, NY

Thacher State Park

Cliff-top escarpment park with a walk-behind waterfall and 40-mile views. Paid entry. Best from about age 3. A half-day trip.

Hiking
Ages 3+
~3h
Paid

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

Broken Bow Treehouse and Glamping Stays

Treehouses, A-frames, geodesic domes and canvas glamping tents scattered through the woods around Hochatown and Broken Bow Lake

Lodging
Ages 4+
Overnight
Paid

Broken Bow, OK

David Boren Hiking Trail

Premier 12-mile trail system with lake views and flexible routes in Beavers Bend State Park. Free. Better for ages 6 and up.

Hiking
Ages 6+
~3h
Free

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

Rugaru Adventures

Top-rated six-line forest canopy zipline tour in the Ouachita Mountains. Paid entry. Better for ages 7 and up. About two hours.

Aerial Adventure
Ages 7+
~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

Fort Towson, OK

Raymond Gary State Park Camping

Small shaded lakeside campground and swimming area east of Hugo, and a workable overflow option when Beavers Bend is booked solid

Camping
Ages 2+
Overnight
Paid

Idabel, OK

Museum of the Red River

Idabel museum forty minutes from Broken Bow with a full mounted Acrocanthosaurus and Native American art of the Americas.

Museum
Ages 4+
~2h
Free

Oklahoma City, OK

National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum

Oklahoma City Western museum with a full-scale indoor frontier town, a kids cowboy corral, and rodeo and Native American galleries.

Museum
Ages 4+
~3h
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

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

Homestead, FL

Royal Palm and the Anhinga Trail

A half-mile boardwalk over a gator hole where alligators, anhingas, herons and turtles sit within a few feet of the rail.

Hiking
Ages 2+
~2h
Paid

Sarasota, FL

Myakka River State Park

A canopy walkway suspended in the treetops, an airboat across an alligator lake, and one of Florida's oldest and largest state parks.

Nature
Ages 3+
~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

Chipley, FL

Falling Waters State Park

Florida's tallest waterfall drops seventy-three feet into a sinkhole and disappears underground - nobody knows where it goes.

Hiking
Ages 3+
~2h
Paid

Holt, FL

Blackwater River State Park

One of the purest sand-bottom rivers in the world, with a broad white sandbar on every bend for stopping to swim and eat. Gentle enough for kids.

Kayaking
Ages 5+
~5h
Paid

Islamorada, FL

Anne's Beach

A free roadside beach with warm, ankle-deep water for hundreds of feet and a boardwalk through mangroves - made for toddlers.

Swimming
Ages 1+
~2h
Free

Jacksonville, FL

Big Talbot Island State Park

Boneyard Beach is littered with the bleached skeletons of whole oak and cedar trees, toppled off an eroding bluff onto the sand.

Hiking
Ages 4+
~3h
Paid

Marathon, FL

Sombrero Beach

A free, shaded, sandy municipal beach in the middle Keys with calm shallow water, a playground and real palm-tree shade.

Swimming
Ages 1+
~3h
Free

Miami, FL

Shark Valley, Everglades National Park

A fifteen-mile paved loop through sawgrass prairie where alligators lie on the path, ridden by bike or tram, ending at an observation tower.

Biking
Ages 4+
~4h
Paid

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

Thonotosassa, FL

Hillsborough River State Park

Class II rapids - genuinely rare in Florida - viewed from a suspension footbridge, plus canoe rentals in a CCC-built park near Tampa.

Kayaking
Ages 5+
~4h
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

San Juan, PR

Castillo San Felipe del Morro

A six-level Spanish fortress on the headland, with tunnels, sentry boxes and the best kite-flying lawn in the Caribbean.

Nature
Ages 4+
~3h
Paid

Arecibo, PR

Parque Nacional Cueva Ventana

Walk through a bat cave on a guided tour to a window-shaped opening in a cliff, framing a green view over the Rio Grande de Arecibo valley.

Hiking
Ages 6+
~2h
Paid

Camuy, PR

Parque Nacional Cavernas del Rio Camuy

One of the largest cave systems in the world, entered by trolley down into a sinkhole, with a subterranean river running far below the walkway.

Nature
Ages 5+
~3h
Paid

Guanica, PR

Bosque Estatal de Guanica

A UN biosphere reserve of subtropical dry forest - cactus, thorn scrub and rare birds - with hot coastal trails leading down to empty beaches.

Hiking
Ages 6+
~4h
Free

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

Rincon, PR

Domes Beach

Puerto Rico's best-known surf break, with beginner lessons when the summer swell drops and humpback whales passing offshore in winter.

Surfing
Ages 8+
~3h
Free

San Juan, PR

Castillo San Cristobal

The largest Spanish fort built in the Americas, with a tunnel system, a dungeon and centuries-old ship drawings scratched into the walls.

Nature
Ages 5+
~2h
Paid

Vieques, PR

Sun Bay (Balneario Sun Bay)

A mile-long public crescent of calm turquoise water with picnic shelters, wild horses on the grass, and almost nobody on it.

Swimming
Ages 1+
~4h
Paid

Christiansted, VI

Christiansted National Historic Site

A yellow Danish fort on the harbour front, with dungeons, ramparts and cannon, in a walkable eighteenth-century colonial town.

Nature
Ages 5+
~2h
Paid

St. John, VI

Annaberg Sugar Plantation

The best preserved sugar mill ruins in the Virgin Islands, on a hillside with a windmill tower and a view to the British islands.

Nature
Ages 5+
~2h
Paid