Summer Adventures with Kids

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

Ithaca, NY

Robert H. Treman State Park

Gorge trails, multiple waterfalls, and a stunning natural swimming hole near Ithaca. Paid entry. Best from about age 3. A half-day trip.

Swimming
Ages 3+
~3h
Paid

Watkins Glen, NY

Watkins Glen State Park

Walk behind 19 waterfalls through a stunning 200-foot-deep gorge. Paid entry. Best from about age 3. About two hours. Easy going.

Hiking
Ages 3+
~2h
Paid

Bear Mountain, NY

Bear Mountain State Park

Historic Hudson River park with trails, pool, merry-go-round, and Appalachian Trail. Paid entry. Works from toddler age.

Hiking
Ages 2+
~5h
Paid

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

Dansville, NY

Stony Brook State Park

Gorge swimming, three waterfalls, and rock formations in a quiet setting. Paid entry. Works from toddler age. A half-day trip.

Swimming
Ages 2+
~3h
Paid

Garden City, NY

Long Island Children's Museum

Fourteen hands-on galleries in Garden City with bubbles, a climbing structure, a sound studio, and a toddler-only Tot Spot.

Indoor Play
Ages 1+
~3h
Paid

Hague, NY

Rogers Rock Campground

Wooded lakeside campground on the quiet north end of Lake George. Paid entry. Works from toddler age. Plan to stay overnight.

Camping
Ages 2+
Overnight
Paid

Newcomb, NY

Goodnow Mountain Fire Tower

Family-friendly fire tower hike with interpretive signs and High Peaks views. Free. Best from about age 5. A half-day trip.

Hiking
Ages 5+
~3h
Free

Saranac Lake, NY

Floodwood Pond

Motor-free interconnected ponds perfect for family kayaking and canoe adventures. Free. Best from about age 4. A half-day trip.

Kayaking
Ages 4+
~4h
Free

Saranac Lake, NY

SAIL Adirondacks

Learn-to-sail sessions and crewed cruises on an O'Day 23 out of Saranac Lake Marina, four passengers max. Published minimum age 6.

Sailing
Ages 6+
~2h
Paid

Hana, HI

Road to Hana Bamboo Forest (Pipiwai Trail)

Magical bamboo forest hike to a 400-foot waterfall at the end of the Road to Hana. Paid entry. Best from about age 5. A half-day trip.

Hiking
Ages 5+
~3h
Paid

Hana, HI

Wai'anapanapa State Park

Black sand beach with sea caves, lava tubes, and blowholes on the Road to Hana. Paid entry. Best from about age 4. About two hours.

Hiking
Ages 4+
~2h
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

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

Haiku, HI

Maui Zipline

Family zipline course through tropical scenery with lines for kids as young as 5. Paid entry. Best from about age 5. About two hours.

Aerial Adventure
Ages 5+
~2h
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

Hilo, HI

Hilo Farmers Market

Hawaii's biggest farmers market with 200+ vendors, exotic fruits, and tropical flowers. Free. Works from toddler age. About an hour.

Nature
Ages 1+
~1h
Free

Kailua-Kona, HI

Kamanu Charters

Kona's original sailing catamaran, wide enough for kids to sprawl on the trampoline, out to Pawai Bay to snorkel. Ages 7 and up.

Sailing
Ages 7+
~4h
Paid

Kula, HI

Polipoli Spring State Recreation Area

Cool mountain forest of redwoods and pines on Haleakala that feels like the Pacific Northwest. Free. Better for ages 6 and up.

Hiking
Ages 6+
~3h
Free

Lahaina, HI

Baby Beach Lahaina

Ultra-shallow protected beach perfect for toddlers and babies. Free. Works from toddler age. About two hours. Stroller-friendly.

Swimming
Ages 1+
~2h
Free

Lahaina, HI

Camp Olowalu

Oceanfront camping and glamping with excellent snorkeling right off the beach. Paid entry. Best from about age 3. Plan to stay overnight.

Camping
Ages 3+
Overnight
Paid

Waianae, HI

Leeward Coast Dolphin Watching

Boat tours to see wild spinner dolphins and sea turtles along the leeward coast. Paid entry. Best from about age 3. A half-day trip.

Nature
Ages 3+
~3h
Paid

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

Glen Rose, TX

Fossil Rim Wildlife Center

Drive-through safari park near Glen Rose TX where kids hand-feed giraffes from the car - 1,800 acres of zebras, cheetahs, rhinos and 50+ species

Nature
Ages 2+
~3h
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

Austin, TX

Bullock Texas State History Museum

Three floors of Texas history in downtown Austin anchored by a real 1686 shipwreck hull, plus an IMAX theater and weekend family days.

Museum
Ages 4+
~3h
Paid

Dallas, TX

Dallas Museum of Art

Free-admission art museum in the Dallas Arts District with a hands-on kids studio, Egyptian artifacts and ancient American gold galleries.

Museum
Ages 3+
~2h
Free

Eustace, TX

Purtis Creek State Park

Stocked catch-and-release lake where kids always catch fish. Paid entry. Best from about age 3. A half-day trip. Dogs welcome.

Fishing
Ages 3+
~4h
Paid

Fort Worth, TX

Trinity Trails

Over 100 miles of paved family-friendly trails along the Trinity River in Fort Worth - free biking, walking, and nature right in the city

Biking
Ages 2+
~2h
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

Grapevine, TX

SEA LIFE Grapevine Aquarium

Mall aquarium in Grapevine with eye-level tanks, touch pools and a walk-through shark and ray tunnel, sized right for little kids.

Aquarium
Ages 1+
~1h
Paid

Houston, TX

The Health Museum

Houston museum of the human body with a walk-through giant heart, a climb-in brain and a simulated operating room kids can try out.

Science
Ages 4+
~2h
Paid

Spicewood, TX

Grelle Recreation Area

Uncrowded Lake Travis cove with wooded trails and swimming. Paid entry. Best from about age 4. A half-day trip. Dogs welcome.

Hiking
Ages 4+
~4h
Paid

Key West, FL

Dry Tortugas National Park

Seventy miles out from Key West: a vast brick fort on an empty island, ringed by the clearest snorkelling water in Florida.

Snorkeling
Ages 6+
~12h
Paid

Stuart, FL

Bathtub Reef Beach

A worm-rock reef sits just offshore and turns the water inside into a warm, calm, waist-deep pool full of fish at low tide.

Snorkeling
Ages 3+
~3h
Free

Weeki Wachee, FL

Weeki Wachee Springs State Park

The underwater mermaid theatre has run since 1947, plus a spring-fed water park and a clear paddling run down the Weeki Wachee River.

Swimming
Ages 2+
~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

Clearwater, FL

Clearwater Marine Aquarium

A working rescue hospital rather than a display aquarium - the dolphins, turtles and otters here are patients, and you watch them recover.

Aquarium
Ages 2+
~4h
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

Destin, FL

Henderson Beach State Park

Thirty-foot natural dunes and a wide white beach in the middle of Destin, with dune boardwalks, outdoor showers and covered shade pavilions.

Swimming
Ages 2+
~3h
Paid

Homestead, FL

Biscayne National Park

Ninety-five percent underwater: boat trips run out to living reef and mangrove islands from a visitor centre south of Miami.

Snorkeling
Ages 6+
~6h
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

Long Key, FL

Long Key State Park

A marked canoe trail through a shallow mangrove lagoon in the middle Keys - bring your own boat, because there is nothing to rent here.

Kayaking
Ages 5+
~3h
Paid

Melbourne Beach, FL

Sebastian Inlet State Park

Florida's most productive saltwater fishing spot, with a walkable jetty, a calm lagoon beach for kids and surfing on the north side.

Fishing
Ages 4+
~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

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

Beavers Bend State Park Cabins

Rustic and modern state park cabins in the pines at Beavers Bend, minutes from Broken Bow Lake and the Mountain Fork River

Lodging
Ages 1+
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

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

The Maze of Hochatown

Giant 29,000 sq ft wooden maze in Hochatown near Broken Bow - tickets sold at the gate, with checkpoint towers and stamp collecting kids love

Nature
Ages 3+
~1h
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

Norman, OK

Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History

Norman natural history museum with a record-holding Pentaceratops skull, an Apatosaurus mount, and a hands-on discovery room.

Museum
Ages 2+
~3h
Paid

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Luquillo, PR

Balneario de Luquillo

A palm-lined crescent protected by a reef, with calm shallow water, lifeguards, and sixty food kiosks along the road behind it.

Swimming
Ages 1+
~4h
Paid

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

Balneario El Escambron

A reef-protected cove minutes from Old San Juan with genuinely good snorkelling, lifeguards, showers and calm shallow water for young children.

Snorkeling
Ages 4+
~3h
Paid

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

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

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

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

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

Brewers Bay Beach

A free local beach by the university with calm shallow water, sea grape shade, food vans behind it and planes landing directly overhead.

Swimming
Ages 2+
~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

Coral World Ocean Park

An undersea observatory tower sunk into a living reef so you look out at wild fish, plus turtle and shark pools and sea lion encounters.

Aquarium
Ages 2+
~4h
Paid

St. Thomas, VI

Lindquist Beach (Smith Bay Park)

A quiet territorial park beach with soft sand, calm shallow water and a view across to St. John. The small entry fee keeps the crowds away.

Swimming
Ages 2+
~3h
Paid

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