Boardwalk

Anne’s Beach is barely a beach in the conventional sense and that is exactly why it works with very small children. The water off Lower Matecumbe is so shallow that you can walk out several hundred feet and still be at knee height, warm as a bath in summer, with a soft bottom. A boardwalk runs behind it through the mangroves to a second stretch of sand. Parking is roadside and limited, there are restrooms but no concessions, and kiteboarders use the far end on windy days. It is free, which makes it the cheapest good hour in the Keys.

Loxahatchee protects the northernmost remnant of the Everglades system, and it delivers the same wildlife as the national park without the two-hour drive from Palm Beach. The Cypress Swamp Boardwalk is a shaded half-mile loop through a genuine cypress dome, and the Marsh Trail runs out over impoundments where herons, egrets, purple gallinules and alligators are all routine sightings from the levee. A canoe trail runs through the marsh for those with their own boat. It is quiet, cheap and easy with young children, and the visitor centre is worth twenty minutes.

Blue Spring is the largest winter manatee refuge on the St. Johns River, and on a cold January morning the run can hold several hundred animals packed into water that stays at 72 degrees. A boardwalk follows the run from the spring boil to the river, so the viewing needs no boat and works with a stroller. This is the rare wildlife sighting that is close to guaranteed rather than lucky. The trade-off is seasonal: while manatees are present the spring is closed to swimming and paddling, which typically means mid-November through March. In summer the animals leave and the spring becomes a swimming hole.

The Fish Bowl is a floating observatory sunk into the spring, so you walk down into it and find yourself below the surface looking out at manatees, snook and mullet stacked in the boil around you. It is the most reliable close manatee viewing in Florida because the park’s resident animals are non-releasable rescues who live here permanently, joined by wild ones in winter. The rest is a wildlife park of Florida native species - black bear, red wolf, panther, whooping crane - plus a famous elderly hippo who is a naturalised Florida citizen. Boardwalks throughout make it fully stroller-friendly.

Manatee Springs sits where a big spring meets the Suwannee, and the boardwalk that follows the run to the river passes through genuine cypress swamp - knees, dark water, and enough shade that it stays comfortable in August. Manatees come up the run in winter when the Suwannee turns cold, and the same seasonal trade applies as at Blue Spring: their presence closes the swimming. Outside manatee season the basin is open, clear and popular with divers heading into the cave system below. Campgrounds sit under the oaks nearby.

Piñones is a stretch of undeveloped coast just east of San Juan where a paved bike path and long wooden boardwalk run between the mangroves and the sea. Renting bikes and riding it is a genuinely good family morning - flat, shaded in stretches, with beaches and lookouts to stop at. The other half of Piñones is the food: a line of open-air kiosks cooking alcapurrias, bacalaítos and pinchos over charcoal, which is the best casual eating near San Juan and a real part of the island’s Afro-Puerto Rican culture. The Atlantic here has strong currents; swim only where locals are swimming.

The Anhinga Trail is the single best half mile of wildlife watching in Florida and it takes under an hour with a stroller. The boardwalk runs over Taylor Slough, a permanent water hole that in the dry season becomes the only water for miles - so alligators stack up in it, anhingas dry their wings on the rails, herons stalk the edges and soft-shell turtles cruise underneath. Everything is visible from a safe boardwalk at close range, which makes it work for toddlers who cannot walk far. Vultures are known for damaging car rubber in the lot; the park supplies tarps.

Crystal River is the one place in the country with a sanctioned wild-manatee swim, and Three Sisters is its centre - a group of springs inside a refuge where the animals shelter through winter. There are two completely different visits here. The boardwalk looks down into the springs, costs a few dollars, needs no booking and works at any age. The in-water version goes through a licensed operator who briefs you on passive observation rules, and has a realistic minimum around age six because it means floating quietly in a wetsuit for an hour. Manatee numbers peak on the coldest mornings, which is also when the water outside the springs is least pleasant.

A stunning 3.5-mile coastal boardwalk and trail connecting several beautiful bays along Maui west shore. The trail is mostly flat and paved with sections of boardwalk over lava rock. Kids can spot sea turtles, whales in winter, and tide pool creatures along the way. Several beaches along the route offer swimming stops. Kapalua Bay at one end and DT Fleming Beach at the other are both excellent for families. This is one of the most scenic easy walks in all of Hawaii.

One of the best places in Texas to see wild alligators up close from the safety of elevated boardwalks and levee trails around 40-Acre Lake and Elm Lake. Kids are wide-eyed the first time they spot a real gator sunning just feet away. The George Observatory on-site offers stargazing programs on Saturday nights through large telescopes. Over 20 miles of flat trails are accessible for all skill levels.

A 312-acre park along Spring Creek where families can hike boardwalk trails through bottomland forest and swamp habitat without driving far from Houston. The nature center has live animal exhibits featuring local species and the staff runs free guided canoe trips and nature programs year-round. The Redbud Trail boardwalk through the cypress swamp is magical and kids are fascinated by the knobby cypress knees poking up from the water.

A beautifully designed wetland preserve southeast of Dallas where kids can walk boardwalks over marshes teeming with herons and turtles. The visitor center has interactive exhibits about wetland ecology and water conservation. Guided bird walks and nature programs rotate seasonally and the staff is excellent at engaging younger visitors.

A unique coastal park where Gulf beach meets freshwater marsh creating one of the most biodiverse ecosystems on the Texas coast. The Gambusia Nature Trail is a boardwalk through the marsh where kids can spot alligators and dozens of bird species. The beach side offers open Gulf swimming and the marsh unit has a 4.5-mile paddling trail through channels teeming with wildlife. It is one of the least visited state parks which means you often have the beach to yourself.

Twenty-five miles of trails wind through forests, prairies, and wetlands where kids can spot a real bison herd and an active prairie dog town. The quarter-mile boardwalk over the marsh is a hit with younger kids who love peering down at turtles and frogs. Inside the Hardwicke Interpretive Center, hands-on exhibits teach about local ecosystems, and the staff runs excellent family programs on weekends year-round.

Plano’s biggest park sprawls across 800 acres with wide boardwalks that are perfect for strollers and little walkers, plus wilder dirt trails through old-growth forest and blackland prairie. Kids who are ready for a bigger thrill can try the Go Ape treetop adventure course, and the park offers kayak and paddleboard rentals on the creek. Picnic pavilions with grills make it easy to turn a morning hike into an all-day family outing.