Fun States to Visit With Kids: 8 Outdoor Family Trips, State by State
The most unique family vacations in the US are outdoor trips built around something kids cannot see at home: an island with no cars, a waterfall you can walk behind, a tree bigger than any other on earth, a rain forest in Washington, geysers and hoodoos. This guide goes state by state through eight of the best places to travel with kids in the US, each with a family itinerary you can follow day by day. The table picks out what makes each one different; the sections below say who it suits and what to book ahead.
Fun states to visit with kids, compared
| State | Trip | What makes it unusual | Good months |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan | Great Lakes family road trip | Car-free Mackinac Island, giant sand dunes, boat tours under painted cliffs | June–August |
| Tennessee and North Carolina | Great Smoky Mountains | No entrance fee; walk behind Grotto Falls; bears in Cades Cove | March–May |
| Utah | Utah's Mighty Five | Five national parks of arches, hoodoos and canyons in one trip | March–May |
| Washington | Olympic Peninsula | Temperate rain forest, tide pools and mountain meadows in one loop | June–September |
| California | Yosemite and Sequoia | The largest tree in the world by volume | May–September |
| Maine | Acadia National Park | Car-free carriage roads for biking; iron rung trails for older kids | September–October |
| South Dakota | Badlands and Black Hills | Badlands formations, Custer State Park wildlife, Mount Rushmore | May–June |
| Colorado | Rocky Mountain National Park | A road over the alpine tundra; elk in the meadows | June–September |
Michigan: an island without cars
The Great Lakes family road trip spends seven days around Lake Michigan and Lake Superior. The highlight for most kids is Mackinac Island, reached by ferry, where there are no cars and everyone gets around by bike, on foot or by horse. The trip also takes in the Sleeping Bear Dunes, Traverse City beaches, a Pictured Rocks boat tour and Door County in Wisconsin. It is one of the few family trips on this list that is mostly about swimming and beaches. See Mackinac Island things to do and the best time to visit Pictured Rocks.
Tennessee and North Carolina: the free national park
Great Smoky Mountains National Park charges no entrance fee, though any car parked for more than 15 minutes needs a parking tag ($5 a day, $15 a week). Grotto Falls is the one waterfall in the park you can walk behind, and the 11 mile one way Cades Cove loop is the place to see black bears, deer and wild turkeys from the car. On Wednesdays, typically May through September, the loop is closed to cars, so older kids can bike or walk it. Our family trip to the Smoky Mountains guide has the full plan.
Utah: five parks in one trip
Utah's five national parks sit close enough to string into one road trip. The Utah Mighty Five family road trip runs from Zion, where a free shuttle carries you up the canyon, through the hoodoos of Bryce Canyon, the orchards at Capitol Reef and Mesa Arch in Canyonlands, to the Windows at Arches. Arches dropped timed entry for 2026; the Fiery Furnace still needs a permit and children under 5 are not allowed in. Easy Zion hikes with kids covers the shortest trails.
Washington: a rain forest in the lower 48
The Olympic Peninsula family road trip loops from Seattle through Hurricane Ridge, Lake Crescent and the Hoh Rain Forest to the beaches. The Hall of Mosses in the Hoh is a flat 0.8 mile loop under moss covered trees, and a low tide at Rialto Beach exposes tide pools. Entry is $30 per vehicle and there is no reservation. For something similar further south, see the Oregon coast with kids.
California: the biggest tree on earth
The General Sherman Tree in Sequoia National Park is the largest tree in the world by volume, and a half mile trail leads down to it. The California national parks family loop pairs it with Yosemite Valley's waterfalls, Glacier Point and the Mariposa Grove over ten days. Yosemite needs no entry reservation in 2026.
Maine: biking roads with no cars
Acadia's carriage roads are closed to cars, which makes them one of the best places in the country for a family bike ride inside a national park. The 3 day Acadia itinerary also covers Cadillac Mountain, Jordan Pond and the iron rung Precipice Trail, which is for confident older kids and adults only. See things to do in Acadia.
South Dakota: badlands, bison country and Mount Rushmore
The Badlands and Black Hills road trip is three days from Rapid City: the Badlands Loop Road, Custer State Park's wildlife, Crazy Horse, Mount Rushmore and the Needles Highway. It is short enough for a long weekend. Things to do in the Black Hills has more stops.
Colorado: over the top of the Rockies
The Rocky Mountain family itinerary spends four days in Estes Park with easy lake loops, Alberta Falls, the Junior Ranger program and Trail Ridge Road across the alpine tundra. Book ahead: timed entry is required from May 22 to October 12, 2026 for 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., and the Bear Lake Road corridor needs its own reservation.
Best states to visit with kids, by age
- Toddlers and preschoolers. Michigan and Washington: beaches, short flat loops and mild summer weather.
- Ages 6 to 10. Tennessee, California and South Dakota, where the big sights come quickly on easy paths or from the car.
- Tweens and teens. Utah, Maine and Colorado, which reward longer days and a bit of scrambling.
Before you book
- Passes. The America the Beautiful annual pass is $80 for US residents. US 4th graders can get a free pass through Every Kid Outdoors.
- Nonresident surcharge. In 2026, visitors 16 and older who are not US residents pay an extra $100 at 11 parks, including Acadia, Rocky Mountain, Sequoia and Kings Canyon, Yosemite, Zion and Bryce Canyon, unless they hold an annual pass.
- Western trips. If you are choosing between Utah, Washington, California and Colorado, our best family vacations out west guide compares them side by side.
For keeping the youngest hikers moving on any of these trips, read how to hike with kids.
Fun States to Visit With Kids: 8 Outdoor Family Trips, State by State FAQs
Car-free Mackinac Island in Michigan, walking behind Grotto Falls in the Great Smoky Mountains, the Hoh Rain Forest in Washington, the General Sherman Tree in Sequoia, and the five national parks of southern Utah in one road trip.
For outdoor trips: Utah for national parks, Michigan for beaches and dunes, Tennessee and North Carolina for the free Great Smoky Mountains, Washington for rain forest and tide pools, and California for Yosemite and the giant sequoias.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park has no entrance fee, only a parking tag from $5 a day. If you plan several national parks in a year, the $80 America the Beautiful pass covers entrance fees.
Olympic in Washington is one of the easiest, with flat loops like the 0.8 mile Hall of Mosses and beaches with tide pools. Rocky Mountain in Colorado also has short lake loops, but plan for the altitude.
Rocky Mountain still requires timed entry from May 22 to October 12, 2026. Arches and Yosemite dropped their entry reservations for 2026, though the Fiery Furnace at Arches still needs a permit.
Yes. The worked day-by-day plan is Great Lakes Family Road Trip: A 7-Day Itinerary (7 Days), with the permits, the stays and the drive times already sorted. Tell us your dates and we will put it together for you and confirm what is genuinely open on those days. Asking is free: no card, no deposit, and nothing is held until you say yes.
