Which parks do I NEED to see?
We are leaving from Montreal and going mostly towards the west coast. East coast is easy to do on other years when I get less vacation time. We have 2 months to see as much as possible while enjoying...
Forum Discussion
You don't mention when you are leaving and that can determine where to go first and what will be uncomfortably hot for the kids.
Yellowstone is always my first pick for kids of yours age. I still remember going there as a kid. Wildlife, geysers, canyons, lakes and streams -- there's so much to keep kids attention that I'd recommend a minimum of four full days there, the more the better.
At Grand Teton, pack a picnic, take the boat across the lake and do a short hike.
Moab is great for kids, but can be too hot in the summer. The short hikes to the various arches is great fun. Lots of rocks to climb on and sand dunes to dig in. BLM CG's along the river are first come, first served. But don't arrive on a Friday expecting to find a place.
For kids Zion is another great one. Hikes to hidden little lakes or up the narrows if the water level is appropriate. Even in the middle of summer, with some attention to the sun, one can comfortably hike on the shady side of the canyon. The CG at Watchman is great fun for the kids, with the Virgin "River" flowing right nearby.
Crater Lake is memorable. South of there, check out Lava Beds NM. Lava tubes to crawl through on your own. Bring some flashlights. Kids get a kick out of exploring these underground passageways -- real adventure!
Yosemite is a good park, but w/o reservations, you may be driving several hours to find an open campsite during busy times.
Mt. St. Helens or Lassen Peak are interesting visits for kids to see a recent volcano up close and personal.
While reservations may be impossible for the most popular places, keep on checking as there are cancelations. The SP's along the OR coast are among the finest anywhere. Also in OR is the Columbia River Gorge, with lots of waterfalls that the kids will like and a big fish hatchery by Bonneville Dam.
Personally, unless you really want to donate money to the casinos, I'd skip Las Vegas. Far better places for kids.
Yellowstone is always my first pick for kids of yours age. I still remember going there as a kid. Wildlife, geysers, canyons, lakes and streams -- there's so much to keep kids attention that I'd recommend a minimum of four full days there, the more the better.
At Grand Teton, pack a picnic, take the boat across the lake and do a short hike.
Moab is great for kids, but can be too hot in the summer. The short hikes to the various arches is great fun. Lots of rocks to climb on and sand dunes to dig in. BLM CG's along the river are first come, first served. But don't arrive on a Friday expecting to find a place.
For kids Zion is another great one. Hikes to hidden little lakes or up the narrows if the water level is appropriate. Even in the middle of summer, with some attention to the sun, one can comfortably hike on the shady side of the canyon. The CG at Watchman is great fun for the kids, with the Virgin "River" flowing right nearby.
Crater Lake is memorable. South of there, check out Lava Beds NM. Lava tubes to crawl through on your own. Bring some flashlights. Kids get a kick out of exploring these underground passageways -- real adventure!
Yosemite is a good park, but w/o reservations, you may be driving several hours to find an open campsite during busy times.
Mt. St. Helens or Lassen Peak are interesting visits for kids to see a recent volcano up close and personal.
While reservations may be impossible for the most popular places, keep on checking as there are cancelations. The SP's along the OR coast are among the finest anywhere. Also in OR is the Columbia River Gorge, with lots of waterfalls that the kids will like and a big fish hatchery by Bonneville Dam.
Personally, unless you really want to donate money to the casinos, I'd skip Las Vegas. Far better places for kids.
