Why National Parks are Magic for Family Togetherness

Visiting National Parks = Family Magic

I'm embarrassed to tell you that we weren't big national park people before we started traveling full-time. In fact, we had never taken our kids to a national park before 2013, and we weren't even sure what they were exactly. 

The first time we immersed ourselves in a national park as a family, everything changed - we were hooked, and we haven't been the same since.

In fact, we've now visited somewhere close to 40 national parks, seashores, and historic sites, but we still go back to our very first national park every summer to spend months at a time reliving those family memories - the hiking, nature walks, junior ranger programs, sightseeing, stunning vistas, cool mountain breezes, and cold ocean waves on the coast of Maine will always hold family magic for us.

We're from Georgia, and we grew up thinking national parks were those big things people visited out west in places like Yellowstone, the Grand Canyon, and the one with those big arches. 

As it turns out, some national parks are big and many are out west, but there are so many more national historic sites, national seashores, and other national park-like things that are smaller, closer to home, and big on family magic with activities like ranger talks, bird watching, art classes, nature walks, movies, guided hikes, kayak adventures, boat tours, and more.

In fact, while there are only 58 national parks in the US, there are over 400 nationally protected sites where you can have a family adventure that is completely national-park-like.

Here's a list of the national park spots we've loved over the years: (click each one for a link to our family's tips and adventure photos there)

• Acadia National Park (our favorite)

• Glacier National Park (our second favorite)

• Grand Teton National Park (also our second favorite - we fight over it just a little)

• Tuzigoot National Monument

• Petrified Forest National Park

• Padre Island National Seashore

• Zion National Park

• White Sands National Monument

• Craters of the Moon National Monument

• The National Mall in Washington D.C.

• Campobello International Park

• Mojave National Preserve

• Joshua Tree National Park

• Big Bend National Park

• Saguaro National Park

• Grand Canyon National Park

• Arches and Canyonlands

• Mt. Rushmore and the Badlands

• Yellowstone National Park

• Mesa Verde National Park

• Guadalupe Mountains National Park

• Carlsbad Caverns

• Pipe Spring National Monument

• We've been to a few more less-known ones too, but we'll spare you the long list

• AND there are so many more we HAVEN'T BEEN TO YET

Want to know more about exploring national parks as a family?

Check out "The Best National Parks for Family Adventures". 

Want to give it a try yourself?

Download a map of the 400+ National Historic Sites, National Seashores, National Parks, and more in the United States.

There are so many possibilities for finding your family's favorite - I hope you'll give it a try and leave a comment below to share a bit about it with me.

What's your favorite National Park for family adventures?

Hop into the email group and let’s chat - I'd love to know!