Which National Park with kids (summer 2014)

Old Nov 17th, 2013, 08:54 AM
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Which National Park with kids (summer 2014)

Family of 4, two kids will be 8 years old. Summer of 2014, preferably August, but flexible. I had hoped we'd have two weeks and take a big trip, but it looks like we will have one week.

I would like to start taking the kids to National parks. We like being outdoors - hikes, biking, horses, swimming - mostly low-key and relaxing. Shopping and night life are not a consideration. Flying from Texas, prefer to minimize travel hassles.

Current ideas:

Fly into Denver - spend some time at RMNP and then to one of the ski areas

Olympic Nat. Park - haven't researched at all.

Acadia NP plus maybe a couple days elsewhere.

South Dakota - Badlands, Mt. Rushmore, a cave, etc.

I want to hold off on Yellowstone a couple of years (and when we have more time). I don't think summer is best time for the southwest parks.

We have been to Smoky Mountains and had a great time in a cabin near Gatlinburg (but did not spend much time in Gat.). Have been to San Diego, Disney (CA and FL), Destin.

Any suggestions? Thanks!
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Old Nov 17th, 2013, 09:53 AM
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If you go to Seattle, you should also consider Mount Rainier, North Cascades, and San Juan Islands(although not a NP, still spectacular)-specifically the whale watchng.

Olympic is great in the fact that it is probably the most diverse place I've ever been. Rain forest, Mountains, lakes, and ocean. All within a few miles of each other. Don't miss Hoh Rain Forest, Quinault area, Lake Crescent, Sol Duc Falls, Hurricane Ridge, Hole in the Wall Beach area, Ruby Beach, any other beaches too, tidepooling at Low Tide.

I think Mount Rainier is my favorite mountain I've ever been to. I've seen Denali, but haven't actually experienced it yet. The best flowers you will ever see(best usually in August). Just take off on any trail above Paradise.

The North Cascades are very rugged, remote, and isolated. Great Solitude. Very jagged awesome peaks.

We spent 4 days at Olympic, a day trip to San Juan Islands, 2 days at Rainier, 1 at North Cascades, and 2 at Seattle. Should have spent longer at each. With a week, I would suggest 2 places and probably a day in Seattle. You really can't go wrong with any of them.

Since you live in Texas. By all means spend some time in Big Bend(not in the summer), Guadalupe Mountain(really awesome place that nobody knows about--best at Nov 1 with fall folliage). And Carlsbad Caverns. I think visiting Carlsbad in summer with the bats is fantastic. But when your kids are 12, do both of the Wild Cave Tours---will blow you away. I live in Oklahoma and I've done the wild cave tours 6 times now-they are that good.

I think there are "best times" of the year to visit a NP, and I think August is best for the ones around Seattle.

I've been to 34 of our National Parks. We are going to Blackhills June 1st in 2014.

I don't know where you live in Texas, but I love Buffalo National River(specifically the upper buffalo area) Dec-June when the waterfalls are really going. It is great right after a few days of rain. I like it better than the the Great Smoky's.

If you decide to go to Olympic or Mount Rainier, get your reservations ASAP.

I've done Redwoods and Lassen(think mini Yellowstone withouth the crowds) in August and they are fantastic then too.

You can't go wrong with National Parks. We took our daughter to Disney, etc and enjoyed that, but since she was about 9 we've pretty much done 2 or 3 parks each year and it has been fantastic experiences. My favorite is Yosemite. My daugher and wife would vote for Yellowstone. Probably are all time favorite thing we've done would be canyoneering in Arches NP in Utah. August is hot, but in cooler months your kids would love UT.

RMNP is very nice and I enjoy camping there. Part of our Journey has been to stay or eat in every one of the historical lodges. We've stayed at nearly all of them and is just part of the experience for us.


Back to your original ideas, I would pick Olympic for 3 or 4 days. I would include a day in Seattle--see Pike Market for sure. Then 2 days at Rainier. And a day or 2 at San Juan Islands, if you have enough time.
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Old Nov 17th, 2013, 10:03 AM
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Thank you for the detailed response! I had thought about Lassen, but then forgot to include it. We are Central Texas, so Arkansas is a bit of a drive, but doable so I will look into Buffalo Nat'l River, thanks.

I think Olympic sounds beautiful - i guess my concerns were the longer flight plus to amount of driving between locations. But it sounds like it is worth it! I will look into it in more detail.

Thanks!
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Old Nov 17th, 2013, 10:46 AM
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http://www.fodors.com/community/unit...e-watching.cfm

Here is a trip report with photos from our trip to Seattle
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Old Nov 17th, 2013, 10:49 AM
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I meant to point say earlier that I live in OK, so we go to the Buffalo River frequently. Hot Springs National Park, is my least favorite park that i've been too(sadly the only one that is close to me). Arkansas has some great State Parks like Petit Jean, Mount Nebo, and more.
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Old Nov 17th, 2013, 10:55 AM
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Beautiful pictures - thank you for sharing!
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Old Nov 17th, 2013, 10:57 AM
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When our kids were the ages of yours they loved Mesa Verde and Bryce Canyon the best.
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Old Nov 17th, 2013, 11:05 AM
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Have you been to the TX National Parks? (Big Bend and Guadalupe Mountains?
Flying to Portland you could hit Mt. Rainier, Mt. St. Helens, and Crater Lake.
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Old Nov 17th, 2013, 11:21 AM
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We have not done the Texas parks, but I would prefer to escape the Texas heat in August. It is such a long drive for us, I am thinking we will wait a bit for Big Bend and Carlsbad and do a big driving loop.

I don't want to make this a trip where we spend all the time in the car packing up and moving around. I would prefer to be able to settle in for a few days and only move once (maybe twice).

Thanks for the suggestions!
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Old Nov 17th, 2013, 11:24 AM
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I've been to all of the national parks you are considering (RMNP, Olympic, Acadia and the Black Hills) and I think the Black Hills would be my choice, especially for a family with kids. I spent many summers in the Black Hills as a kid and loved it. I took my own kids, aged 4 and 7 at the time, to the Black Hills a number of years ago and it was a fabulous family vacation. Also, I was just back there this summer and it was just as fun for me as a middle-aged adult as it was when I was a kid.

There are just so many fun things for kids to do--seeing the bison and prairie dogs on the Wildlife Loop in Custer State Park, hiking around Sylvan Lake (with a swim if they don't mind cold water) or even hiking up Harney Peak if they are good hikers (my kids did it), seeing Mt. Rushmore and the great museum there, horseback rides through the woods at Blue Bell Lodge in Custer State Park, a day or two in the Badlands for some great scenery and hiking (stay overnight if you can), etc. And with a day in Rapid City, you could visit Storybook Island, Dinosaur Park and the excellent Reptile Gardens--all worthwhile and not at all kitschy. A week in the Black Hills will give you plenty of time for all the outdoor activities you like. I'd recommend going to your library (or bookstore) to see about getting a copy of the "Moon Handbook to Mt. Rushmore and the Black Hills". It was an invaluable guide for me when I planned our trip there this summer.
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Old Nov 17th, 2013, 11:26 AM
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look at voyageurs national park/ boundary waters canoe area in N. Minnesota. lots of guides in Ely, MN
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Old Nov 17th, 2013, 01:03 PM
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I think each national park is special in its own way. There are only a couple of them that I have been underwhelmed. I think the parks that you mentioned are all great for August. Black Hills might be a bit warm, but then you could swim at the lakes in Custer State Park. Plus, caves are usually cooler, so that is nice in the summer.

We plan on doing Jewel Cave, Mammoth Site, Crazy Horse, Badlands, Mount Rushmore, Possible an all day driving trip to include Devils Tower and Little Bighorn Battlefield. Probably will do the Alpine Slide(my daughter is 19, but we still like that type stuff-this is likely to be one of the last trips with her). We are staying in a cabin on Sylvan Lake.

Olympic would offer swimming as well, plus Sol Duc Hot Springs, which has 3 different pools that are heated at different temps. Plus mountains with snow. So,still that would be good too. Don't really think you could go wrong with any of them--I think it is wise to consider weather/seasons.
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Old Nov 17th, 2013, 02:47 PM
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So far no votes for Maine/Acadia or RMNP!

I will look into Olympic in more detail. I do have concerns about the amount of driving needed to do it justice, but I will take a real look at the possible itineraries.

Black Hills intrigues me, but I have also heard some less than stellar reviews. Unfortunately I am probably too late for a cabin in CSP, which was my first thought, but we will see.

Thanks for all of the ideas!
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Old Nov 17th, 2013, 03:48 PM
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The virtue of Olympic NP is the tremendous variety of environments - alpine, rocky coast, rain forests, lakes... all within an hour of each other. It helps prevent boredom, and if the weather's not the best in one area, it might well be better in another.

ONP is also quite close to lots of very attractive non-national park areas, so accommodation choices and costs can be much more favorable than in the national parks where the park concessions jack the prices way up for the captive audience. You can add a side trip to Victoria BC easily (whale watching, beautiful gardens) to add even more options.
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Old Nov 17th, 2013, 07:01 PM
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I think places like RMNP and Acadia might be better when kids are a bit older to enjoy beauty.

Places like Mount Rainer, Crater Lake, any of the Utah Parks, Yellowstone, Yosemite, Sequoia, Redwoods- have things that you just can't imagine exist(as an adult or child) The size of the trees in Redwoods or Sequoia are truly amazing. Crater Lake doesn't seem real- the color is something I will never forget. Kids love the rocks, arches, canyoneering(totally best experience I've ever done), and even Goblin Valley in UT.
Wildlife and geysers in Yellowstone. I think these really capture kids attention. While places like RMNP, Grand Tetons might be better later in life(although certainly enjoyable at any age).

Actually, I think The Great Sand Dunes in CO is one of the very best places for younger kids. You need to go there 1st of June though to experience the creek. The lodging there is very limited and there really isn't any food option there other than a burger. It is even better experienced if you have a 4 wheel drive to see primitive road.
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Old Nov 18th, 2013, 09:06 AM
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longhorn55, you have great passion for the Black Hills and I hope to take my family there next June, for the first time. Where in the area do you recommend staying? I'd like to have one base and take day trips to MR, Custer, BHs, etc. I'm interested in newer accomodations as I don't like to rough-it. Your help is appreciated as I see a lot is already booked for next summer. Wild.
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Old Nov 18th, 2013, 01:55 PM
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While we stayed in Custer last summer, I think that Hill City is more centrally located for activities in the Black Hills. Keystone is also a popular location, but it is too built-up and touristy for my tastes.

I have no information on accommodations in Hill City, but I would suggest that you check VRBO for a vacation home for your family. We did this with the kids a number of years ago and it really worked out well having separate bedrooms, extra bathrooms and a kitchen to prepare some meals. When I was planning our June 2013 trip, I began looking for accommodations in February and there were still a lot of VRBO properties available for mid-June.
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Old Nov 18th, 2013, 01:55 PM
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Use Google Earth or Google Maps to get a big picture view of Olympic National Park...I think that you will learn that the driving is not onerous. It takes about 3 hours to get from Seattle to the easternmost attraction (Hurricane Ridge). If you overnight in Port Angeles, your next stop will be at Lake Crescent, to either take pictures or overnight. Then it is a drive further west to the ocean beaches, with places to stay in La Push or Forks (www.kaleberg.com will be along soon to denigrate Forks and give better advice than I can). Then a tad further south to the entrance to the Hoh Rain Forest, Lake Quinalt (and its Lodge). To my mind, that is not a tremendous driving load. However, kalesberg's web site is a treasury of information about the park.
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Old Nov 18th, 2013, 04:03 PM
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Although I definitely recommend Washington as a vacation destination, I am a little concerned about only having a week here because the best sites are spread out and kids get annoyed with too much time in the car. If it were me taking kids that age here, I would do Seattle, Mt. Rainier (try to get in-park accommodations and start now) and the San Juan Islands. That gives you a bit of city, Puget Sound and the mountains. Maybe just stay in Seattle the night you arrive and the night you leave, and do 3 nights in the San Juans and 2 nights at Mt. Rainier. Olympic National Park could be substituted for Mt. Rainier if that is your preference, but I think the San Juans are quite unique and a whale watching trip would be memorable for kids that age.
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Old Nov 18th, 2013, 04:37 PM
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longhorn55, go to the www.kaleberg.com site and click on Olympic Natiional Park. Among the choices on the drop-down menu is driving distances and times.
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