11 National Parks To Visit With Your Fourth Grader

What kid doesn’t like bubbling mud, exploding geysers and so many animals to observe? Yellowstone was the very first national park, established in 1872. Spanning three states, it’s got the world-famous geyser, Old Faithful; lots of hikes, including the Fountain Paint Pot Trail and the family-friendly Fairy Falls Trail; plus scenic drives for when there’s been too much walking. Animals in the park include bison, elk, bears and wolves. At Mammoth Hot Springs, you can watch elk graze from the boardwalk while surrounded by craggy white limestone mountains. Stay inside the park at Old Faithful Snow Lodge or Canyon Lodge or outside the park in towns like West Yellowstone or Gardiner. Be sure to pack lots of layers as temperatures can vary suddenly.

Yosemite is a dramatic park with massive waterfalls, towering cliffs like El Capitan, and majestic, giant sequoia trees. There are lots of opportunities here for short, quick hikes, like the Lower Yosemite Fall Trail, the Mirror Lake Trail and the Glacier Point Trail. Each offers unique benefits like stunning waterfalls, lakes that reflect nearby mountains and panoramic views. Walk among giants in the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias, where you can snap a pic walking through a tree. When traveling around Yosemite Valley, take advantage of the free shuttle. For lodging, you can stay inside Yosemite Valley Lodge (near Yosemite Falls), the cabins and tents of Curry Village, or in nearby towns like Oakhurst or Groveland.

Southern Appalachian history meets nature in this lush forest environment. Kids love the Great Smoky Mountains for creatures big and small (black bears to salamanders), creeks for skipping stones and historic homesites and farms where kids can get hands-on experience about the mountain life. You can travel by foot on forest hikes, via bikes or drive scenic loops (great for wildlife spotting). Camp inside the park at Elkmont or Cades Cove, or stay in the tourist-friendly nearby towns like Gatlinburg, Tenn. or Cherokee, N.C. Pigeon Forge, home to Dollywood, Dolly Parton’s theme park, is also a short drive away.

New England’s only designated national park is definitely worth the trip. It may look small, as the bulk of the park takes up much of Maine’s Mount Desert Island, but there’s 50,000 acres along the Atlantic Coastline of Maine — including Schoodic Peninsula, Isle au Haut and other outer islands. Beach-goers flock to the icy waters in the summer when the island is packed, but it has charm in the spring and fall too with creature-filled ocean tide pools to explore, forest trails to hike, and the noisy Thunder Hole to marvel at during high tide. The carriage roads are wide and gravelly, for walking or biking, and you can rest your legs with a drive up Cadillac Mountain. Campgrounds are abundant, but there are also plenty of vacation rentals, especially on the quiet northwest corner of the island, removed from the bustling Bar Harbor on the east. Bring water shoes for splashing and pack layers for cooler Maine temps.

Fans of the movie “Cars” will love the landscape of the hoodoo rock formations. Watch the light change on the rocks from Sunset Point to Sunrise Point with an easy hike along the rim of Bryce Amphitheater, take a short hike on the Navajo Loop Trail (featuring Thor’s Hammer!), and cool off at the waterfall at the end of the Mossy Cave Trail. On the Queen’s Garden trail, the shortest hike, kids can wander a little safely. Because Bryce has some of the darkest skies in the U.S., it’s also great for stargazing at night. A ranger-led astronomy program will help you figure out what you’re looking at. You can stay inside the park at the Bryce Canyon Lodge or the North Campground, or outside the park in Bryce Canyon City.

One of the wettest national parks, this Florida destination is made up of swamps and forests, teeming with alligators, manatees and dolphins. The Everglades ecosystem is unique and diverse, offering plenty of learning opportunities for kids. A tram tour will take you on a two-hour guided alligator spotting ride through Shark Valley. In the Flamingo Area, a boat tour will take you through mangroves, in search of manatees and there are several airboat tours offered in the park. Just don’t forget the bug spray because mosquitos are also plentiful. Stay in the park at an RV or tent site or a nearby town like Homestead or Florida City.

Though this park is famous for rock climbing, there’s plenty of activities where families can keep both feet on the ground. The Trail Ridge Road is one of the highest paved roads in the U.S. for a sky-high drive. There’s a Jr. Angler program that teaches kids the basics of fly fishing or the Holzwarth Historic Site, where ranger-led programs teach about homesteading, plus offers visits from elk and moose. There’s only camping inside the park, no lodges, but outside the park there’s Estes Park and Grand Lake. Make sure you stay hydrated to combat the effects of the altitude.

Dinosaur hunters will really dig this park, with fossil beds, easy hikes and plenty of live wildlife, too. On the fossil exhibit trail, peep fossil replicas from the short boardwalk. At the Fossil Preparation Lab, watch paleontologists prepare fossils. The Prairie Dog Towns offer an adorable experience as the creatures pop in and out of their burrows. There’s camping in the park and lodging in nearby Wall, S.D. and Rapid City.

This park is like a bunch of mini parks in one. Rainforests, mountains and coastline mix and mingle to form a network of diverse ecosystems. In the morning, you can check out the tidepools at Rialto Beach, and a few hours later, walk the magical, mossy Hall of Mosses trail in the Hoh Rain Forest. Lake Crescent has picnicking and swimming, plus an easy waterfall trail, while Hurricane Ridge offers scenic drives of panoramic mountain views and wildlife spotting. There are lodges inside the park or campgrounds, plus cities outside the park like Port Angeles and Forks (made famous by the “Twilight” book and movie series). Pack your rain gear, check the tide charts and get ready for adventure.

Like a playground full of big things to climb, this park has 2,000 natural stone arches, pinnacles, fins and massive balanced rocks. Short hikes lead to giant rock formations with stunning views. In the Windows section of the park, kids can walk through the arches and safely scramble around. There’s also the Double Arch section, the Sand Dune Arch with soft sand to play in and the world-famous Delicate Arch. Junior geologists will get a kick out of learning the science behind it all from park rangers. Bring good shoes and sun protection and let them play. The Devils Garden Campground offers lodging inside the park, while nearby Moab has hotels, shops and restaurants.

The bright colors in this park — red, pink and cream — are so captivating, but there’s adventure afoot too amongst the cliffs, valleys and trails. Take in a short hike, splash around in the Virgin River and test brave kids with a walk through the Canyon Overlook Trail — one mile long but includes steps and guardrails. Stay in the park at Watchman Campground or outside the park in Springdale, Utah, which has shuttle access to the parks.