National Parks - Pitstops for Kids

Year-round outdoor exploration from St. George Utah with kids

November 14, 2018 By Amy Hagstrom

Need a home base for your Zion National Park adventure? How about a launching point for fall and winter outdoor exploration of Southern Utah? St. George fits the bill, with red rock canyons, mountain bike and hiking trails, and Virgin River. Families can bike, rock scramble, discover new parks, and even get some culture in St. George. Here’s what not to miss, awaiting discovery just outside your hotel room door.

Outdoor exploration from St. George Utah with kids:

Zion National Park:

Without a doubt, Zion National Park is St. George’s biggest draw, and for good reason. And guess what? It’s even better in the off-season. Explore Zion in the fall and winter to escape the crowds, and don’t worry, you can still hike the Narrows in winter. LINK From St. George, drive to Springdale, then park at the main visitor’s center and shuttle into the park from there during the busier seasons, making sure to hop on and off along the way for day hiking opportunities.

Hike Washington County:

When Zion gets crowded, head to the following adjacent trails:

Red Cliffs Desert Reserve: Here, you can try the Babylon Arch Trail, where the sandy, open terrain transports you to another planet (think Mars). It’s only a mile and change, so provided you time your hike to avoid the peak heat of the day, you’ll be fine. You can also head to the Elephant Arch in the reserve for a longer, sandier hike of almost four miles. If the kids want to dabble in a little of Southern Utah’s famed canyoneering on a trail that’s still just over a mile long, head to the Red Reef Trail, where they can do some scrambling as you hike. If you want to make a day of it and really get your hike on, the Red Reef Trail is part of the Cottonwood Canyon Wilderness system (allowing you to do an almost six mile loop instead).

Snow Canyon State Park: For us, the most intriguing hike in Snow Canyon was the Pioneer Names Trail, where yes, you can observe the names etched into the rock by early Mormon pioneers. I guess if graffiti is old enough, it’s historical! The north trail head to the site provides the closest access, but it’s a short trail either way. You can also hike to the Petrified Dunes in Snow Canyon, which is located in the center of the park, offering amazing views once you’re at the site of the petrified Navajo Sandstone cliffs.

Need to stay closer to town? Head to Dixie Red Rock, a.k.a. Pioneer Park, overshadowing St. George. It’s fun to pack a picnic and watch the avid mountain climbers who flock here.

Additional tip: Have time to go further afield? Cedar Breaks National Monument doesn’t get enough love! Located about an hour and a half away near Brian Head, Cedar Breaks provides fantastic canyons and forest to explore. In winter, this is a snowmobiling mecca, and in summer, this paradise at 10,000 feet is ideal for night sky gazing, hiking, and climbing.

Cycle and mountain bike:

The greater St. George area has over 60 miles of bike paths and literally hundreds of miles of single track and slick rock trails. Beginner mountain bikers who don’t want to be bored need to head to Barrel Roll, which is as fun as it sounds. Located in the Santa Clara River Reserve, Barrel Roll delivers views and twists and turns while not being too steep to handle. From there, advance to the Wire Mesa Trail, located just outside Zion. This single track is more mountainous (with a bit of shade as a bonus) and offers views. If you’re an expert, you have a slew of picks, the most epic undoubtedly Nephi’s Twist at Hurricane Cliffs, a steep, technical track that frankly, is way above my ability level (I’ll leave it to the experts). And don’t forget about the state parks for mountain biking bliss: Snow Canyon State Park is a good option (just double check that bikes are allowed on the trail of your choice.)

Weather not cooperating? Go museum-hopping:

While St. George enjoys near endless sunshine, there will be those days when the skies cloud up. Discover the early Jurassic dinosaur tracks at St. George’s Dinosaur Discovery Site at Johnson Farm, then head to the Rosenbruch Wildlife Museum nearby. Young kids will love the St. George Children’s Museum where they have the run of twelve rooms of hands-on exhibits where they can lose themselves in imaginative play.

Enjoy the water:

From late spring to early fall, boating and swimming is an option, thanks to Southern Utah’s warm water and air temperatures. Quail Creek State Park, Gunlock State Park, and Sand Hollow State Park all offer boating and swimming. The Quail Creek and Sand Hollow reservoirs are great for fishing, too (don’t forget to get all boats, and even tubes, inspected first). You can also ride the dunes of Sand Mountain in an off-highway vehicle at Sand Hollow State Park.

Want a different experience? The Virgin River cuts through the red rock landscape of Springdale, providing the perfect way to cool off. To escape the summer masses, head to Falls Park (Sheep Bridge). You’ll enjoy sandy beaches and perfect jump-off rocks (always check depth before jumping!). Families can find shallow pools for kids, and the more daring can find rapids to ride.

Want more space to yourself? As long as your vehicle has the clearance of an SUV, you can bump your way along a dirt road to Toquerville Falls, where an easy hike lands you at the base of a desert oasis. You’ll want your camera ready for these cascading falls over the rock, but you can take a dip, too.

This post is written in partnership with Visit St. George and Travel Mindset. All opinions remain my own.

Guide to Iceland’s southern coast

July 31, 2017 By Amy Hagstrom

It’s easy to find advice and guides to Iceland’s famed Golden Circle, and yes, this well-trafficked and easy route from Reykjavik is definitely worth doing. However, beyond the Golden Circle, there’s so much to see in Southern Iceland. Here’s where to go and what to see on Iceland’s southern coast along the Ring Road.

Touring Iceland’s Southern Coast

From Reykjavik, take the Ring Road (Route 1) and head southeast, doing the following. You’ll want at least 2-3 days to enjoy this region at your leisure, though it is possible to drive out and back in one long day with very few stops (not recommended). Here’s where to go:

Hveragerði:

This town 45 km from Reykjavik is home to the wonderful Reykjadalur hot springs river hike. We’ve included it in our post on Iceland hot springs off the beaten path. Follow the signage through the main street of this tiny town to find the trailhead, and then hike 3.5 km (one way) up into the hills to find the hot springs river. The reward of the steaming bath that awaits makes the hike well worth the effort! Even young kids can do this hike with enough time to take it slow (it does get steep).

Hvolsvöllur:

Continue past the pretty town of Selfoss and stop at Hvolsvöllur to visit the LAVA Centre. We’ve included details in our post on Iceland national parks. This brand new center does a great job of explaining the volcanic activity of Iceland, which will be very useful information as you tour the natural formations of the southern end of the island.

Seljalandsfoss and Skogafoss:

These waterfalls are definitely worth the stop. As you drive, you’ll see plenty of others, but most are on private property, behind the quaint farms of this region. At Seljalandsfoss, you can walk behind the falls, and explore two additional on a walking path to the left. At Skogafoss, you can hike up the steep stairs to the top of the waterfall, or, if you’re ambitious, you can continue on the start of the Fimmvörðuháls trail. This 25 km trail between Skógar and Þórsmörk is divided into three sections, the first of which is called Waterfall Way. Families can do this as an out-and-back on nice days. (To do the whole trail, a GPS unit or guide is necessary, and most people do it in two days.) Also at Skogafoss is a very good museum: standard admission gets you into a transportation museum and history/folk museum, or you can buy a reduced ticket for just the outdoor buildings of the folk museum side, which include historic sod farm buildings, a schoolhouse, church, and outbuildings. We recommend this option.

Vik:

This little coastal town at the very southern end of Iceland is known for its black sand beaches at Reynisfjara. The turn off Route 1 for the beach is just west of town, and a great place to see the basalt column geological formations Iceland is known for. You can also see puffins, apparently, but we only saw other sea birds making their nests in the cliffs. Vik has a public swimming pool (as do most Icelandic towns) and is a good place to refuel.

Kirkjubæjarklaustur:

We loved this little village, which a lovely waterfall at the end of town (take the hike up it to the impressive lake at the top) and Kirkjugolf (church floor). This natural rock formation was once mistaken for a manmade church floor. It’s located just a few meters down the road from the N1 gas station and easy to access.

Skaftafell:

The most accessible gateway to the largest glacier in Iceland (and Europe), Skaftafell houses the visitor center for the national park, Vatnagokull. Families can take lots of great day hikes here with views of the glacier and Skaftafoss (waterfall), or can hire a guide for a glacier walk (it’s not permissible or safe to walk on the glacier on one’s own). It’s also home to impressive ice cave touring. There’s a nice campground here, if you want to make Skaftafell a turn-around point.

Have you toured the Southern Coast of Iceland? Where do you recommend stopping?

Exploring Custer State Park with kids

September 25, 2015 By Amy Hagstrom

Haven’t been to Custer State Park? Get ready to be impressed! This state park encompasses 71,000 acres, making it larger than some national parks. In fact, some argue that Custer should be a national park, and after visiting, I agree! Plan to stay at least two nights to see the majority of what this park has to offer, or at least one full day to see some highlights. Here’s how to tackle Custer State Park with kids:

Start with the Needles Highway Scenic Drive:

It’s not often I recommend driving through a park with kids, but Custer’s Needles Highway is breathtaking, and easy to access from the western park entrance at Custer. Plus, it concludes at a great lake and hiking option (more on that later).

After driving past the stockade area and coming into the center of the park, the Needles Highway will head north, winding first through meadows and grassland where you’ll want to keep an eye out for bison. Then, it climbs into the more dramatic, rocky part of the park, taking you through several narrow stone tunnels and opening up on incredible vistas of the Cathedral Spires, Needles Eye, and Little Devil’s Tower. Definitely stop a few times along the way to snap photos (you won’t be able to help yourself), especially after the tunnel that delivers you to Needles Eye. This natural wonder is indeed a rock formation in the shape of a needle’s eye. Hint: mountain goats can often be spotted on the craggy peaks beyond.

Take a hike (or two or three):

Custer State Park is filled with kid-friendly hikes of various mileage and degree of difficulty. We’ll start with what may be the most spectacular:

Harney Peak: Harney Peak has the distinction of being the highest point east of the Rockies (at over 7000 feet elevation). There are several trails that will get you there, marked Trail 9, Trail 4 East, and Trail 4 West. The shortest route to the top of the peak is Trail 9, which is a 3.1 mile (one-way) trail starting at the Sylvan Lake.

The trail is well-maintained, and moderate in difficulty for the first two miles, then gets quite rocky and steep for the final mile. Young kids can absolutely do this hike with the right shoes and the right attitude, and teens will definitely be able to handle it. Most of the way is fairly shaded, but because the final stint is in the open, and because the trail gets very crowded as the day goes on, I highly recommend hitting this trail early in the morning. Pack a picnic lunch to eat at the top, which rewards you with a wonderfully constructed fire tower lookout built by the CCC in the 1930s.

Cathedral Spires: This trail is also a one-way (out and back) deal, and families will see the trailhead right off the Needles Highway. It’s only 1.5 miles long, but strenuous and mostly open. Another to tackle in the first half of the day, the Spires rewards with amazing views and cool rock formations.

Centennial Trail: If you want to try the Centennial Trail, which actually winds 111 miles through the Black Hills from Bear Butte State Park in the north to Wind Cave National Park in the South, 22 miles of it is available within Custer State Park. The French Creek portion is 10 miles one-way, and moderate. It takes hikers through the Narrows, which requires either climbing a 60-foot embankment or wading 100 feet through the creek (way more fun). I recommend doing this trail with kids who are well-adapted to longer hikes and if you have two cars (so you can shuttle). You can do a shorter section of the trail at Badger Hole (approximately 4 miles, but it’s more strenuous).

Badger Clark Historic Trail: For those looking to get out of the car and stretch the legs with an easy loop, this one mile loop offers fun historical background in a pretty setting. The trail is located behind Badger Hole, home of Charles Badger Clark, South Dakota’s first Poet Laureate, and is mostly level, with some short climbs on an even trail.

Go jump in a lake:

Custer State Park is dotted with lovely lakes, all of which offer swimming, canoeing, kayaking, and picnicking.

Sylvan Lake: Sylvan is located near the trailhead for Harney Peak, and has a small marina and a trail circling the lake. There’s a general store and lodging, and while it gets crowded in summer, it can be a great place to spend a warm afternoon after hiking. If Sylvan looks familiar, that may be because it was featured (along with Mt. Rushmore) in National Treasure 2.

Legion Lake: Located toward the center of the park, Legion Lake also has swimming, fishing, and picnicking, plus dining at the lodge. If it’s crowded, try Center Lake, to the north up Needles Highway (turn on South Playhouse Road).

See wildlife:

You may see bison just while driving around the park (in fact, it’s very likely), but there’s also the Buffalo Corrals in the south end of the park to visit, and the Prairie Dog Town. Take the Wildlife Loop Road to easily hit both spots, and whenever you stop to get out of your car to snap photos, keep your eye trained on the rocks for mountain goats. We saw several, thanks to some eagle eyes.

Where to stay:

Custer State Park Resort, privately operated within the park, offers five lodges plus specialty cabins within the park. You can check them all out here, but they generally range from stately and elegant (yet still casual) Sylvan Lake to historic State Game Lodge, ranch-like Blue Bell, modern Creekside, and lake house Legion. All have the convenience of services like stores and casual dining.

If you plan to stay outside the park, I suggest staying in the town of Custer, near the west entrance to the park. I was very comfortable at Rock Crest Lodge. It was located on the highway, but close to town dining and had a nice playground and pool.

Have you been to Custer State Park? What do you recommend?

Gettysburg National Military Park with kids: how to plan your trip

August 25, 2014 By Amy Hagstrom

Gettysburg is a sobering, powerful, amazing, and vast destination, and definitely worthy of a trip with kids. We recommend dedicating at least 1.5 days to the Gettysburg National Military Park with kids, plus another for attractions in town.

We always preach researching destinations ahead of time, and this advice goes double for Gettysburg: kids who have been given some background information on the three day battle (either at school or at home) ahead of time will get much more out of the experience. We planned our trip to coincide with our sons’ Civil War and American History studies in their respective grades of 10th, 8th, and 4th.

What to do at the military park:

The National Military Park is located just outside Gettysburg (about a five minute drive from town). The battlefield is 25 square miles in size, segmented into several sections and divided in places by private land and homes. There is a self-guided auto tour, but navigating the roads can be confusing. There’s also an impressive (and again, vast) visitor’s center with many programs on offer.

Car tour with Licensed Battlefield Guide:

There are many ways to tour the battlefield, including the self-guided auto tour mentioned above, plus a group bus tour ($30 per adult, just under $20 per child), horseback riding tours, Segway tours, and bike tours. By far the best way to tour the battlefield: hiring a Licensed Battlefield Guide to take you on a private two-hour tour. The guide meets you at the visitor’s center, then drives you in your vehicle along the route of your choice. Sounds indulgent? Not so! Booking a private tour is only $65 per car (1-6 people), making it the most affordable option for most families. And it’s phenomenal. I cannot emphasize enough: booking a Licensed Battlefield Guide is the way to go.

Our guide, David Eisenhart, asked us what we wanted to see (we wanted a basic overview of all three days of battle), and gauged our level of knowledge (we were traveling with my father, a retired history teacher specializing in the Civil War, but also with our three school-aged kids who needed more basics). David did an excellent job tailoring our tour to all our needs. Our two-hour tour extended to almost three hours due to its thoroughness, and while an extension should not be expected, we heard other firsthand accounts of guides doing the same. When it ended, our teen son said, “I wish it had been four hours.” Our other kids agreed.

Guides drive families throughout the battlefield, giving a very easy-to-understand timeline to the battle. If you have special requests, such as to see specific sections of the field or specific monuments, these can be granted. During our tour, in each location, we were able to get out the car, stand on the land David was currently discussing, and actually see what was there: cannons, stone fences used for defense, where each regiment stood, and more. David brought history to life, and we were all enraptured.

Parents can book tours at the visitor’s center, but will be limited to tour times available day-of (witch are rare). It’s best to book ahead of time online for the date and time you want. Tips are welcome (we tipped our guide $20). Tip: Battlefield Guides are self-employed and tested by the National Park Service, and can be booked via the center or the Gettysburg Foundation. Families can save $5 on their tour by booking directly through the foundation website.

Museum, Film, and Cyclorama:

In the visitor’s center, families can buy tickets to the museum, film, and cyclorama. One ticket gets you into all three. The film and cyclorama is by timed ticket, but getting these day-of is fine. The film, entitled ‘A New Birth of Freedom’ is approximately 30 minutes and gives a very good overview of the three day battle and aftermath, including Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address. Directly after viewing the film, the audience is directed upstairs to view the cyclorama, a multi-media display featuring an impressive 360 degree oil painting of the battle with audio and visual effects. After this, the museum awaits. The museum is not by timed ticket, so families can come back and do it anytime. It’s massive, and incredibly informative, so you’ll want to budget several hours. Very young kids may want to go through more quickly.

Ranger talks:

Throughout the day at the visitor’s center, ranger talks are on offer in two large outdoor tents on the center grounds. We joined one on ‘battlefield first aid’ which was very interesting and keep our group entertained for the full hour. Others included ‘a day in the life of a soldier’ and a kid-focused talk on ‘what it took to enlist’. Small kids may learn more at these talks than in the museum. Tip: if you have even more time, a short (free) bus trip from the visitor’s center takes you to the site of a farmhouse pressed into service as a field hospital during the battle.

Gettysburg National Cemetery:

Adjacent to the visitor’s center is the national cemetery dedicated by Lincoln in November of 1863, where thousands of Union Civil War soldiers rest today. It’s also the final resting place of other war veterans, especially from WWI and WWII. The Gettysburg civilian cemetery is next to it. There’s a monument and flag marking the place Lincoln gave his address, and docents on-hand to answer questions.

How to plan your day(s):

Here’s what we recommend:

Book a battlefield tour for 10 am (book this from home).
Arrive at the visitor’s center when it opens (usually 8:30 am). Pick up your tour tickets, and buy tickets to the museum, film, and cyclorama, opting for an immediate film time.
Watch the film and see the cyclorama. Save your tickets to get into the museum later.
At 9:30 meet your guide and take your tour. Afterward, grab lunch picnic-style or at the visitor’s center cafe.
Tour the museum after lunch. See a ranger talk if there’s time afterward.
Later that evening (or the next day) return to the battlefield by yourself in your car, stopping at any sites you didn’t get to see with your guide. Then tour the cemetery. We took this time to check out the views from one of the battlefield observatories, and to walk some trails around Little Round Top and Devil’s Den, both sobering locations of devastating casualties that provided a strong historical narrative to our visit.

I recommend touring in this order because the museum is heavy on detailed information on logistics for each day of the three-day battle. Had we not just returned from our tour, where this information was already presented to us in a manageable way, we would have gotten overwhelmed trying to read it all. Instead, by the time we hit the museum, we had a very good grasp on the battle logistics, enabling us to spend more time on the artifacts and personal letters in the museum. Certainly, you can do the day in reverse, but we were very glad we were fresh for our tour with our Battlefield Guide.

Date last visited:

June 2104

Hours of operation and admission:

The battlefield is open until dusk each day, and the museum is open until 5 or 6 pm, depending on season. Museum and film tickets are $12.50 for adults and $8.50 for kids (6-12).

Directions:

The museum and visitor center is located at 1195 Baltimore Pike (Route 97) with a back entrance from the Taneytown Road (State Rt. 134). From North or South, follow US 15 to Gettysburg and watch for signs to direct you to the National Park Service Museum and Visitor Center.

Our day at Gettysburg was hosted in part by the Friends of Gettysburg, for the purpose of review. We’re grateful for their hospitality, but all opinions are our own.

Kings Canyon lodging pick: John Muir Lodge review

April 21, 2014 By Amy Hagstrom

Kings Canyon National Park’s John Muir Lodge is located in the heart of the park’s Grant Grove Village. Bustling in summer with campgrounds and tent cabin units, the village is nearly empty in the off-season (any time between September and May). The lodge registration is located at the main complex with convenience store, gift shop, and the Grant Grove Restaurant (more on that soon) but the lodge itself is set back about a five-minute walk from the village center.

The John Muir Lodge lobby is comfortable and spacious, with a big roaring fireplace, plenty of couches and tables with chairs, and complimentary wifi. Rooms are along the ground floor and second floor, with nice deck and patio space on the end of each hallway.

Rooms:

You won’t find a lot of frills here (though the lodge interior is scheduled for a facelift). Standard rooms like the one I experienced include two queen beds and room for a rollaway (sleeping a total of five). Deluxe rooms include one king bed and a pull-out couch to sleep a total of four. As stated, the rooms need some sprucing up, but are perfectly comfortable and adequate. I appreciated the iPod docking stations, allowing me to keep my USB cords packed for the night, and the wifi in the lobby proved fast and easy to connect to. Tip: I heard that some first floor rooms adjacent to the lobby have a wifi signal that will save you the trip to the lobby to connect.

Dining:

As mentioned, there is a small convenience store in Grant Grove Village, but this is primarily for the campers in the summer months; guests at John Muir Lodge don’t have fridges or kitchenettes to do much meal preparation. The Grant Grove Restaurant is causal but upscale, and offers nice meals for families. Their breakfast features standards like egg and breakfast meal combos, omelets, and pancakes or French toast, and dinner fare includes a kids’ menu and wonderful local fish and grass-fed beef options. The included bread course at dinner is to die for: the new chef makes his assorted nut and fruit breads from scratch daily, and if you’re not careful, you’ll fill up on them!

Family-friendly package deal: the Junior Ranger Package will be available May 15 through September 1, and includes a one-night stay at Wuksachi or John Muir Lodge and a Junior Ranger vest, tee-shirt, hat, and compass. It encourages checking out the parks’ Junior Ranger programs, which introduce kids to what makes the national parks so special and how to become great environmental stewards. Most programs are free! At the end, each participant will earn a Junior Ranger badge. Rates start at $299 in spring and $365 in summer at Wuksachi and $249 in spring and $339 in summer at John Muir Lodge.

Tip: if you’re looking for a quieter, more upscale lodging experience, we recommend Wuksachi Lodge in adjacent Sequoia National Park.

Directions:

John Muir Lodge is centrally located and within easy driving distance to all points in Kings Canyon or Sequoia national parks. From Fresno, it’s an easy (though windy) drive up Highway 198 to the General’s Highway. Follow signs to Grant Grove Village.

As I disclose whenever applicable, my stay at John Muir Lodge and meals at Grant Grove Restaurant were complimentary, for the purpose of review. All opinions remain my own.

What to do in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve with kids

August 27, 2012 By Amy Hagstrom

Pacific Rim National Park Reserve on Vancouver Island’s scenic west coast is a must-do for families visiting Vancouver Island. The park is divided in to three sections: Long Beach, Broken Island Group, and West Coast Trail. The Broken Island Group is off-shore, and accessible only by guided kayak tour if you’re inexperienced (and best for older children of at least 12 years old), and the West Coast Trail is a multi-day backpacking experience, but Long Beach provides less ambitious families with lots to do.

1. Pacific Rim National Park’s K’isitis Visitor Centre: This interpretive center is exceptionally well done, and is located just a few miles into the park at Wickaninnish Beach. With displays on the area’s First Nations history, including whaling traditions, and nature information on the park’s local intertidal and ocean inhabitants, this is a great first stop before exploring the rest of the park on your own. Information about the park’s nature and hiking trails are also found here, as well as a nice First Nations gift shop and cafe (open seasonally). Wickaninnish Beach is steps away, where families can picnic and kids can watch the surfers and build forts out of driftwood.

2. Willowbrae Trail: Willowbrae is a good hike for young children that leads through old growth forest to (another) spectacular beach. Located south of the visitor center on Highway 4 toward the town of Ucluelet, you’ll find the Willowbrae trailhead up a dirt drive off the right-hand side of the road. Park adjacent to campground parking, and head down the 2.8 km round trip trail. It’s only slightly steep (both up and down) but there are steep steps at the end, when you’re descending to the beach. The beach itself has moderate surf, but the draw here is the abundance of driftwood to play on, climb, and create with.

3. Rainforest Trail: Families actually get two for the price of one on this interpretive trail of two loops, each with different signage teaching kids about the temperate rain forest. Loop A explains forest life cycles and Loop B emphasizes forest inhabitants such as the salmon who spawn here.

4. Meares Island: This First Nations maintained island right off the coast of Tofino sports a cedar-plank boardwalk winding its way through the tangled forest, leading families to some of the oldest cedar trees in the area (800-1600 years old). To access the island, it’s necessary to hire a boat ride to Meares with Remote Passages or other Tofino water taxi operations.

What to skip: While all of Pacific Rim is beautiful, the trail to 3rd Beach is slightly less scenic than others, and locals let me know that visitors frequently get lost on Radar Hill. (More information on Pacific Rim National Park hiking trails.)

Tip: Be sure to purchase a park pass when entering the park. It will be good for 24 hours (3 day passes are also available), but less advertised is the option of a 4-hour pass. If you think you’ll only be passing through the park with one or two stops, this might be for you!

Our top ten national park travel moments

February 21, 2011 By Amy Hagstrom

Posing on the brink of the Angel’s Landing knife edge.

The Pit Stops for Kids family does our best to do more than ‘talk the talk’ of family travel: we pack up the kids and walk the walk…through rainforests and woods, deserts and beaches, striving to take our kids beyond the boundaries of what they know of our corner of the natural world. I suppose it’s no surprise that our top travel moments have occurred on just such ‘foreign’ soil as our own national parks, a land which, despite many visits, remains largely undiscovered:

10. Watching Toby canoe across Grand Teton’s Jackson Lake under a mid-morning sun.

9. Feeling swallowed whole in the cold and eerie gloom of the Oregon Caves’ Passageway of the Whale.

8. Nate’s absolute joy upon dipping his bread into Many Glacier Hotel’s famous Swiss fondue.

7. Toby’s deep breath before disappearing into an ancient kiva within Mesa Verde’s Puebloan ruins.

6. Coming to a ‘black bear traffic stop’ on Glacier’s Going to the Sun Road.

5. Sweating in the rock solid desert heat under Arches National Park’s Double Arch.

4. Spending a lazy afternoon escaping Yellowstone’s crowds in the Firehole River.

3. Attempting to traverse the ‘knife edge’ on Zion National Park’s Angel’s Landing (and failing to find the nerve).

2. Standing amid the utter isolation of Death Valley’s empty landscape.

1. Watching my kids sworn into 12 junior ranger programs in two years.

This post has been entered in the Grandtourismo HomeAway Holiday-Rentals travel blogging competition in conjunction with HomeAwayUK.

A Pit Stop a Day (Day 11): Yellowstone National Park

July 7, 2010 By Amy Hagstrom

Day 11, we drove the short distance on Hwy 191 from Big Sky Resort to Yellowstone National Park.

Yellowstone crowds swarm the Old Faithful hub of this massive park, so after entering at the West Entrance, we drove north from the Madison hub to Artists’ Paintpots, then back-tracked to Firehole River for a wonderful swimming hole.

At Artists’ Paintpots, you’ll find a well-maintained loop trail taking you to steaming and bubbling ‘pots’ in the earth, as well as mud-holes that gurgle and spew (my kids’ favorite!). The hike is easy, and you get much closer to these interesting geothermal wonders than you can at nearby Geyser Basin (in our opinion).

Artists’ Paintpots is an easy hike for kids!

Upon reaching the top of the trail, you can see all the geothermal pools below!

Toby talks a bit about the paintpots on the Pit Stops for Kids Cam:

Once our kids were tired of being in the car (because Yellowstone is large and crowded and often doing road construction, long drives are unavoidable), we made a stop at the Firehole River Swimming Hole along Firehole Lake Drive (approach from the north, as this drive is one-way). This wonderful spot is warmed by the run-off of distant geysers, and one of the only places in the park where swimming is permitted.

Younger kids can wade and swim in the still waters of the hole, while older (more adventurous) kids will want to float a bit down the current. We did see people jumping from the rocks of the canyon upstream, but would not recommend it.

The geothermal waters combining with cold river water makes the water…less cold!

Nate still needs to ease into it!

Note: There are pit toilets at the swimming hole, but we had the kids change into swimsuits in the car instead.

Extra Tip: Pack a picnic lunch and plan to stay awhile once you’ve found a parking spot!

Date last visited: July 2, 2010.

Distance off the interstate: Right off Hwy 191 or Hwy 89.

Admission Prices: Only the $25 per car National Park fee (also good for Grand Teton NP).

Food Services: Plenty in the park. None at either location described above. We ate a meal at The Lake House in Grant Village in the southern end of the park before exiting, and found it much quieter than in the central hubs.

Website: Yellowstone National Park

Up Next: We enter Grand Teton National Park and check in to the Colter Bay Resort!

A Pit Stop a Day (Day 4): The Many Glacier Hotel

June 30, 2010 By Amy Hagstrom

On Day 4, we drove from Spokane, WA to Glacier National Park, which took us along Hwy 2 and Hwy 93.

94 years old, the Many Glacier Hotel in Glacier National Park opened to the public on July 4, 1915. The hotel was declared a National Historic Landmark and listed on the National Register of Historic Places on September 29, 1976.

Located in the northeastern section of Glacier National Park on the shores of Swiftcurrent Lake, the Many Glacier is a classic national park lodge in every sense: it’s rustic, beautiful, scenic, and imposingly elegant. Five stories tall, it contains a grand lobby, sprawling decks overlooking the lake, Swiss style architecture, and 214 guest rooms within two large chalets offering lakeside, standard, and value accommodations.

My family and I stayed at The Many Glacier for three nights (Sun-Tues). The hotel was near capacity when we visited in late June (not long after park opening), but The Many Glacier didn’t feel crowded at all. In fact, if you want to feel in the thick of things’, you’d be best suited in W. Glacier (on the opposite side of the park) and its surrounding villages. Many Glacier is a full 21 miles from the nearest visitor center at St. Mary (although only 1 mile from a ranger station where kids can pick up Junior Ranger kits) and over an hour’s drive (over the Going to the Sun Road¦a must!) from Lake McDonald.

So what is there to do at The Many Glacier? More than you can possibly fit in! (Our first full day at the hotel, we never touched our car.) The hotel sits lakeside, with beautiful views in every direction. Over 700 miles of hiking trails criss-cross Glacier National Park, many of which fan out directly from the hotel. We sampled six miles of them, and saw a moose, rabbits, and bighorn sheep! (On the Going to the Sun Road, we braked for a black bear cub!) Boat tours of Swiftcurrent Lake and other surrounding lakes depart regularly from the hotel’s dock. Also on-site is a stable (horseback riding starts at $40 an hour) and a kiosk at the dock where you can rent canoes, kayaks, and rowboats. At the front of the hotel is a departure location for the park’s famed Red Bus Tours.

The rooms at The Many Glacier are what I’d call comfortable with no frills’ (which was just fine with us). Standard rooms have a double bed and a twin, a full bathroom with tub, heating/air conditioning units, and a balcony. What they do not have: internet access, TV sets, hair dryers, mini-fridges, or coffee makers. Trust me, these inconveniences are worth bearing for the view alone!

Note: In addition to the above, there is no wifi or cell service at The Many Glacier (or anywhere within the national park). The Park Cafe in St. Mary has wireless access.

The hotel staff (as I’ve routinely found to be true in national parks) was, without exception, polite, friendly, helpful, and passionate about their hotel.

Date last visited: June 2010.

Distance off the interstate: 21 miles from St. Mary, 12 miles from Hwy 89.

Room Rates: Standard rooms start at $165 a night (double occupancy).

Food Services:

Breakfast at the Many Glacier is served buffet-style in their Ptarmigan Dining Room from 6:30 am to 10 am. The food is great (you have to try the Montana scrambled eggs) and the service is quick. Even better? The views: the floor-to-ceiling windows of the dining room look out over Swiftcurrent Lake. (Breakfast is also served at the Swiftcurrent Italian Gardens Ristorante one mile from Many Glacier.)

Box lunches are available from the dining room. (We opted to stock a cooler of lunch foods prior to arrival and make our own lunches.) Snacks, some groceries, and sandwiches can be found at Heidi’s, on the lower level of the hotel. The Swiss Lounge at Many Glacier serves appetizers and sandwiches starting at 11:30 am and afternoon fondue from 2-5 pm. (Fondue can also be ordered during dinner hours, and we can vouch for itâ€¦it was delicious!)

Dinner options include casual dining at the Italian Gardens, burgers at the Swiss Lounge, or the European-themed menu at the Ptarmigan Dining Room. (The same children’s menu exists at all locations within the national park. It offers a pretty decent selection and the servings are not tiny.)

Website: Many Glacier Hotel

Directions:

From St. Mary, take Hwy 89 north to Babb. Turn left and travel 12 miles into the national park to the Many Glacier.

From West Glacier and the western end of the park, take the Going to the Sun Road across the park to the east entrance. Leave the park at St. Mary, then follow directions above.

We paid our own way at The Many Glacier. While the hotel’s media relations specialist was aware of our arrival, the staff, from the dining room wait staff to the valet, had no idea I’d be writing a review based on my experience.

Up Next: We board the ‘Chief Two Guns’ for a Swiftcurrent Lake cruise in Glacier National Park!

A Pit Stop a Day Keeps the “Are We There Yets” Away

June 22, 2010 By Amy Hagstrom

Or at least, that’s my hope as my family and I embark upon a 22-day road trip, touring four national parks, six family-friendly resorts, eight states, and a partridge in a pear tree. Well, maybe not that last one (which means it’s sure to show up on auto bingo, right?).

Where are we going?

Glacier National Park
Yellowstone National Park
Grand Teton National Park
Zion National Park

with overnights and multi-night visits at many mountain and family resorts, all of which we’ll be reviewing!

I’ll be posting ‘A Pit Stop a Day’ during our travels

(as WiFi availability allows), and hope you’ll follow along as I document our progress with texts and photos on Twitter using the hashtag #apitstopaday.Â Throughout our trip and after we return, you can expect extensive reviews on not only the best potty break locations (although those are worth their weight in gold), but on all the “Off the Beaten Path” resorts and attractions we visited.

If you need further incentive to stick with us as we make our way along the interstates and highways of the western U.S.,Â Pit Stops for Kids will have not one, but TWO great giveaways introduced during our road trip!

Details to follow in the next few days, so make sure you’re following us on Twitter and ‘liking’ us on Facebook so you don’t miss out on opportunities to win!

Below is our general route. Our first stop: Portland, Oregon, where we’ll be reviewing the Portland Spirit Sightseeing Cruise and the Hyatt Place hotel!

To see all 23 posts on this road trip, click here.

View National Parks road trip 2010 in a larger map