Family Travel Destinations: U.S. National Parks

Welcome to your guide to the U.S. National Parks. As a family, we have dreams of traveling extensively throughout the United States. And with travel comes planning, both financial and logistical, so my goal is to create a database of travel bloggers’ reviews of the U.S. National Parks.

The History of the US National Park Service.

In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson signed an act creating the National Park Service that was assigned to protect and maintain 35 national parks and monuments at that time. The very first National Park was Yellowstone and it was created into a national park in 1872.

Since 1916, the NPS has grown and now protects over 400 national parks and monuments. My goal for this post is to become a database of informational posts and reviews of U.S. National Parks by other travel bloggers to get a first hand review of the parks. My husband and I read reviews on most large purchases, and I feel travel destinations should be reviewed too.

Make your trip affordable!

Many of the national parks offer free admittance, but 117 charge a fee. During ten days of the year, all National Park Service sites that charge an entrance fee offer free admission to everyone. The fee waiver includes entrance fees, commercial tour fees, and transportation entrance fees. Other fees such as reservation, camping, tours, concession and fees collected by third parties are not included unless stated otherwise. You’ll want to check out the website for specific details as your planning your trip.

Have a 4th grader?

The Every Kid in a Park initiative provides an opportunity for US fourth graders and their families across the country to obtain a FREE pass for to visit federal lands and waters. Visit the Every Kid in a Park website for information on how to obtain a FREE voucher and pass and for tips on planning your trip(s).

This list is currently in alphabetical order and a working document that I will be adding to regularly as I find quality reviews and content.

(Bloggers: let me know in the comments if you have an honest review post that you would like me to include in this list.)

The U.S. National Parks

Dry Tortugas National Park in Florida

Mammoth Cave National Park in Kentucky

Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado

Mt. Rushmore

Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado

Shenandoah National Park: We toured Luray Caverns (a U.S. Natural Landmark), drove Skyline Drive, rode horseback through the mountains, and zip lined down a mountain.

The Smithsonian in Washington, D.C.

The Smithsonian offers eleven museums and galleries on the National Mall and six other museums and the National Zoo in the greater National Capital Area.

• National Archives: Visiting and Sleeping Over at the National Archives in Washington D.C. with special needs
• Smithsonian National Zoo

Yellowstone National Park, the 1st U.S. National Park

• Tips, Tricks, and Favorites of Yellowstone National Park
• 8 Tips for Visiting Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks with Kids

 

Planning a trip out west with your special needs children? Lisa, from A Day in our Shoes, spent two weeks out west visiting Colorado, Utah, and Arizona with her family and shared Tips for Visiting National Parks with your special needs children.

What US National Parks have you visited? Let us know your experiences, tips, and reviews in the comments.