Recommend a nature focused trip for family that doesn't care for nature.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here with more context. First, thanks for the input so far.

Kids are in 3rd and 5th grade. I'm the past, we did a hike in the Smokey Mountains as part of a trip to Dollywood, Pigeon Forge. They (and us) enjoyed the amusement park and even kitschy aspects of Pigeon Forge more than the hike that ended at a waterfall. The kids threw some rocks but the waterfall wasn't particularly impressive.

We've done a few hikes in the Shenandoah and after getting to the top, it's just kind of like "cool view, but now what."

DW and went to Iceland and, while I recognize the beauty of the country, it wasn't awe-inspiring. Just "cool... we've seen it." Also hiked a Piton in St. Lucia. It was challenging but I haven't thought of the view ever since

As an individual, I've been to Hawaii. Hiked Diamondhead and Kokohead by myself and just took some pictures and went back down. I also enjoy trail rides on bikes so maybe I'm looking more for outdoor activities that justify the trips.

The responses so far have helped me focus more on my questions: what do families do on "nature trips" beyond hiking or just being outside that may resonate with my family? The dude ranch idea may be interesting but I don't know much about dude ranches.

When people go to Grand Canyon, Sedona, and those places, what else is there to do besides hiking and just looking at the scenery. If we spend a week at Jackson Hole, how donwe feel the whole week? Someone mentioned whitewater rafting so maybe those are the types of things that could be interesting for us.

Thanks so far...I feel like I'm rambling but appreciate the input.

PP who recommended CO in summer.

Activities—your kids are the perfect age for rock climbing and rafting. Ziplines. ATV tour. Alpine coasters and alpine slides.

All very accessible (with guides).

Thank you! This is what I was trying to figure out. I don't think one of my kids will do great at rock climbing, but the other things sound like something we could enjoy.

👍

FWIW, my third grader didn’t get more than 15’ off the ground when rock climbing, but she enjoyed the challenge.

Doesn’t have to be super intense or difficult. If you want a dry run, take your kid to an indoor climbing area and let them try it out.

And yeah, we don’t especially enjoy just looking at nature. (Scenic overlooks and driving through national parks = not our thing).

But engaging in outdoor activities/adventures? Tons of fun, great challenge, memories for a lifetime for us. Hope you find the same joy!

[Anonymous]

Alaskan cruise

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here with more context. First, thanks for the input so far.

Kids are in 3rd and 5th grade. I'm the past, we did a hike in the Smokey Mountains as part of a trip to Dollywood, Pigeon Forge. They (and us) enjoyed the amusement park and even kitschy aspects of Pigeon Forge more than the hike that ended at a waterfall. The kids threw some rocks but the waterfall wasn't particularly impressive.

We've done a few hikes in the Shenandoah and after getting to the top, it's just kind of like "cool view, but now what."

DW and went to Iceland and, while I recognize the beauty of the country, it wasn't awe-inspiring. Just "cool... we've seen it." Also hiked a Piton in St. Lucia. It was challenging but I haven't thought of the view ever since

As an individual, I've been to Hawaii. Hiked Diamondhead and Kokohead by myself and just took some pictures and went back down. I also enjoy trail rides on bikes so maybe I'm looking more for outdoor activities that justify the trips.

The responses so far have helped me focus more on my questions: what do families do on "nature trips" beyond hiking or just being outside that may resonate with my family? The dude ranch idea may be interesting but I don't know much about dude ranches.

When people go to Grand Canyon, Sedona, and those places, what else is there to do besides hiking and just looking at the scenery. If we spend a week at Jackson Hole, how donwe feel the whole week? Someone mentioned whitewater rafting so maybe those are the types of things that could be interesting for us.

Thanks so far...I feel like I'm rambling but appreciate the input.

You sound exhausting, just stick to your Caribbean beach vacations

If you don't like or appreciate nature that isn't going to change.

[Anonymous]

What do you do when you go to a tropical island or a city for vacation that is awesome or mind blowing? Maybe you have double standards for a nature vacation. And if not, if you truly are getting something awe inspiring from cities and beaches that you don’t get in the woods…go to the city, for heaven’s sake! If you can experience awe, do.

For me, yes, I sometimes experience awe on a mountaintop. But it’s more that I value the experience of being away from noise, cell service, and other humans. I like birds and bugs and trees. I’m no longer a fan of camping, so I stay in hotels or glamp. But I also don’t think family vacations are all about pure pleasure. Sometimes they are about learning, or challenging our bodies, or enforced family togetherness without screens.

But really, your family should enjoy your vacations. You don’t have to force yourself to be nature people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here with more context. First, thanks for the input so far.

Kids are in 3rd and 5th grade. I'm the past, we did a hike in the Smokey Mountains as part of a trip to Dollywood, Pigeon Forge. They (and us) enjoyed the amusement park and even kitschy aspects of Pigeon Forge more than the hike that ended at a waterfall. The kids threw some rocks but the waterfall wasn't particularly impressive.

We've done a few hikes in the Shenandoah and after getting to the top, it's just kind of like "cool view, but now what."

DW and went to Iceland and, while I recognize the beauty of the country, it wasn't awe-inspiring. Just "cool... we've seen it." Also hiked a Piton in St. Lucia. It was challenging but I haven't thought of the view ever since

As an individual, I've been to Hawaii. Hiked Diamondhead and Kokohead by myself and just took some pictures and went back down. I also enjoy trail rides on bikes so maybe I'm looking more for outdoor activities that justify the trips.

The responses so far have helped me focus more on my questions: what do families do on "nature trips" beyond hiking or just being outside that may resonate with my family? The dude ranch idea may be interesting but I don't know much about dude ranches.

When people go to Grand Canyon, Sedona, and those places, what else is there to do besides hiking and just looking at the scenery. If we spend a week at Jackson Hole, how donwe feel the whole week? Someone mentioned whitewater rafting so maybe those are the types of things that could be interesting for us.

Thanks so far...I feel like I'm rambling but appreciate the input.

You sound exhausting, just stick to your Caribbean beach vacations

If you don't like or appreciate nature that isn't going to change.

DP.

Totally disagree. How people are introduced to nature and outdoor activities makes a huge difference!

It can be miserable or it can be tremendously rewarding, depending on activities chosen, preparation, etc.

Think it’s awesome that OP is exploring this and learning.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe they would like the Smoky Mountains. Stay in one of the touristy towns like Sevierville, go to Dollywood, do a little hiking, go to one of those dinner shows?
There's also white water rafting in West Virginia. Or stay in Asheville, NC, do a little hiking and go to the Biltmore Estate.
also, when you went to Shenandoah did you visit Luray Caverns? Most kids think caves are pretty cool.

You can also see an interesting breed of humans in that area.

Indeed! It is full of Trump-loving Jesus freaks and the average BMI is probably around 35. Also, if you are vegetarians, there’ll be very little for you to eat. Please be cautious if you are LGBT or POC.

[Anonymous]

I'd do Yellowstone and Grand Teton. You don't need to do much hiking at all to enjoy them, and there are actual things to see which can be done via car, quick stop, back in the car: Old Faithful, prismatic spring, mammoth hot springs, painted pots, Lamar Valley for bisons. Stay at Old Faithful Inn or Yellowstone Lake Hotel on way down. For activities you can take a horse ride but that must be booked early.

Then in Grand Teton you canoe on Jenny Lake, do the hike to the waterfall, stay at Jackson Lake Lodge (most breathtaking view I've seen in my life) Jackson Hole is a nice small city for shopping and eating.

I think maybe you have not seen grandiose/different enough scenery and that's why you found it boring. I personally don't like the Smokies at all but loved that trip out west (among others)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm trying to broaden my family's vacations/experience by doing something other than tropical islands and major cities.

DW and I are considering a national park vacation but we don't really LOVE the outdoors. We've been camping a couple of times and it's been fine but not incredible.

Are we just not an outdoors family or will the right experience change our perspective. What's a good destination that will wow us or get us hooked?

For reference, we've hiked the Shenandoah and Smoky Mountains. DW and I have visited Iceland. We've enjoyed, but not life changing and I don't want to commit resources to "fine".

Colorado summer. Try a full array of (potentially) fun activities. Rafting, climbing, biking, hiking, etc.

Adventure, accomplishment, challenge, and exploration. But do it in comfort. Have the right gear, the right knowledge (or guide), and most importantly don’t camp!

I’ve spent 200+ nights backcountry camping and don’t view it as an inherently enjoyable activity—it’s just something that’s necessary to access certain outdoor experiences.

So rent a nice house, enjoy your outdoor stuff, stop at a brewery in a nice mountain town, then report to the hot tub to relive the day’s adventures and plan tomorrow’s.

Unless we get a massive amount of snow between now and May I wouldn't recommend Colorado this summer. Our snowpack is at the lowest level ever and the state will be a tinderbox. Probably true for the rest of the western US as well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What do you do when you go to a tropical island or a city for vacation that is awesome or mind blowing? Maybe you have double standards for a nature vacation. And if not, if you truly are getting something awe inspiring from cities and beaches that you don’t get in the woods…go to the city, for heaven’s sake! If you can experience awe, do.

For me, yes, I sometimes experience awe on a mountaintop. But it’s more that I value the experience of being away from noise, cell service, and other humans. I like birds and bugs and trees. I’m no longer a fan of camping, so I stay in hotels or glamp. But I also don’t think family vacations are all about pure pleasure. Sometimes they are about learning, or challenging our bodies, or enforced family togetherness without screens.

But really, your family should enjoy your vacations. You don’t have to force yourself to be nature people.

Thanks for this. Nearly everyone has been helpful in helping me reframe how I was approaching nature focused vacations. I'll answer your questions:

Beach vacations are when we just need to relax. Swimming, playing in the water, being waited on, with little planning involved. I understand some "nature" trips are like that for some people, but for us they feel like work (at least my understanding of them). Camping can be relaxing eventually, but there's planning, setup, cooking, take down, weather concerns etc. We enjoy it but it's not 100% relaxation. Hiking is a more pleasant form of exercise. It's not horrible, but it's not fun or relaxing.

We go to cities for activities, culture, food, history. We have genuinely enjoyed walking tours, museums (our kids actually seem interested in art and history), historical sites, and trying local cuisine. We can also find kid-friendly activities like unique parks, zoos/aquariums, etc).

I like what you said about learning or challenging bodies. I think i can try to incorporate that in creative ways that the family will enjoy.

This thread has been way more helpful than Google which just frames so much about national parks as hikes and walking and enjoying the beauty of nature.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here with more context. First, thanks for the input so far.

Kids are in 3rd and 5th grade. I'm the past, we did a hike in the Smokey Mountains as part of a trip to Dollywood, Pigeon Forge. They (and us) enjoyed the amusement park and even kitschy aspects of Pigeon Forge more than the hike that ended at a waterfall. The kids threw some rocks but the waterfall wasn't particularly impressive.

We've done a few hikes in the Shenandoah and after getting to the top, it's just kind of like "cool view, but now what."

DW and went to Iceland and, while I recognize the beauty of the country, it wasn't awe-inspiring. Just "cool... we've seen it." Also hiked a Piton in St. Lucia. It was challenging but I haven't thought of the view ever since

As an individual, I've been to Hawaii. Hiked Diamondhead and Kokohead by myself and just took some pictures and went back down. I also enjoy trail rides on bikes so maybe I'm looking more for outdoor activities that justify the trips.

The responses so far have helped me focus more on my questions: what do families do on "nature trips" beyond hiking or just being outside that may resonate with my family? The dude ranch idea may be interesting but I don't know much about dude ranches.

When people go to Grand Canyon, Sedona, and those places, what else is there to do besides hiking and just looking at the scenery. If we spend a week at Jackson Hole, how donwe feel the whole week? Someone mentioned whitewater rafting so maybe those are the types of things that could be interesting for us.

Thanks so far...I feel like I'm rambling but appreciate the input.

You sound exhausting, just stick to your Caribbean beach vacations

If you don't like or appreciate nature that isn't going to change.

DP.

Totally disagree. How people are introduced to nature and outdoor activities makes a huge difference!

It can be miserable or it can be tremendously rewarding, depending on activities chosen, preparation, etc.

Think it’s awesome that OP is exploring this and learning.

Thank you for understanding! DW and I are city people but are trying to broaden our horizons and our family's horizon. I was hoping to not come off as "exhausting" or even complaining. Just trying to see how we could connect better with some of the vacation opportunities available in this country.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here with more context. First, thanks for the input so far.

Kids are in 3rd and 5th grade. I'm the past, we did a hike in the Smokey Mountains as part of a trip to Dollywood, Pigeon Forge. They (and us) enjoyed the amusement park and even kitschy aspects of Pigeon Forge more than the hike that ended at a waterfall. The kids threw some rocks but the waterfall wasn't particularly impressive.

We've done a few hikes in the Shenandoah and after getting to the top, it's just kind of like "cool view, but now what."

DW and went to Iceland and, while I recognize the beauty of the country, it wasn't awe-inspiring. Just "cool... we've seen it." Also hiked a Piton in St. Lucia. It was challenging but I haven't thought of the view ever since

As an individual, I've been to Hawaii. Hiked Diamondhead and Kokohead by myself and just took some pictures and went back down. I also enjoy trail rides on bikes so maybe I'm looking more for outdoor activities that justify the trips.

The responses so far have helped me focus more on my questions: what do families do on "nature trips" beyond hiking or just being outside that may resonate with my family? The dude ranch idea may be interesting but I don't know much about dude ranches.

When people go to Grand Canyon, Sedona, and those places, what else is there to do besides hiking and just looking at the scenery. If we spend a week at Jackson Hole, how donwe feel the whole week? Someone mentioned whitewater rafting so maybe those are the types of things that could be interesting for us.

Thanks so far...I feel like I'm rambling but appreciate the input.

You sound exhausting, just stick to your Caribbean beach vacations

If you don't like or appreciate nature that isn't going to change.

DP.

Totally disagree. How people are introduced to nature and outdoor activities makes a huge difference!

It can be miserable or it can be tremendously rewarding, depending on activities chosen, preparation, etc.

Think it’s awesome that OP is exploring this and learning.

Thank you for understanding! DW and I are city people but are trying to broaden our horizons and our family's horizon. I was hoping to not come off as "exhausting" or even complaining. Just trying to see how we could connect better with some of the vacation opportunities available in this country.

So cool! Going outside of your comfort zone is admirable—we should all do it more often.

I’ll repeat advice from upthread: don’t just sightsee, do fun things in a fun way. Good luck finding the joy!

And do make sure to plan and prepare. Nothing can ruin an outdoor trip faster for kids than pushing too hard, not having right clothes to be comfortable, not having food/water, etc. Guided activities are a huge help with this.

[Anonymous]

In your case, I think I’d choose cool cities with outdoor activities close by, like Vancouver.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm trying to broaden my family's vacations/experience by doing something other than tropical islands and major cities.

DW and I are considering a national park vacation but we don't really LOVE the outdoors. We've been camping a couple of times and it's been fine but not incredible.

Are we just not an outdoors family or will the right experience change our perspective. What's a good destination that will wow us or get us hooked?

For reference, we've hiked the Shenandoah and Smoky Mountains. DW and I have visited Iceland. We've enjoyed, but not life changing and I don't want to commit resources to "fine".

Colorado summer. Try a full array of (potentially) fun activities. Rafting, climbing, biking, hiking, etc.

Adventure, accomplishment, challenge, and exploration. But do it in comfort. Have the right gear, the right knowledge (or guide), and most importantly don’t camp!

I’ve spent 200+ nights backcountry camping and don’t view it as an inherently enjoyable activity—it’s just something that’s necessary to access certain outdoor experiences.

So rent a nice house, enjoy your outdoor stuff, stop at a brewery in a nice mountain town, then report to the hot tub to relive the day’s adventures and plan tomorrow’s.

Unless we get a massive amount of snow between now and May I wouldn't recommend Colorado this summer. Our snowpack is at the lowest level ever and the state will be a tinderbox. Probably true for the rest of the western US as well.

Good snow coming this week, right? 🤞

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In your case, I think I’d choose cool cities with outdoor activities close by, like Vancouver.

+1 on Vancouver! Lots to do outdoors but also city vibes. You can head over to Victoria Island or head up towards Whistler.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm trying to broaden my family's vacations/experience by doing something other than tropical islands and major cities.

DW and I are considering a national park vacation but we don't really LOVE the outdoors. We've been camping a couple of times and it's been fine but not incredible.

Are we just not an outdoors family or will the right experience change our perspective. What's a good destination that will wow us or get us hooked?

For reference, we've hiked the Shenandoah and Smoky Mountains. DW and I have visited Iceland. We've enjoyed, but not life changing and I don't want to commit resources to "fine".

Colorado summer. Try a full array of (potentially) fun activities. Rafting, climbing, biking, hiking, etc.

Adventure, accomplishment, challenge, and exploration. But do it in comfort. Have the right gear, the right knowledge (or guide), and most importantly don’t camp!

I’ve spent 200+ nights backcountry camping and don’t view it as an inherently enjoyable activity—it’s just something that’s necessary to access certain outdoor experiences.

So rent a nice house, enjoy your outdoor stuff, stop at a brewery in a nice mountain town, then report to the hot tub to relive the day’s adventures and plan tomorrow’s.

Unless we get a massive amount of snow between now and May I wouldn't recommend Colorado this summer. Our snowpack is at the lowest level ever and the state will be a tinderbox. Probably true for the rest of the western US as well.

Good snow coming this week, right? 🤞

A drop in the bucket, unfortunately.

All of the reasons Colorado's horrible snowpack is so problematic | The Colorado Sun
https://coloradosun.com/2026/02/12/colorado-snowpack-horrible-why-it-matters/?utm_source=Colorado+Sun+App&utm_medium=App+Share+Button