Anonymous wrote:Custer State Park in South Dakota

+1

Anonymous wrote:Yellowstone for sure if in the US.

I've heard great things about Costa Rica and that there is a ton to see.

These and also Tikal National Park in Guatemala.

Jackson Hole. At Antelope Flats there are herds of buffalo just there walking around, you can drive very near them. Do not get out of the car. I could spend hours there observing them. You can also do a tour to see moose and bears and eagles and elk.

Galapagos is amazing but its such an expense that I'd wait until my kid was a bit older just so they can understand and appreciate it more.

Galapagos are an amazing experience. We took our animal loving 12 YO a few years ago. Do a small ship....not one of the 100 person ships.

For US, concrur w South Dakota or Yellowstone.

Hawaii— snorkel with sea turtles off Waikiki beach; see hump back whales in Kauai
Costa Rica- animals everywhere around Arenal + turtles
Safari- sabi sands in s Africa + penguins near Cape Town
Australia- kangaroos and wallabys; koala searching is hard and they are up high in trees- I would skip. Scuba the GBR. See tiny penguins on phillips island. Skip daintree if you want lots of animals- they really just have birds and crocs in the rainforest there. Costa Rica rainforest has much more biodiversity; Daintree is ancient so has less
Iceland- puffins
Scotland- reindeer
Galapagos- everything
US national parks

Florida Everglades.

Anonymous wrote:Rocky Mountain National Park. Tons of elk (they even walk around downtown Estes Park), also bighorn sheep, some moose, bears, etc.

+1

Rocky Mountain National Park. Tons of elk (they even walk around downtown Estes Park), also bighorn sheep, some moose, bears, etc.

Yellowstone for sure if in the US.

I've heard great things about Costa Rica and that there is a ton to see.

For a domestic trip, start with Grand Teton and Yellowstone. He’ll see moose, bison, bears, elk, etc.

The San Juan Islands are great for seeing orcas and sometimes whales depending on the season.

Perfect age to do a safari. I've recommended Tau Game Lodge in South Africa many times -- great place, great well managed park and the lodges have excellent kid programs.

Custer State Park in South Dakota

Bucket list stuff: Kenya or Botswana safari. Galapagos cool because walking around and seeing animals right next to you but lots of iguanas, sea lions, tortoise, birds and fish. No big animals like a safari.

Closer to home - Huntley Meadows for small stuff up close and personal.

What kind of wildlife? We had some cool experiences in Alaska (especially Kodiak Island) and in the San Juans in Washington. But of course a safari is going to have the most focus on interesting creatures. And then there’s snorkeling locales…

12 yo DC loves wildlife. What are good destinations for seeing wildlife?