As a summer camp counselor, I took groups of kids, ages 10 and up, on backpacking trips in Yosemite (Glacier Point to camp in Little Yosemite Valley, then up Half Dome as a day hike, then down the Mist Trail past the various waterfalls). I would do that hike with younger children, but probably not younger than 8.

That said, I think 5-year-olds can have a great time doing the Junior Ranger activities, less-strenuous hikes and other activities. When my daughter was that age, she did the Junior Ranger program at California's state park at Sutter's Mill, and once she was sworn in as a Junior Ranger, she walked out of the park office and started picking up trash, since she had just promised to protect the park . I also found that giving her a camera of her own was a great motivator on a hike, although that sometimes slowed us down as she took pictures of every. single. wildflower.

There are ranger programs that cover a range of interests -- such as a kid-accessible slide show on the geology of the Grand Canyon, star gazing on the beach in Acadia, etc. I think a national park can be a great family vacation, just manage your own expectations for how much mileage you do...

Joshua Tree is really easy. The hikes are not long, generally flat, and you can drive to most areas of the park. The only issue is the heat, but that's not a problem if you go from fall to spring.

I would do Yosemite for that age before Joshua Tree.

In my opinion Joshua Tree would be more boring comapred to Yosemite for a young kid.

What about Rockefeller National Forest and the Avenue of the Giants? That area around Humboldt is awesome for little kids and awe inspiring for adults.

I haven't been to the others, but Zion is pretty intense in some areas. I wouldn't be comfortable with a child under 8 hiking it. That's just me though, obviously tons of people take kids and it's fine. I just couldn't enjoy it with how nervous I'd be in many of the areas.

Anonymous wrote:I have a mature and capable 5 year old. Would she be bored if I took her hiking/camping on places like Joshua Tree, Zion, etc.? I would carry most of her things and all she would really need to do is walk.

Only one way to find out! Pick a park, plan a trip, and see how she does. You may be surprised by what appeals to her.

I can’t imagine a kid of any age being bored on a hiking & camping trip if it’s presented right. We did Yellowstone & Grand Teton when kid was 3. We’ve done Shenandoah & lots of local camping since oldest was 1.5 & starting when youngest was an infant. Camping is one of their very favorite things to do.

I think different parks work for different ages.

To me, Shenandoah, the Smokies, Acadia and Yellowstone are good to do when the kids is younger, like under 10. The hiking is pretty easy at both.

To me, Grand Teton, Zion, Banff and Jasper all have awesome hikes that generally fall in the more moderate range. So maybe ages 11-13.

And Grand Canyon (hiking to bottom and back), Yosemite (Half Dome, Cloud's Rest) and maybe Glacier all have strenuous hikes that are highlights. So 14+

But that's just my opinion, and obviously not an exhaustive list of national parks, and hiking is obviously not the only activity in the park Though for us, it's a required one.

We did Yosemite when the kids were 6 and 8, and they loved it! We have done at least one NP trip each year since then, sometimes several. They are now 10 and 12, and they still love it (although the amount of complaining about some of the hikes and lack of wi-fi has sadly increased each year).

He'll have fun in Joshua Tree. There are tons of rocks to climb and mini-hikes plus it's super cool to stay in a cabin/Airbnb out in the desert for a night. There's nothing like it!

I forgotten to add that we do a lot of hikes with the rangers programs which makes it more interesting for our kids because they point out things we miss

He is mature and capable but is he used to walking? I am amazed at how many older preschoolers use strollers. I went on a field trip with my son's kindergarten class and couldn't believe how many kids whined when we walked 1/2 mile. I asked some of the whiny kids if they ever walked to school, went hiking, walked around their neighborhood, etc. and they said no.
I have taken my kids when they were 5 to Zion and my 5 year old hiked part of the narrows (total of 4 miles round trio for the part we did). He had a blast. They also are able to hike 3-4 miles in Yosemite and Sequoia NP.

We've been hiking through national parks since my kids were babies. Just be flexible and remember that you're on vacation. If things don't always go according to plan, that's okay.

Mine have loved this sort of thing since they were little, but I have three kids and we tend to go with cousins. Honestly, I think only one of my kids would like this type of trip if he was the only kid going.

We do trips to national parks every year, even though my kids would probably rather go to Disney. Started doing it when my son (my youngest) was 6 (almost 7). It really depends on the kid. My son loved it b/c he loves being outdoors and has tons of energy to hike, etc. My daughter who was 9 at the time wasn't as thrilled. So it's not as much age as temperment. But that being said, my humble opinion is all kids should visit these parks and be outside, even if appreciation isn't always shown. You are the best judge of what your kid will be able to deal with. For us, we know that our kids have zero interest in walking around cities, so while we've been now to 6 different national parks across the country, we've yet to take them to Europe.

I have a mature and capable 5 year old. Would she be bored if I took her hiking/camping on places like Joshua Tree, Zion, etc.? I would carry most of her things and all she would really need to do is walk.