5 Standout Spots To Visit With Kids in the West

Not all vacations are created equal—especially when you have kids in tow. While your idea of a great adult getaway might involve a challenging hike, a night on the town, or a poolside pina colada and a novel, traveling with children can look a little different. 

But booking a trip with your kids or grandkids doesn’t mean you have to spend your hard-earned time off in a lackluster locale. At these spots around the West, you’ll find all the ingredients to make great vacation memories with even the youngest members of your crew. 

Santa Cruz, California

Billed as the “Coney Island of the West” when it first opened in 1907, the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk is a classic family destination, with rollercoasters, log rides, and carnival games for all age groups. When you’ve had your fill of cotton candy, head to Natural Bridges State Beach for tidepooling and (if it’s October through February) a visit to the Monarch Butterfly Natural Preserve, the only one of its kind in California, where some 10,000 butterflies come annually to winter. 

After a scenic half-hour drive north, you can’t miss Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park, where an easy 0.8-mile hike takes you through a breathtaking 40-acre grove of old-growth redwood trees, including one tree that’s about 1,500 years old. Just outside park limits is the family favorite Roaring Camp, home to an authentic 1890s steam train that transports you through the woods to the summit of Bear Mountain and back. Be sure to pick up their Kids Club booklet and check the calendar for scheduled activities like gold-panning. 

Bozeman, Montana

If you’re traveling with a young dinosaur enthusiast, Bozeman’s sprawling Smithsonian-affiliated Museum of the Rockies is a top-tier stop, boasting one of the biggest collections of North American dinosaur fossils in the United States. Highlights include “Custer,” the world’s largest found T. rex skull; the Bowman Dinosaur Viewing Lab, where kids can watch fossil preparators at work; and an immersive planetarium. During March 27–29, 2026, check out the annual Dinosaurs and Mor! Festival, full of workshops and hands-on activities for preschool-age paleontologists on up. (Show your AAA Member card for 10% off general admission.) 

Just a 20-minute drive away, Bozeman Hot Springs has been a destination for relaxation since the 1870s. The site is now a family-friendly resort featuring 12 different pools ranging from 57 to 106 degrees Fahrenheit as well as dry and wet saunas, campsites, a handful of cabins, a cafe, and live music. It’s also a great home base for day trips to Yellowstone National Park, which offers a plethora of all-ages activities, including Old Faithful with its stroller-accessible boardwalk. In West Yellowstone, Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center is a popular indoor-outdoor park and education center where you can see native gray wolves, grizzly bears, and river otters.

Flagstaff, Arizona

Flagstaff is the gateway to the Grand Canyon—and since a 90-minute drive will put you at the South Rim, the natural wonder is certainly worth a visit. But Flagstaff’s views and mild high-country summers also make it a destination all its own. At the Lowell Observatory, budding astronomers can look through the telescope that helped scientists discover Pluto, then design and launch their own rockets in the interactive kids’ zone. For a geology lesson, grab a head lamp, a warm jacket, and some sturdy closed-toe shoes to explore the Lava River Cave, a tunnel created 700,000 years ago when molten rock erupted from a nearby volcanic vent. 

For epic Northern Arizona vistas, head to the Arizona Snowbowl ski resort—yes, even in the summer—for a scenic gondola ride that takes you over 11,000 feet into the air. Prefer to keep your feet on the ground? Check out Buffalo Park for a 2.2-mile loop hike on a paved trail, with views of Mt. Humphreys, Arizona’s tallest peak, surrounded by ponderosa pines. Refuel with a burger and a local beer at Beaver Street Brewery, a family-friendly brewpub that offers a hearty kids’ menu and crayons.

San Diego, California

With so many kid-friendly beaches you could visit a different one each day of the week—and near-perfect weather no matter when you go—San Diego is a surefire bet for a family vacation. Moonlight State Beach in Encinitas is a perennial favorite, with soft sand, a kids’ playground area, a concession stand, and a clearly marked swimming-only zone, so you don’t have to worry about kids colliding with surfers. La Jolla Shores and Coronado Beach also get top nods from families.

If you get tired of perfect beaches, Legoland California Resort in Carlsbad has 60 rides, and it is the rare amusement park with a wide array of options for kids ages 3 to 5 (but plenty to thrill the 6 to 12 and older set, as well). And the world-famous San Diego Zoo never disappoints—housed on 100 acres in scenic Balboa Park, it’s home to iconic giant pandas, the largest collection of koalas outside Australia, and three different playground areas for little ones. For kid-approved burgers, fries, and shakes, head to Corvette Diner, a lively ‘50s-themed eatery with classic arcade games like pinball and air hockey.

Arches National Park, Utah 

With a slew of short yet rewarding hikes and trails that wind over red rock formations that double as playgrounds, Arches National Park is incredibly kid-friendly, especially in the spring or fall. Stop by the visitor center to pick up a Junior Ranger program full of kids’ activities, then head for the popular .4-mile roundtrip Sand Dune Arch Trail, where it’s not uncommon to see kids toting buckets and shovels to play in the sand. Other easy hikes include the 1-mile Windows Trail and Wolfe Ranch, where a .5-mile walk takes you to see some of the most well-preserved Ute petroglyphs in the region. 

Outside of Arches, the Moab Food Truck Park offers 13 rotating trucks that should appease varied appetites and picky eaters, while the swimming holes at Mill Creek just south of downtown Moab are the perfect place to cool off after a long day.