12 Fantastic US summer destinations for families you and your kids will love
A handpicked selection of fantastic US summer destinations for families for a fun and exciting summer vacation in the US with the kids
Wondering where to take the kids this summer?
If you’re currently in the plotting stages of your family vacation this year and want to keep things local, the United States just happens to boast some of the coolest (and often unexpected) summer destinations for families.
As a family, we absolutely adore spending our summers in the US. We have to travel there form Europe (we are in Ireland) and the flight is often very long but always worth it!
The landscapes we have found in the US, the option of activities, the sheer variety of what is available make us go back over and over again.
When it comes to family vacations, the issue is just how hard it is to pick among so many great options!
To try and make the task less daunting, we first made a US family travel bucket list and down options by season.
Find here>>> our top picks for winter family destinations in the US and spring travel destinations for families in the USA.
Today, we look at options for summer!
Ideas come from our own travels and from local friends who shared their favorite family getaway and family friendly spots in the US we haven’t had the chance to visit yet.
From sand dunes the kids can slide down from, to lakeside beaches so pretty you’ll wonder if you magically traveled to the tropics, we’ve put together a list of some of the most fantastic summer destinations for families in the US both you and the kids are guaranteed to fall head over heels in love with!
I hope you enjoy it!
The Best USA Summer Destination Ideas for Families
The Grand Canyon South Rim
The South Rim of the Grand Canyon is a stunning and top-rated summer destinations for families and it is really easy to see why!
Despite the high number of vacationers flocking to this natural wonder in summer, the Grand Canyon has so much for families, it tops our list of family summer destinations in the US.
Honestly, it is hard to beat the wonder, fun and educational value of such a magical place.
In the Grand Canyon, outdoorsy families will find great opportunities for an active vacation but you won’t have to be overly fit or adventurers to enjoy the area.
There are hikes suitable for all ages, including flat, scenic and stroller friendly rim trail, incredible museums, a fun junior ranger program for the kids and lovely accommodation options to suit all budgets.
We went to the Grand Canyon with kids in summer expecting a bit of a tourist trap but came back with sparkly eyes and madly in love with this stunning natural place – a true natural wonder!
You can read here >>> our guide to visiting Grand Canyon South Rim with kids
Sleeping Bear Dunes, Michigan
Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore develops along the beautiful coast of Lake Michigan and it’s a dream destination for families wit kids in summer.
Home to 35 miles of national lakeshore, this area has stunning sandy beaches and miles upon miles of easy hiking trails so you can mix relax sand play with more active endeavors!
For the kids, some can’t-miss activities at Sleeping Bear Dunes include paddling the Crystal River, summiting the Sleeping Bear Dune, boating around the lake, rolling down sand dunes, chilling lakeside, or learning how to do some freshwater surfing!
If your kids are anything like mine, it will be hard to get them out of the water.
However, there is lots of fun away from the beach too!
During the summer months, hitting the trails searching for flora and fauna is one of the best ways to enjoy the park outside the water.
Two family-friendly trails are the Treat Farm Trail, Empire Bluff Trail, or you can opt to hop on the car and drive along the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive instead!
Sleeping Bear Dunes is one of the best places to visit in the USA in summer for families, especially for those looking for serious outdoor fun, tons of entertaining activities under the sun, and striking views all over!
The area is under the management of the National Park Service which, for kids, offers the excellent Junior Ranger Program – always a major success with our kids!
Telluride, Colorado
Nestled in the heart of the San Juan Mountains, Telluride is tucked away inside a striking canyon and provides a beautiful opportunity to explore the best nature in the Rocky Mountains has to offer, making it a top summer destination for families who love the outdoors.
This cozy alpine town has everything one could wish for in a mountain escape.
Here, you find views of beautiful mountains looming all over, a charming historic downtown, idyllic lakes and waterfalls, and family-friendly hiking trails that will have you make your way through aspen forests, canyons, and historic mining spots.
As well as the jaw-dropping views, the town has lots of child-friendly activities for all styles of travel and ages.
Among the many things you can do in Telluride with kids in summer, there are classic Telluride activities such as the gondola and a visit to the local museum and many sport pitches, summer camps, art classes, climbing wall and playground.
All this makes Telluride perfect for a relaxing summer escape with plenty of entertainment for tweens and teens and a pleasant place for a vacation with a little one.
Carlsbad, California
If you are looking for a family vacation spot in the US with both relaxing family friendly beaches and easy access to kids’ attractions, look no further than Carlsbad, Southern California.
Located along scenic Highway 1, near San Diego, Carlsbad is a picture-perfect village with a family friendly atmosphere, fantastic restaurants, a glorious sandy beach and something special for kids: Legoland!
We spent a fantastic summer in Carlsbad and adored the many options it gave us.
When you want to rest and relax, you can take a stroll to the beach and play with its golden sand and its crashing waves.
If you feel lie treating the kids to water fun, several water parks are in the area, ranging from local places to big tickets attractions like Legoland, or you can go SUPping or kayaking on these and fun Carlsbad Lagoon.
For those days when you feel like visiting a big city, San Diego and its stunning parks, museum and attractions is nearby and when it come to beaches, you are spoilt for choice as a short drive will bring you to many of Southern California’s most sought after places.
You can find here >>>> our family guide to Carlsbad and why we thinks it’s a perfect summer destiantion for families.
Outer Banks, North Carolina
Another fantastic summer vacation destination for families looking for a relaxing beach holiday is Outer Banks in North Carolina.
Outer Banks has long stretches of golden sandy beaches where kids can spend endless hours swimming, sandcastle building, kite flying.
Duck and Corolla are some of the best East Coast beaches for families in the entire country and you can find plenty of family activities off the sand too.
The Aquarium here is a kids’ favorite, Roanoke Island Festival Park is a cool family interactive attraction and climbing to the top of Bodie Island lighthouse is a must-do.
The area is also packed with nice family hotels and many of family-friendly restaurants, making this one of the easiest and most popular US summer destinations for families.
Find here >>> our selection of great family beaches on the East Coats perfect for kids
Lake Tahoe, California
As one of the largest lakes in the United States, Lake Tahoe is a dream come true for a family-friendly summer escape in the United States.
What makes Lake Tahoe unique, aside from its striking beauty, is that you could easily confuse its beaches for ones in the Caribbean!
Its crystal-clear shimmering waters range from sapphire blue tones to emerald hues and they are a breathtaking, unexpected sight in this corner of the world between California and Nevada!
The only thing that will remind you that you’re still in the United States is the view of towering mountains backdropping the scenery!
While winters in Lake Tahoe bring in lots of fun-in-the-snow activities, summers are all about making the most out of the Lake.
For kids, summer activities in Lake Tahoe include hiking to hidden coves, scenic driving, kayaking in search of the best views, and lots more outdoor pursuits.
However, if you prefer a more relaxed pace, you can enjoy the white-sandy beaches surrounding the lake, perfect for slow days in the water
Find here >>> our guide to the best things to do in Lake Tahoe with kids in summer
Sedona, Arizona
Sedona seems to get everyone to fall in love head over heels with its stunning landscapes and magical atmosphere and indeed, it is hard to understate how wonderful a destination it is for a summer vacation with kids.
We went to Sedona in August, as one of the stops in our US South West road trip and immediately felt what the fuss is all about.
Nestled among stunning red rock peaks, Sedona is a pleasant town with lots of family restaurants, pretty shops and a relaxed, laid back feel.
With kids, you can use Sedona as a base for hikes, jeep tours, sightseeing and you can make the most of the kid friendly attractions in town such as bowling and arcade.
You can read here >>> why we adored Sedona with kids
Denali National Park, Alaska
In the mood for something a little different?
Even though Alaska may not be the first place that comes to mind when you think of a summer escape, Denali National Park is a dream to visit during the warmer months, when the weather is bearable.
Longer days allow for a tun of exploration.
Thanks to its location, Denali boasts a ton of unique landscapes you won’t find anywhere else in the United States, including lower forests, tundras, glaciers, and the tallest mountain in North America!
Moreover, Denali is a beautiful place to start introducing your kids to the importance of conservation.
Wildlife sightings are pretty common here: think Grizzly bears, moose, grey wolves, foxes, and beavers to name just a few of the animals you may get the chance to spot!
Denali is stunning and unique among National Parks on the West Coast for kids and one especially families with olders kids are sure to love.
Bryce Canyon and Zion National Park
I know what you are thinking.
Zion and Bryce are too hot and busy in summer to be good for kids but I can tell you: they are a wonderful summer destination for families in the US, one of the very best summer vacation destinations we ever expeciendes in the United States!
The two parks can be visited within the same vacation and make for a fantastic family time in one of the most scenic areas of the United States.
Like many well known locations, Bryce and Zion attract a large number of visitors in summer so you will need to book early.
However, once you secure your accommodation, it is very easy to lose the crowds and the sights are so stunning, you will want to return over and over again.
Bryce is the smaller of the two and required one to three days for a pleasant visit.
In this time, you can walk along the canyon rim and do the fantastic junior ranger program and you can explore further in the park, tacking some of the trails that lead you up close and personal with the park’s iconic hoodoos.
You can read here >> how to enjoy Bryce Canyon with kids
Zion National Park is where my hiking-reluctant daughter fell in love with hiking and if Zion can work its magic on her, I believe it can woo your kids too!
Zion has a plethora of kid-friendly hikes and a a fantastic shuttle system that allows you to bus up and down the length of the canyon whenever tired.
Here, you can walk, explore the museum, become a junior ranger with the Junior Ranger program; in the evening, you can stargaze or, if staying out of the park, enjoy the facilities of the many hotels in the area, catering to families with a plethora of accommodation options suitable for all budgets.
You can read here >>> our guide to Zion hikes for families.
Lost Lake, Oregon
Sitting just an hour’s drive away from Portland, Lost Lake is a destination that can only be described as magical. It is so pretty, you and the kids might find yourselves feel like you stepped into a storybook!
Lost Lake is backdropped by Oregon’s tallest mountain and encircled by the captivating Mount Hood National Forest, which pretty much guarantees you’ll have plenty of opportunities to enjoy nature its full splendor aside from simply relishing on the idyllic views of Mount Hood reflecting on the Lake’s shimmering waters.
As for what to do at Lost Lake, you’ll find plenty of options for the whole family to enjoy, including boating, kayaking, or canoeing around the Lake and exploring further afield by hitting a few of the easy hiking trails in the surrounding forest.
Moreover, camping is a treat here (or you can book a cozy cabin or yurt instead).
Spending a few nights here is an experience the kids aren’t bound to forget any time soon.
Finally, the Lake is one of the best places in the United States for stargazing thanks to the lack of light pollution around.
Find here >>> more family friendly places in Oregon for a family vacation
Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming
Grand Teton National Park is the ultimate destination for enjoying nature in its full grandeur. Think glaciers, rivers, lakes, and mountains to get a pretty good picture of what this striking national park in Wyoming has to offer.
Aside from the gorgeous scenery all over, summer in Grand Teton brings in warm temperatures, a wide array of flora and fauna, and tons of activities for the kids to get their explorer on.
As for how to explore with little ones, you’ll find options aplenty on the park’s activity menu, including hiking family-friendly trails, floating on a river, boating across the Lake, going on a scenic drive, or booking a guided wildlife tour, where they’ll get to see tons of animals as well as learn about the importance of conservation in the park.
San Francisco, California
I am closing this list of great family summer vacations in the US with one of my biggest city loves: San Francisco.
It is hard to overstate how fantastic San Francisco is with kids and summer, despite its changeable weather, is a lovely time to experience all the city has to offer, from museums to parks and boat rides along the bay.
You can easily spend a lifetime in the city and never run out of things to see but kids are pretty much guaranteed to like some of the city’s biggest attractions such as a ride on the cable car, a cycle across the Golden Gate Bridge and a trip to Alcatraz.
Seeing the sea-lions and the arcades at Pier 39 is a family must do for visitors and so is the Exploratorium, one of the city’s biggest kids attractions!
The city is also wonderfully located for day trips: make sure you have a car and stretch along the coast both north and south of the city, visit Berkeley and Muir Woods and let yourself and the kids marvel at the variety of this part of California, with places so different from each other, you’ll feel like you are having ten vacations in one!
You can find here >>> our guide to one day in San Francisco with kids
I hope you enjoyed this list of fantastic summer destinations for families in the US and it helped you pick the perfect US family vacation destination for the coming summer season!
Photo credit: photos on this page are part my own, part from Depositphotos paid subscription.
