In Jackson, Wyoming, snowshoeing across Taggart Lake is a more relaxed alternative to downhill skiing.
Courtesy of Visit Jackson Hole
Travel changes when you have kids, but it doesn’t have to end; you just need to factor in a few more needs and opinions than before. While there are plenty of international destinations that are great for kids, a long-haul flight and dealing with jet lag can be rough. And with the United States celebrating its 250th birthday in 2026, this is the year to travel domestically.
The USA is packed full of must-visit destinations for families, where everyone will have fun (we won’t go so far as to say no one will whine). To help you plan your 2026 travel, we asked a bunch of Afar contributors for their family travel recommendations. Whether you’re toting a toddler or a teen, your next family adventure starts here.
Jackson, Wyoming
It’s impossible to say whether the national park gateway and Wild West town of Jackson (known to many as Jackson Hole: the name of the valley and the ski resort) is more captivating in snowy or warm months. Both are gorgeously sunny and blue-skied, ripe with experiences active and peaceful. My family’s trip took me into a winter wonderland.
My then two year old began giddily learning to ski, all of us soaked in steamy springs at Astoria Hot Springs Park, and we spotted bighorn sheep, fox, and moose on a spectacular snow-blanketed safari with locally owned Jackson Hole EcoTour Adventures. Dogsledding with Call of the WYld‘s adorable huskies was one of the most entertaining activities we’ve ever done together and cemented Jackson, for me, as a place to make indelible memories as a family.
When the snow is gone, there’s plenty of amusement in the form of fishing and floating on the Snake River, hiking, tram and gondola rides, and the rodeo. And in the warmer months, there’s always something lively happening, whether it’s the Grand Teton Music Festival or the Snow King Summer Concert Series. The Snow King Observatory and Planetarium, the only mountaintop observatory in the country, has a 24-foot AstroHaven dome, a state-of-the-art one-meter PlaneWave telescope, and interactive galleries that should entice the space-obsessed no matter their age.
Where to stay
The Cloudveil, Autograph Collection Hotels, appeals to kids and kids at heart with a luxe twist: Giant video screens at the end of each hallway play striking wildlife videos; in addition to the pool and large hot tub, you’ll find gratis snack and hot chocolate stations. Just off the town square, family-owned Hotel Jackson is rustic meets plush with a Lebanese restaurant downstairs and a steaming hot tub a few floors up. —Kathryn Romeyn
Buffalo, New York
Kids will remember the watery spray of Niagara Falls and the contours of the Buffalo AKG Art Museum in New York State.
Courtesy of Niagara Falls USA (L); courtesy Visit Buffalo (R)
My husband’s family lives in Buffalo, New York, and I’ve been visiting the city annually for more than two decades. But I’ve only learned how kid-friendly it is in the past few years. Our four-year-old son, Julian, loves romping around the 14 interactive play zones—including a pretend car wash and a splashy water exhibit inspired by the Erie Canal—at the sprawling Explore & More Children’s Museum.
We ride the whimsical, hand-painted ostriches and giraffes on the Buffalo Heritage Carousel, a century-old merry-go-round now fully powered by the sun (open mid-April to January); twirl among the painted branch sculptures at the Charles E. Burchfield Nature & Art Center; and sample new foods at West Side Bazaar, a nonprofit food hall that highlights cuisine from Egypt, Myanmar, Congo, and beyond.
While Julian is too young to appreciate Buffalo’s iconic architecture (including Frank Lloyd Wright’s Martin House), we love building our own towers in the LEGO-centric Creative Commons lab at Buffalo AKG Art Museum. Then, of course, there’s Niagara Falls—it will leave you so utterly gobsmacked, silencing even the fiercest toddler tantrum.
Where to stay
The 88-room Richardson Hotel inhabits the former Buffalo State Asylum for the Insane on the landmarked Richardson Olmsted Campus, designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux (of Central Park fame). Its spacious suites have vaulted ceilings and enormous windows, but it’s the colorful tiles in the mile-long hallways that form the ultimate toddler runway. —Ashlea Halpern, contributing editor
Related: The Heart of Buffalo’s Black History Beats in This Cultural Corridor
Columbus, Ohio
As our plane touched down in Columbus from Tampa in fall 2023, my then six year old told his sister they’d be welcomed on the ground with flower necklaces called leis. He’d somehow mistaken Ohio for O‘ahu when I told him we were going on a fall trip. But Columbus delivered so deeply on family fun that there was never a regret.
In the Franklinton Arts District we hit the Franklinton Fridays community festival (every second Friday of the month). Along the Scioto River nearby, the COSI (Center of Science and Industry) Museum has a Pixar exhibition until May 25, 2026, and Mythic Creatures: Dragons, Unicorns & Mermaids until September 7, in addition to all its hands-on science fun.
The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium and its more than 10,000 animals might have to wait for our return visit. But at the Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, blue morphos landed on our heads in the butterfly garden, and a nature playground beckoned in the crisp fall air outside. Streets lined with beautiful homes in German Village lured us later, and we explore the 32 warrenlike rooms of the Book Loft and Schiller Park, which has a pond stocked with rainbow trout and yet another great playground.
We food hall–hopped, too, from the city’s 150-year-old public market, North Market, where we sampled Somali cuisine and Himalayan dumplings, to Budd Dairy Hall, where we played foosball while digging into pizza and cheesesteaks.
Where to stay
The Junto sits right across the street from the Scioto Riverwalk and COSI Museum and sometimes offers themed rooms reflecting visiting exhibits. (We stayed in a temporarily Barbie-themed suite during our visit, at the height of the hype.) The hotel’s cozy lobby has open fireplaces and board games you can play at big tables within a few steps of beverages for adults at the Trade Room lobby bar. And the hotel’s rooftop restaurant, Brass Eye, does a great brunch with river views. —Terry Ward
Related: This Midwest State Capital Is Emerging as One of America’s Most Thrilling Food Cities
Denver, Colorado
Denver is an essential stop for family fun in all seasons.
Photo by Evan Semón photography
Marrying the best of a thriving city with spectacular natural beauty, Denver is a pedestrian-friendly metropolis that’s a blast with kids and, I’ve found, especially fun for an active family. On a recent trip we enjoyed visual stimulation and storytelling during a two-hour walk through RiNo street art with Denver Graffiti Tour, and our toddler found the immersive spaces of the weird and wonderful psychedelic art experience Meow Wolf thrilling and tactile.
The city’s excellent museums—including the Denver Art Museum and Denver Museum of Nature & Science—capture the attention and imagination of all ages, while outdoors enthusiasts have a slew of options for hiking, such as Red Rocks (the amphitheater is the legendary home of concerts but also summer movie nights) and quaint Golden, where we enjoyed strolling with our then-baby.
Summer events in Denver include the Tennyson Street Fair, Denver Burger Battle, and Outside Festival at Civic Center Park with a family-friendly lineup of music, adventure, wellness, film, and kids activities and programming. As appealing as the warmer months are, our favorite time to visit is winter, when it’s an alluring place to acclimate to higher altitudes and enjoy a vibrant city before heading off to mountains like Breckenridge or Vail for snowboarding.
Where to stay
Four Seasons is the gold standard for optimizing the hotel experience for babies, and the Four Seasons Hotel Denver is no exception, offering families traveling with youngsters miniature robes, no-tears toiletries, gear such as small bathtubs and diaper pails and, for our then 10 month old, a welcome snack of freshly made applesauce.
For older kids, the Curtis Denver – a DoubleTree by Hilton and its hyper-themed rooms—think Barbie, Comic Book Heroes, and Ghostbusters—are a must. Also fun for older kids is Populus Hotel in downtown Denver, the nation’s first carbon-positive hotel, a striking new architectural feat with a biophilic design that feels both modern and homey. —Kathryn Romeyn
Related: Should You Travel With Kids When They’re Too Young to Remember Anything?
Kaua‘i, Hawaiʻi
A trip to Kaua‘i will foster a love for the environment in kids.
Courtesy Lydgate Farms
With incredible hikes, marine life, and chocolate tours, lush Kaua‘i (it’s not called the Garden Isle for nothing) is a veritable playground for families. My crew learned all about how cacao is grown, harvested, and processed, and sampled macadamia nuts, apple bananas, lychee, spiky rambutan, cacao nibs, and even truffles during a three-hour tour at Lydgate Farms, run by a family that’s been in Kaua‘i for five generations.
For snorkeling, join sailing excursions with Holo Holo Charters, which monitors areas where reef fish and green sea turtles are active. The grand finale of our island time? Taking to the sky (and even managing to catch a double rainbow) with Island Helicopters for a 50-minute ride over the dramatic Nāpali Coast, Waimea Canyon, and rainforests.
Where to stay
Try oceanfront Timbers Kaua‘i, part of the 450-acre Hōkūala resort, along the island’s southeast coastline. Boasting gorgeous multi-bedroom digs, an on-site farm (from which pineapples and papayas are delivered to rooms), a spa (a Lomi Lomi massage is a must), a restaurant, and a stunning infinity pool, the property is pure bliss. —Tanvi Chheda
Related: The Best Hawaiian Islands to Visit for Different Kinds of Travelers
Florida Keys
Everglades National Park has a population of American flamingos; Key Biscayne is flanked by Crandon Park and Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park.
Photo by Ian Kennedy/Shutterstock (L); photo by Sebastien Aubinaud/Unsplash (R)
On my family’s trips to the Keys, I’ve witnessed my kids shrieking through their snorkel tubes as they spot some incredible fish they can hardly believe is real—the seeds of a love for nature and our oceans being planted in the next generation in real time.
Just south of Big Pine Key in the Lower Keys, Looe Key Sanctuary Preservation Area is one of the best places for snorkeling in the entire region, thanks to its shallow reefs and abundant marine life. Captain Hook’s offers daily snorkeling and diving trips. Big Pine Key is famous for a diminutive land species, the key deer, which can be observed all over the 10-square-mile island, including along the roadside and on trails within the National Key Deer Refuge. The refuge was founded in 1957 to protect the endangered subspecies of white tail deer that lives only on a few of the Lower Keys.
When you’re ready to try what many locals claim is the best pizza in the Florida Keys, head to No Name Pub, festooned with thousands of dollar bills inside and tucked away down a quiet lane on Big Pine Key. I can confirm that the pub also has one mighty fine Key lime pie.
Where to stay
Key Largo Marriott property Playa Largo Resort & Spa, Autograph Collection has its own beach and a waterfront pool overlooking Florida Bay, a prime spot for sunsets. On Islamorada, the Islands of Islamorada has 22 waterfront villas for a stay on a private beach, as well as an on-site marina and pickleball courts. Marathon’s Isla Bella Beach Resort & Spa is off the Overseas Highway near Seven Mile Bridge with its own beachfront, a lively beach bar, five oceanfront pools, and a marina. — Terry Ward
Related: 4 Days in the Florida Keys: Shipwreck Dives, Teeny-Tiny Deer, and Legendary Key Lime Pie
Olympic Peninsula, Washington
The Spruce Railroad Trail along Lake Crescent in Olympia National Park is flat enough for junior hikers.
Photo by Berty Mandagie / Courtesy of State of Washington Tourism
The Twilight novels shined a spotlight on the small town of Forks, Washington, depicting its gloomy climate and casting it as the ideal hiding spot for brooding vampires. What the books failed to capture, however, is the sublime beauty found nestled among the rainforests, waterfalls, and hot springs of the enchanting Olympic Peninsula and its namesake national park.
As a preschooler, my son delighted in splashing in the ocean as it lapped against the craggy coastline, and later, as a burgeoning hiker, he tested his limits while clambering over felled Douglas fir trees to earn a coveted Junior Ranger badge from the National Park Service.
The Pacific Northwest keeps bringing my family back for new adventures. This year the Tree of Life is calling us back: It’s a seemingly magical tree that suspends itself in midair.
Where to stay
Camp alongside towering Sitka spruce at one of several national park campgrounds, or head for comfier digs at the scenic Lake Crescent Lodge. For those seeking upscale accommodations with a rustic chic design, try Olympic Lodge by Ayres, located in the diminutive town of Port Angeles. —Amanda Adler
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Paris or Philadelphia? Set in front of the majestic second empire–style City Hall, Philadelphia’s Christmas Market could pass for one in the City of Light.
Photo by Elevated Angles for Visit Philadelphia
The City of Brotherly Love is where the Declaration of Independence was signed, and history buffs can dive deep here. Start at the Liberty Bell Center, take a tour of Independence Hall, visit Betsy Ross House (where the famed seamstress designed the U.S. flag) and walk down cobblestoned Elfreth’s Alley, the nation’s oldest continuously inhabited residential street.
If the weather is nice, order an elongated oval Jerusalem bagel sandwich at K’Far in Rittenhouse to eat in John F. Collins Park, a leafy “pocket park” tucked off Chestnut Street that’s akin to a secret garden in the middle of Center City. Next, head for the western end of the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. Pass the famous bronze Rocky statue at the base, then mimic the fictional boxer’s climb to the Philadelphia Museum of Art, which houses more than 200,000 objects whose origins span over 2,000 years.
On weekends from April to October, you can visit FDR Park for the Southeast Asian Market, a joyful community food fair. Pick up grilled skewers and chicken wings stuffed with lemongrass-scented vermicelli and wander the 348-acre green space, the creation of NYC Central Park designers Frederick Law Olmsted and his brother, John Charles Olmsted.
Visit around the winter holidays for Philadelphia’s Christmas Village in Love Park, an excellent European-style Christmas market, with dozens of wooden huts, double-decker carousel and German food vendors backed backed by Philly’s ornate City Hall.
Where to stay
On a lively stretch of South Street in Queen Village, Yowie is a boutique hotel above a beloved design shop of the same name. Beyond the classic brick facade, 15 suites are designed like creative studio apartments—colorful, minimalist, and filled with art and objects by local artists (much of it for sale in the shop).
This isn’t the place to stay with young kids, but if you’ve got teens in tow, you’ll likely win some points for booking somewhere cool. The suites are spacious and impeccably decorated, and independent check-in and kitchenettes make your stay even easier. This is an ideal base for travelers who want a local feel and breezy walks to the Italian Market, Magic Gardens, and Old City. —Regan Stephens
Related: 4 Days in Philadelphia: Cobblestones, Calder Sculptures, and a 24/7 Cheese Vending Machine
Santa Fe, New Mexico
Sante Fe offers indoor and outdoor fun—and the famous Meow Wolf immersive art space.
Photo by Ritu Manoj Jethani/Shutterstock
This New Mexican city can make you feel as if you’ve traveled abroad without the need for a passport, thanks to a strong Indigenous history and connection with Mexico. Explore outdoor attractions like Bandelier National Monument, which contains preserved ancestral pueblo dwellings, as well as indoor spots such as the Museum of International Folk Art, which includes the Tree of Life play area, and the Santa Fe Reptile & Bug Museum, which has live animal and natural history exhibits (note that the entrance is within Sendero Marketplace). The Georgia O’Keeffe Museum is a must for fans of the grande doyenne of modernism.
When we visited Santa Fe, our whole family had a blast exploring the incredible interactive installation that is Meow Wolf’s House of Eternal Return, a massive adventure inside an old bowling alley. Thrills come in other forms too. There’s skiing at Ski Santa Fe about a half hour from downtown and round-trip scenic tours on the fantastically painted Sky Railway that departs from the Railyard District.
The Shed‘s burritos, enchiladas, and tamales make for kid-friendly fare. We also loved breakfast at Dolina Café & Bakery, which has New Mexican breakfast burritos as well Eastern European baked goods. For a treat, stop by Kakawa Chocolate House for chocolate truffles, ice cream, or hot chocolate. On Saturdays and Tuesdays, grab a reusable tote bag and eat your way through the Santa Fe Farmers’ Market.
Where to stay
The Four Seasons Resort Rancho Encantado has spacious 65 casitas, which can be stocked with baby gear and child-size robes and slippers on request. If you want to be right on the plaza in the heart of downtown, book a room at the historic La Fonda on the Plaza, which has a heated pool and a variety of rooms, some with sleeper sofas. Ask for the scavenger hunt booklet at check-in to keep kids busy. —Devorah Lev-Tov
Related: The Southwestern City That’s a Gateway to Three National Parks
Lake County, California
I live in Northern California’s Bay Area, meaning my husband and I and our two school-age kids spend a lot of time in Sonoma County and Napa Valley. But we recently discovered a lesser-known spot just north of the iconic wine regions with fewer crowds, but plenty of scenic rolling hills, lakes, hiking trails, and vineyards.
On a recent visit to Lake County, we went to Six Sigma Ranch and Winery, where families can book a tour of the mountainous property in an all-terrain Pinzgauer (a hefty military vehicle the kids loved bumping around in). Afterward, our little ones fed pigs and goats at the ranch, and then we noshed on cheese and charcuterie plates while the adults sipped tempranillo and sauvignon blanc.
There’s plenty more to do. At Anderson Marsh State Historic Park, wander through the 19th-century ranch house and barn before heading out on a nature walk through beautiful marshlands full of birds and frogs. Head to Clear Lake State Park on the shores of California’s largest freshwater lake for access to a swimming beach and more hiking trails.
On the way to or from Lake County from the San Francisco area, you can take a detour toward Safari West, an African safari experience on a 400-acre private preserve where the kids can be on the lookout for giraffes, rhinos, wildebeests, and zebras. Fuel up at Oxbow Market or Gott’s Roadside on the way.
Where to stay
The main draw in Lake County for families is Huttopia Wine Country, an outpost of French glamping company Huttopia. With a veritable summer camp vibe, Huttopia features 95 solar-powered wood and canvas tents with an outdoor kitchenette and barbecue grill. Many also have en suite bathrooms with showers (otherwise, it’s a shared bathroom setup).
There’s a swimming pool, a main lodge with dining, concessions, games (like ping-pong and foosball), and activities (like arts and crafts for kids and movies under the stars). We loved that there was a playground, and you can rent electric mountain bikes. Your kids will inevitably team up with newfound friends for nature exploring. —Michelle Baran, deputy editor
Related: These Epic Family Vacations Turn Your Kid’s Passions Into Real-Life Adventure
This article was originally published in 2024 and most recently updated on February 19, 2026, with current information.
