Blog
Can’t find what you’re looking for? Use the search form to search the site.
10 National Park Hikes: ALL 1 mile or less!
It’s almost summer, which means it’s the perfect time to get out and explore the National Parks! I know not everyone has the time or unlimited vacation hours for some of the National Parks longer hikes, so I made a list of our favorite National Park hikes that are short, but still absolutely STUNNING. Every…
Keep reading
Matthiessen State Park: 1 Day Adventure
Matthiessen State Park is in LaSalle County, about 4 miles south of Utica, and about 100 miles from downtown Chicago. At just under 2,000 acres, this park will take you down into a stunning canyon with massive, moss covered, sandstone walls where there are waterfalls, wildlife, and beautiful arched, stone bridges at every turn. There…
Keep reading
7 Waterfalls in 3 Days: Daniel Boone National Forest
Daniel Boone National Forest covers over 700,000 acres of land and spreads across 21 counties in Eastern Kentucky. This National Forest has over 600 miles of hiking trails that will take you to towering sandstone cliffs, massive natural stone arches, and countless stunning waterfalls cascading into beautiful emerald pools. This beautiful forest is the perfect…
Keep reading
6 National Parks in 14 Days: Another Epic Summer Road Trip
Can you guess our family’s favorite way to travel? If you guessed a road trip- you are right! We love jumping in the car and heading to places where the internet and cell service are scarce, but the beauty of the outdoors is abundant. We welcome pausing the rush of everyday tasks and to do…
Keep reading
5 National Parks in 14 days: An Epic Summer Road Trip
Our crew looks forward to our summer road trip every year. For us, there’s nothing better than packing up the car, blasting our favorite tunes, and hitting the open road for an epic adventure. We put a pause on work, school, social media, practices, and everything else on our never-ending to-do list, and instead make…
Keep reading
Kancamagus Highway: 1 Day Adventure
If you are visiting New England, this scenic 35-mile drive between Lincoln and Conway, New Hampshire, is a must see! The Kancamagus Highway has 360 views at every overlook, spectacular hiking trails, and all the waterfalls you could want as you wind through the stunning White Mountain National Forest. A day on the Kancamagus Highway…
Keep reading
Prophetstown State Park
Prophetstown State Park is located in West Lafayette, IN, about an hour northwest of Indianapolis. The park is named after a Shawnee village established by two brothers- The Prophet and Tecumseh- in 1808. The village was a meeting place for more than 14 Native American tribes hoping to prevent the advancement of European settlement in…
Keep reading
Acadia National Park: 3 Day Adventure
Acadia National Park is located on the coast of Maine, just outside the town of Bar Harbor. Made up of several islands, with over 65 miles of coastline, 158 miles of hiking trails and another 45 miles of historic carriage roads to explore, Acadia is a park you will not want to miss! The park’s…
Keep reading
Franconia Notch State Park
Franconia Notch State Park is located right in the middle of the stunning White Mountains, just a short drive outside the city of Lincoln, New Hampshire. This park is tucked into the mountain pass between the Kinsman and Franconia mountain ranges and offers an endless amount of beauty to its many visitors. This state park…
Keep reading
Crawford Notch State Park
Crawford Notch State Park is located in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, about 14 miles northwest of Bartlett. This park quickly became one of our favorite state parks! Whether you’re summiting one of the many majestic mountain peaks or scrambling to the massive cascading waterfalls, this park is one you will not want to…
Keep reading
Day Hiking With Kids: What’s in Our Packs?
* This post contains affiliate links, meaning we make a small commission (at no cost to you), on the below items, if you choose to purchase. Check out our disclosure page for more info. Scott’s Pack Elizabeth’s Pack Big Bro’s Pack Middle Bro’s Pack Little Sis’s Pack
Keep reading
Great Sand Dunes National Park: 1 Day Adventure
The Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve is located in Mosca, Colorado, about 2.5 hours southwest of Colorado Springs. The park was created to protect the 5 billion cubic meters of sand nestled just below the majestic Sangre de Cristo Mountains. And while the park and preserve are home to the tallest sand dunes…
Keep reading
Great Sand Dunes National Park: 2 Day Adventure
The Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve is located in Mosca, Colorado, about 2.5 hours southwest of Colorado Springs. The park was created to protect the 5 billion cubic meters of sand nestled just below the majestic Sangre de Cristo Mountains. And while the park and preserve are home to the tallest sand dunes…
Keep reading
Rocky Mountain National Park: 2 Day Adventure
Rocky Mountain National Park is located about 60 miles northwest of Denver, CO between the towns of Estes Park and Grand Lake. The park’s 265,000+ acres is filled with over 60 majestic mountain peaks that top over 12,000 feet and over 150 gorgeous glacier lakes with the dreamiest of reflections. The park is also home…
Keep reading
Rocky Mountain National Park: 4 Day Adventure
Rocky Mountain National Park is located about 60 miles northwest of Denver, CO between the towns of Estes Park and Grand Lake. The park’s 265,000+ acres is filled with over 60 majestic mountain peaks that top over 12,000 feet and over 150 gorgeous glacier lakes with the dreamiest of reflections. The park is also home…
Keep reading
Mesa Verde National Park: 1 Day Adventure
Mesa Verde National Park is located in southwestern Colorado just outside the city of Cortez. Mesa Verde’s rich landscape became home to the Ancestral Puebloan people approximately 1400 years ago. Over a 700-year period, their communities flourished in what is now the national park we see today. Inside the park’s 52,000 acres are almost 5000…
Keep reading
Mesa Verde National Park: 2 Day Adventure
Mesa Verde National Park is located in southwestern Colorado just outside the city of Cortez. Mesa Verde’s rich landscape became home to the Ancestral Puebloan people approximately 1400 years ago. Over a 700-year period, their communities flourished in what is now the national park we see today. Inside the park’s 52,000 acres are almost 5000…
Keep reading
Dead Horse Point State Park: 1 Day Adventure
Dead Horse Point State Park is located in eastern Utah, approximately 33 miles outside of downtown Moab. The visitor center at Dead Horse Point State Park is just 14 miles from the Island in the Sky Visitor Center at Canyonlands National Park. If you are in the area, this is a must see! I would…
Keep reading
Canyonlands National Park: 1 Day Adventure
Canyonlands National Park’s colorful landscape of deep canyons, massive mesas and spectacular rock formations is in southeastern Utah, about 30 min from Arches National Park and the city of Moab. The park is divided into four districts: Island in the Sky, The Needles, The Maze, and The Rivers. And although each district may seem close…
Keep reading
Canyonlands National Park: 2 Day Adventure
Canyonlands National Park’s colorful landscape of deep canyons, massive mesas and spectacular rock formations is in southeastern Utah, about 30 min from Arches National Park and the city of Moab. The park is divided into four districts: Island in the Sky, The Needles, The Maze, and The Rivers. And although each district may seem close…
Keep reading
Arches National Park: 1 Day Adventure
Arches National Park is in eastern Utah, just north of the city of Moab. The park’s landscape is covered in every hue of red and orange across spectacular sandstone arches, massive fins, giant balanced rocks and incredible towers and pinnacles. It is home to the world’s largest collection of natural arches with over 2,000 of them…
Keep reading
Arches National Park: 2 Day Adventure
Arches National Park is in eastern Utah, just north of the city of Moab. The park’s landscape is covered in every hue of red and orange across spectacular sandstone arches, massive fins, giant balanced rocks and incredible towers and pinnacles. It is home to the world’s largest collection of natural arches with over 2,000 of them…
Keep reading
Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park: 1 Day Adventure
Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park is located in western Colorado, near the city of Montrose. While this park is one of the smaller, and less visited, of all the national parks, it is by no means lacking in immense beauty and magnificence. The sharp cliffs, roaring Gunnison River and vast skies are spectacular.…
Keep reading
Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park: 2 Day Adventure
Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park is located in western Colorado, near the city of Montrose. While this park is one of the smaller, and less visited, of all the national parks, it is by no means lacking in immense beauty and magnificence. The sharp cliffs, roaring Gunnison River and vast skies are spectacular.…
Keep reading
Starved Rock State Park: 1 Day Adventure
Starved Rock State Park in located in Oglesby, Illinois, about an hour and a half southwest of downtown Chicago. Starved Rock State Park is comprised of 18 impressive canyons, abundant with massive cliff walls, stunning overlooks, and gushing waterfalls. This park provides many opportunities to hike, fish, boat, horseback ride, and even ice climb in…
Keep reading
Starved Rock State Park: 2 Day Adventure
Starved Rock State Park in located in Oglesby, Illinois, about an hour and a half southwest of downtown Chicago. Starved Rock State Park is comprised of 18 impressive canyons, abundant with massive cliff walls, stunning overlooks, and gushing waterfalls. This park provides many opportunities to hike, fish, boat, horseback ride, and even ice climb in…
Keep reading
Hocking Hills State Park: 2 Day Adventure
Hocking Hills State Park is located about an hour south of Columbus, Ohio in the town of Logan. The hiking trails are spectacular as they wind through a landscape filled with striking cliffs, rushing waterfalls, massive caves and deep gorges that provide stunning views at every turn. The park also offers opportunities to fish, bike,…
Keep reading
Hocking Hills State Park: 3 Day Adventure
Hocking Hills State Park is located about an hour south of Columbus, OH, in the town of Logan. The hiking trails are spectacular as they wind through a landscape filled with striking cliffs, rushing waterfalls, massive caves and deep gorges that provide stunning views at every turn. The park also offers opportunities to fish, bike,…
Keep reading
Spring Mill State Park: 1 Day Adventure
Spring Mill State Park is located in Mitchell, Indiana, just under two hours south of Indianapolis. At over 1300 acres, this park truly offers everything- a museum dedicated to a Hoosier astronaut, that houses an actual space capsule; hiking trails through lush, green forests; a serene lake that provides opportunities for fishing, kayaking, and canoeing;…
Keep reading
Spring Mill State Park: 2 Day Adventure
Spring Mill State Park is located in Mitchell, Indiana, just under two hours south of Indianapolis. At over 1300 acres, this park truly offers a lot of everything- a museum dedicated to a Hoosier astronaut, that houses an actual space capsule; hiking trails through lush, green forests; a serene lake that provides opportunities for fishing,…
Keep reading
Summit Lake State Park: 1 Day Adventure
Summit Lake State Park is located about an hour east of Indianapolis, IN, near the city of New Castle. At about 2700 acres, this park includes a gorgeous 800-acre lake that provides stunning water views from every hiking trail in the park. There is also, two kayak trails, a beach, and 3 boat ramps to…
Keep reading
Summit Lake State Park: 2 Day Adventure
Summit Lake State Park is located about an hour east of Indianapolis, IN near the city of New Castle. At about 2700 acres, this park includes a gorgeous 800-acre lake that provides you with stunning water views from every hiking trail in the park. There is also, two kayak trails, a beach, and 3 boat…
Keep reading
Voyageurs National Park: 3 Day Adventure
Voyageurs National Park is located in northern Minnesota, just outside International Falls, where its waterways share a border with Canada. Voyageurs’ 218,000 acres is over one-third beautiful, blue water, has over 500 forested islands and 655 miles of both rocky and sandy shorelines. It was truly impressive- and not a single spot in this park…
Keep reading
McCormick’s Creek State Park: 2 Day Adventure
McCormick’s Creek State Park is located in Spencer, Indiana about 60 miles south of Indianapolis. At just under 2,000 acres, it was founded in 1916 as Indiana’s first state park! The 10 miles of hiking trails will take you through lush, dense forest, a limestone canyon, along the lovely McCormick’s Creek and right up to…
Keep reading
Fort Harrison State Park: 2 Day Adventure
Fort Harrison State Park is a 1700-acre park located just 12 miles north of downtown Indianapolis, Indiana. Those 1700 acres offer hiking, biking, swimming, golfing, fishing, horseback riding, hayrides, bird watching, sledding, snowshoeing, and cross-country skiing. You can even take a glance into history by visiting the military museum and preserved Citizens Military Training Camp…
Keep reading
Mounds State Park: 1 Day Adventure
Mounds State Park is one of Indiana’s smallest state parks at 290 acres, just about an hour northeast of Indianapolis, Indiana. Don’t let its small size fool you, because this park packs a lot of history and beauty into every one of those 290 acres. The most unique aspect of this park is it offers…
Keep reading
Clifty Falls State Park: 2 Day Adventure
Clifty Falls State Park is located in the lovely, historic town of Madison, Indiana, just a few steps north of the Ohio River. It is also just a short drive from Indianapolis, Louisville and Cincinnati, so if you are from or visiting any of those areas this is a detour you will want to take.…
Keep reading
Shades State Park: 1 Day Adventure
Shades State Park is located in Waveland, Indiana about 60 miles west of Indianapolis. If rugged hiking is your crew’s jam, then this is the park for you! This park is an absolute favorite of ours! The hiking trails are certainly rugged and will take you up the sandstone cliffs and down the shady ravines…
Keep reading
Yellowstone National Park: 4 Day Adventure
Located in the states of Idaho, Montana and Wyoming, Yellowstone National Park became the first national park in March of 1872. From its unique geothermal features (over 10,000 geysers, hot springs, mud pots and fumaroles) to its endless amount of wildlife (almost 400 different species of animals!), to its unbelievable landscape (countless lakes, rivers, mountains),…
Keep reading
Theodore Roosevelt National Park: 2 Day Adventure
Theodore Roosevelt National Park is located in western North Dakota and comprised of three separate units- North Unit, South Unit and Elkhorn Ranch Unit with the lovely Little Missouri River connecting the three. The Park has over 70,000 acres of flowing prairies and stunning buttes and is home to so much wildlife- longhorn steer, bison,…
Keep reading
Grand Teton National Park: 3 Day Adventure
Grand Teton National Park is one of our favorites! I had been there prior to this last trip, but Scott, my husband, had never been, and I remember LOVING it the last time I was there. But…. I was a little worried right before we went, that I had hyped it up too much and…
Keep reading
Custer State Park: 1 Day Adventure
Custer State Park is South Dakota’s first and largest state park at over 70,000 acres, and shares its southern border with Wind Cave National Park. We absolutely loved this park (possibly more than some of the national parks we have visited), and it is definitely a must stop if you are in the area seeing…
Keep reading
Wind Cave National Park: 1 Day Adventure
Wind Cave is in southwestern South Dakota and is home to one of the world’s oldest and largest mapped caves in the world at almost 150 miles mapped to date! Instead of the usual stalactite and stalagmite formations, Wind Cave is known for its boxwork, so the inside of the cave looked very different than…
Keep readingLoading…
Something went wrong. Please refresh the page and/or try again.
