Tag: Hiking with kids

What to Do With Kids at Great Sand Dunes National Park

On this National Park to Park Highway adventure, Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve was a welcome respite after the crowds at Rocky Mountain and Yellowstone National Parks. This park is more remote and less developed than most National Parks we’ve visited which meant that we found some of the solitude we’ve come to associate with being in the outdoors.
Great Sand Dunes has fewer developed trails and roads because the main attraction is the field of giant sand dunes the park was established to protect, including the tallest sand dune in North America. You wouldn’t think a mountain of sand would appear between the plains and mountains of Colorado, without a drop of ocean in sight, but they’re there and lots of fun to play in.

If you’re planning a trip to Great Sand Dunes be sure to bring bug spray. The mosquitoes were nasty in the campground and on the hike to the dunes. Once on the dunes the breeze and lack of vegetation kept the blood sucking beasts away.
In addition to climbing dunes, sand sledding and castle building, enjoy these activities at Great Sand Dunes Park and Preserve.
Sled Down a Sand Mountain Missing the winter? Try sliding down a mountain of sand on a sled or sand board. Rent one at the private campground just outside of the park entrance or bring your own. Be sure to get out in the early morning or evening – the afternoon sand can reach temperatures of 150 degrees.

Splash in Medano Creek – Flowing from the mountains down past the sand dunes is a shallow crreek that is a blast to play in. When the water is high you can float on intertubes, but that’s only during spring runoff in May and June. Even if the water is only a few inches deep it’s worth splashing in.
Camp at Pinon Flats Campground The only developed campground at this park has 88 sites, flush toilets, dishwashing sinks, paths down to the sand dunes and the dune overlook and wildlife aplenty. Deer wandered through the campground along with rabbits, birds and unfortunately a million and a half mosquitos.

Enjoy the Interactive Exhibits at the Visitor Center – I’ve been to several National Park visitor centers and this one was definitely my favorite. The interactive exhibits were great for both kids and adults and they offer a junior ranger backpack you can use to explore the park.

Hike Past the Point of No Return Most visitors explore the sand dunes after a short half mile hike near the visitors center. We drove up to the Point of No Return parking area and hiked to the Sand Pit picnic area. For three hours we had the place to ourselves with plenty of room to climb, slide, dig and build in the sand dunes and creek. Watch out for hot sand both on the dunes and hiking out – our toes did not appreciate the burning on the walk out.

Zapata Falls About 10 miles south of the park is a rough gravel road leading to a hidden water fall. Zapata Falls was a rocky half mile hike round trip to a beautiful but freezing cold water fall. It felt great on a hot summer day, except that the water was so cold my toes took 20 minutes to thaw completely.
Have a 4WD adventure on the Primitive Road The road between the Sand Dunes and the Sangre de Cristo mountains is a primitive sand and gravel road that requires a high clearance 4WD vehicle and lowered tire pressure. I would’ve loved to have our UTV to explore this bit of wilderness but unfortunately off road vehicles aren’t allowed in National Parks. If you have a jeep or other 4WD truck this would be a fun drive.

Get Off the Beaten Path in Yellowstone

For most of the parks we visit on the National Park to Park Highway I will be posting our top ten picks of kids activities, but Yellowstone is a special case. The first National Park is so huge and so popular (especially on Independence Day weekend when we visited) that instead of a top ten list I decided to share some off-the-beaten-path adventures with you instead. As always, follow @mountainmomtots on instagram for daily updates and to see what park we’re visiting right now.
First some tips:
If you’re traveling to Yellowstone save your gas money and choose just one area a day to focus on in the park. Whether it’s Old Faithful, Mammoth or Canyon areas, it’s more fun to get out and explore than hurry back to your car.
Get out of your car and onto a hiking trail. There’s a statistic out there that more than 90% of visitors to Yellowstone never go farther than a boardwalk, road or visitors center. Even if it’s just half a mile off the road, you can find solitude and nature away from the crowds.
Try less well known areas like the ones we visited here:

Firehole Lake Drive – Between Old Faithful and Madison Junction
This short, one way drive off the main road offers great geyser and hot springs viewing, not to mention a surprise spring. The features are similar to other geothermal areas in the park but the crowds are minimal.
Bike off of Fountain Flat Drive –Between Old Faithful and Madison Junction
Fountain Flat Drive is a short road that dead ends at the trail head for a primitive bike trail and hiking area. This gravel bike path is flat and easy to maneuver (except when your son gets a flat tire in the parking lot). Features to see along the 9 mile path include Ojo Caliente Spring, Goose Lake, Sentinel Meadow Trail, Fairy Falls Trail, and the Firehole River Crossing.
Ojo Caliente – 0.3 miles from the end of Fountain Flat Drive
We loved this little hidden hot spring not only for its secluded, off the beaten path location, but also because the hot water empties into the Firehole River. Touching water in the hot springs is not allowed (not to mention its a terrible idea) but you can swim in the river downstream from the spring. Can I just say, it was like sitting in a hot tub in the most beautiful place on earth.
Junior Ranger Station  – Madison Junction
We loved this little gift shop and information station. The hands on exhibits of animal furs, skulls, antlers and horns are great for little (and big) explorers plus you can look for wildlife with their spotting scope. Stay for a ranger talk which happen every half hour throughout the day and enjoy the beautiful views.
Beaver Ponds Trail – Mammoth
Because the Mammoth area of the park is so much further north than the rest of the park fewer people are on the roads to get there so pull over at some scenic overlooks. Once you’re at Mammoth try hiking to the Beaver Ponds Trail to get a view of the hot springs from behind.
Swim the Boiling River – Mammoth
This is a popular swim spot since the hot springs empty into the river. It is not off-the-beaten path but it is still worth visiting, especially if you can catch a glimpse of elk munching across the river like we did.
Do you have any favorite off-the-beaten-path locations in Yellowstone? Share them here.

10 Things to Do with Kids in Grand Teton National Park

There is so much to do at Grand Teton National Park. Here are our top picks for kids. Make sure to check our instagram for daily updates from our National Park to Park Highway trip.

Bike to Jenny Lake The paved bike path from Jackson to Grand Teton is a 26 mile scenic trail through some of the prettiest scenery on earth. Obviously 26 miles is way more than me and my tots can handle but the path joins the multi use path at the Moose Entrance inside Grand Teton National Park. There it crosses several pullouts and parking areas, allowing for an adjustable length adventure. We took a ranger’s advice and drove to Windy Lakes pullout just past the Moose Entrance to avoid the steepest hill.
Boat on Jenny Lake A shuttle boat takes hikers across Jenny Lake to Inspiration Point trailhead every 10-15 minutes in the summer for $15.00 per adult round trip. In addition you can rent canoes, kayaks or take a 1 hour scenic boat ride to explore this beautiful glacier lake.
Swim in String Lake Just north of Jenny Lake is a great picnic area surrounded by tall pines. Enjoy your meal then head to the water to splash. The shallow water is great for swimming, paddle boards, or canoes. Keep all your food locked up to be Bear Aware.
Visit the Laurance S. Rockefeller Preserve This modern style museum is beautifully situated at the base of the Tetons. Parking is limited so it’s best to plan your visit to arrive before 10 am or after 3 pm. Several beautiful hikes start from here including my favorite the Woodland Trail to Phelps Lake.

Hike to Phelps Lake This 3 mile round trip hike walks along a river to Phelps Lake. We loved swimming in the clear water, but especially loved the scenery. It’s hard to beat the pine trees and mountains around the lake.

Enjoy Inspiration Point Take the ferry across Jenny Lake and then enjoy the less than a mile long hike up to Inspiration Point. The views are amazing, but so are the crowds. This is one of the most popular hikes in Grand Teton National Park so don’t go expecting solitude. You can also explore hidden falls, the trails connect.
Check out a Naturalist Backpack At the Craig Thomas Discovery Center and Laurence S Rockefeller Preserve you can check out a naturalist backpack complete with nature journal, drawing materials and everything you need to make a plaster cast of an animal track.
Take a Scenic Drive Teton Park road passes alpine lakes and offers great views of the Teton mountain range. For another good scenic drive try the Moose-Wilson road toward the south of the park. Parts of this road is not appropriate for RV, Truck or Trailer use.

Travel Back in Time The Historic District at Grand Teton National Park has several wild west buildings still in use. A chapel built in the early 1900s, Menors Ferry and General Store and a little further on Murie Ranch. If you’re a history buff you won’t want to miss this.
Watch for Wildlife You drive through the Elk Refuge when you approach Grand Tetons from Jackson. Watch for wildlife including bison and elk especially in the mornings and evenings. Be aware that the speed limit is 55 during the day and 45 at night.
Raft the Snake River Okay so this one might be easier just outside of Grand Teton National Park but the Snake River has some great whitewater rapids and makes for a fun day trip or leisurely float. Several rafting companies are based in nearby Jackson Hole, WY.

Baby Safety On and Off the Campsite

Camping with a baby is tough. When they’re little lumps who sit happily on a picnic blanket it’s easy. Now that Baby L has opinions on where she sits, what she eats, what she plays with, who picks her up, and everything else it’s hard.

She’s at an awkward stage. At 15 months old, but not quite walking, she is literally in the dirt on every camping trip. What’s more, she’s a great climber and crawler which means I have to constantly make sure she hasn’t gotten into the fire pit. Babies in the outdoors take work and some extra gear. That gear can make a huge difference.

Portable Highchair
The coolest new baby gear item we’ve tried is the Kidco DinePod. This highchair folds up like a regular camping chair so it’s easy to travel with. When set up, the legs are as sturdy as any restaurant highchair with a buckle for baby. Baby L can eat at any campsite we visit without sitting on my lap and sharing her food with my clothes. 

Holding a wiggly almost-toddler while they grab at your plate requires patiently wrestling, readjusting and moving things out of reach. I hate it. It’s so much better to have a KidCo DinePod so both Baby L and I can enjoy meal time. My one complaint is that the push button to fold up the seat gets stuck easily. I’ve had to wrestle the chair closed a few times. It wasn’t pretty.

Hiking Carrier
If you want to get out of camp and on the trail you’ll need a quality baby carrier. Different carriers work better depending on the age of your baby. Tales of a Mountain Mama has extensively tested almost every baby carrier on the market including soft sided options like LILLEbaby and Onya as well as framed carriers from Deuter, Osprey and Kelty.

We use an older version of Kelty’s Pathfinder framed pack mostly, but on quick trips or when we are packing light I’ll wrap Baby L in a Moby Wrap and call it good. We reviewed these more extensively here.

Baby Tent
One item we’re excited to try out on our National Park to Park Highway tour is the Kidco PeaPod Plus. The infant travel bed works like a pop up tent. It collapses into a convenient case and comes with a built in sleeping pad. We’ll be attaching the KidCo PeaPod Plus to the tailgate on our trip so Baby L can sleep close to us in the back of the truck, but not on top of us while we’re trying to sleep.

I have a friend who used a KidCo PeaPod nightly to keep her climbing toddler boys from escaping their crib. They zipped them up at night and didn’t have to worry about broken arms or legs from their adventurous boys climbing out. Nice.

Stair Gates
The number one baby safety item that has changed my life recently is not one we’ll be taking on our National Park to Park Highway Tour. It’s attached to my house.

One of super climber Baby L’s favorite activities is to climb up and down our stairs at home. With a spiral staircase to our basement and openings between the steps to the upstairs, I am constantly worried she will slip through and fall.

When we asked Kidco to be a sponsor for our National Park to Park Highway Tour, I mentioned that our stair gates at the time consisted of a guitar case and a plastic gate bungeed to the banister. It wasn’t pretty and only 50% effective at keeping Baby L from sneaking up the stairs. Luckily Kidco sent me two Angle Mount Safeway Gates to protect my littlest tot from danger.

The KidCo Angle Mount Safeway Gate is great for non parallel attachment points. The gate hardware allows you to choose the direction the gate will swing and it’s easy to control once installed. The dark wood looks great with our balustrades and the gate itself can handle openings ranging from 27 to 42 inches.

The installation was tricky however, and I’m pretty handy with a drill. The toughest part was making sure I positioned the hinges at the same height on both sides of the stair opening. Kidco sent templates to help with that, but their directions weren’t very clear. Also the top latch comes off easily, especially when older siblings are opening and closing the gates.

With that said, having these KidCo Angle Mount Safeway Gates has changed my life. I’m no longer dropping what I’m doing every second to follow Baby L up the stairs for the twelfth time that day. Now I can control if and when we go up and down stairs. The worry that Baby L will tumble down has been erased from my mind. Plus the gates look great.

Baby safety indoors and out is something all parents have to worry about. Thankfully the right gear can take some of that worry away. Do you go camping with a baby or toddler? What gear has helped in your outdoor adventures? Let me know by leaving a comment!

This post includes affiliate links. I receive a very small commission if you purchase something by clicking through these links. Thank you to our 2016 National Park to Park Highway Tour Sponsors.