u/campingkiddos

A day at Donut Falls is a day well spent! Just 25 miles from downtown Salt Lake City, this hike is an easy one to add to any itinerary in this part of Utah.

This waterfall is unique because it flows into the top of a cave and then pops out on the side before the stream continues down into Cottonwood Canyon.

You will need to cross the stream twice, once on a wooden foot bridge and again directly in the water close to the falls. Wear waterproof boots or hiking sandals you don’t mind getting wet.

It’s open year round, but it really shines in the late spring and early summer, when the snow melt causes a substantial waterfall and the wildflowers pop up all over the trail.

However, that’s ALSO when all of the crowds show up, so either come early for a spot at the closer trailhead (on Forest Road 19) or prepare to hike another mile or so from the further trailhead on Big Cottonwood Canyon Road.

My kids' favorite parts were playing in the water and the very short rock scramble that had a rope for assistance.

There are vault toilets at both of the trailheads, which is convenient if you’ve got kids along.

Fort Moultrie National Historic Site often gets overlooked for the more well known Fort Sumter. Both forts are important in American history, but Fort Sumter is largely known for its part in starting the Civil War, while Fort Moultrie boasts a much longer history stretching from the American Revolution to World War II.

Unlike Fort Sumter, which is right in the mouth of the Charleston Harbor, Fort Moultrie is hidden down a road in the middle of a residential district on Sullivan’s Island. This is one of those cases where the extra time and effort in getting here is worth it!

Not only does Fort Moultrie have an arguably more interesting history, it’s also far less crowded than Fort Sumter, and it’s much less expensive. My kids love exploring the many tunnels and stairways throughout Fort Moultrie, and the WWII bunker feels like a secret discovery every time.

Be sure to grab your free Junior Ranger booklet while you’re here, and fill out the packet for a badge at the visitors center!

When we went to Shenandoah in the dead of winter, none of the campgrounds in the park were open, so we had to stay outside of it.

We ended up at the Shenandoah River State Park, which was great. I haven't camped inside Shenandoah NP, so I can't directly compare the two, but the state park had wide lots and plenty of hiking trails onsite. I didn't feel like we were missing anything by not being in the national park as the northern entrance near Front Royal was less than 15 minutes up the road.

We stayed here in our 22' camper with our kids. The kids had a great time riding their bikes around the campground, and there was a hiking trailhead right across from our campsite. I'd definitely go back again.

If you’re looking for an easier trail in Yellowstone that still packs plenty of interest, add the Artists Paintpots Trail to your itinerary. You’ll see milky blue hot springs, iron red steam vents, vats of mud pots, and long range views of Mount Holmes in the distance.

There are boardwalks and stairs to the mud pots and upper viewing areas, which add a sense of adventure to the trail.

This trail is located off on the Grand Loop Road just north of Grand Prismatic Spring. It’s an easy drive from West Yellowstone, the Old Faithful area, or Canyon Village.

For today's kid-friendly trail of the week, we're headed to my childhood stomping grounds in Upstate South Carolina. The Station Cove Falls trail is one that you have to add to your itinerary should you find yourself near Greenville, South Carolina, or in town for a Clemson Tigers game.

The trailhead is located inside Oconee Station State Historic Site in Westminster, which is about an hour from Greenville and less than 30 minutes from Clemson.

The easy, 1 mile trail only has about 100 feet of elevation gain throughout, which makes it interesting without being overly difficult even for the youngest hikers in your group.

Bring a towel and water shoes for your kids to play in the shallow pool at the base of the falls, which is the perfect way to cool off when you're visiting in the summer.

It's gorgeous year round, too, with wildflowers in the spring, colorful foliage in the fall (usually the end of October/beginning of November), and icicles on the falls in winter.

Did you know that you're standing on top of a super volcano when you visit Yellowstone National Park? That's the driving force behind all of the park's many hydrothermal features, and it's why Yellowstone is home to about half of the entire world's active geysers!

While you're in the park, you can see plopping mud pots, hissing steam vents, explosive geysers, and bubbling hot springs.

Pictured: Beehive Geyser

You only get 18 summers with your kids, and it can be hard to determine what places are good, kid-friendly, and worth the money. That’s where my new series comes in!

Each week, I’m breaking down incredible places that will have your entire family talking about them for years to come.

And to kick us off: Sequoia National Park!

This park is excellent for families who love camping and hiking, and it’s perfect for kids who want to see BIG trees.

You can visit the 2 largest trees on Earth, General Grant (1st place) and General Sherman (2nd place), explore underground on the Crystal Cave tour, walk through house-sized trees, get your Junior Ranger badge, and get hands-on learning at the Giant Forest Museum.

Have you traveled to Sequoia National Park with your kids? If so, leave your best tip for families below!

Whether you're a biological dad, stepdad, grandpa, uncle, foster parent, or guardian, Happy Father's Day to all of those outdoorsy guys who are helping instill a love of nature in the next generation.

Share a photo of you with your kids, or you with your dad on a favorite outdoor adventure below!

We've camped all over the U.S., but one of our favorite places to camp is at Oconee State Park near Walhalla, South Carolina.

There are over a hundred sites for RV/tent camping, and a dedicated, walk-in primitive camping area for tents only. The property has a lake, multiple trails, paddleboats, a swimming area, holiday-themed activities, a playground, and even weekly line dancing in the summer!

It has the feel of an old fashioned summer camp, but one that anyone can join in regardless of age.

If you can visit between the last week in October and the first week in November, you'll get gorgeous fall foliage. You're also within easy driving distance of dozens of waterfalls in Upstate South Carolina.

Plus, the overall cost of staying here is relatively low, given that it is a state park.

Have you stayed in any of the SC state parks?

This week's kid-friendly trail takes us to Victor, Colorado, where you can go on a troll hunt for the Rita the Rock Planter sculpture.

Rita is a larger than life piece of art, made from recycled materials by Danish artist Thomas Dambo. She's one of more than 150 trolls around the world, so if your kids like this experience, you can start to look for more of the Dambo sculptures elsewhere on your travels!

The trailhead starts at the abandoned American Eagle mine, and you'll be able to see the still active CC&V gold mine as you journey towards Rita.

The trail itself is an easy and relatively flat 0.5 mile round trip from the upper parking area near the old mine, but you can make it more difficult and longer if you choose to park in the lower parking area near the entrance to the site.

Have you seen any of the Dambo trolls? If so, which one?

For us, it's the gorgeous landscapes of Utah, including the Corona Arch trail (pictured).

Photo 1: my kids at Pinnacles NP

Photo 2: Part of the High Peaks Trail at Pinnacles NP

Photo 3: Picnic area along Tioga Road in Yosemite NP

Photo 4: Pothole Dome in Yosemite NP

Photo 5: Yosemite Valley

Photo 6: Our tent at Camp Curry

Photo 7: King's River in King's Canyon NP

Photo 8: King's Canyon NP

Photo 9: Grove of sequoia trees in Sequoia NP

Photo 10: One of the many cool tree features throughout Sequoia NP

We just got back from a 14 day trip to the 4 national parks in central California: Pinnacles, King's Canyon, Sequoia, and Yosemite. It was incredible, and I cannot wait to take my kids back to explore the rest of the CA national parks!

We flew into San Francisco and spent a couple of days doing some things along the coast: Alcatraz, Monterey, and Carmel among them.

Then, we headed inland, stopping by Pinnacles for a day. We hiked a section of the High Peak Trail, which was well worth the effort. We saw several California condors and had a snack along a ridge that allowed us to see both the west and east sides of the park. We used the east entrance to the park and stayed in Hollister, which worked out well.

Next, we went to Yosemite for 3 days. We drove Tioga Road, which had just fully opened a few days before we got there. Tuolumne Meadows is beautiful. This entire part of the park wasn't very busy at all during our stay. We also spent a couple of hours at Mono Lake outside the park's eastern border, and I wish we'd built in more time there.

We stayed in Camp Curry, which was a fun, rustic experience. They'd just turned off the heat the weekend before we arrived, so we were pretty chilly the first night. We ended up getting a couple of wool blankets from registration which made the second night much more tolerable.

Yosemite Valley was so crowded, but also so beautiful. We did the Valley Floor guided tram tour, did a couple of short hikes (including to Tuolumne Grove), and had a blast watching the rock climbers near Camp 4.

King's Canyon and Sequoia are jointly managed, but each was worth at least a day or two. We spent just a day in King's Canyon, but I should've allotted two here. We spent 2 in Sequoia, and I wanted another to do some more hikes!

In King's Canyon, we drove into the valley, did a couple of short hikes, and attended a ranger program. The river at the bottom of the Canyon is so pretty, and we found it fascinating that parts of the canyon were carved by glacier and parts were carved by the river. Each area is very different. We also did the Big Stump Loop near the entrance station.

In Sequoia, we saw both General Sherman and General Grant, drove the entirety of the Generals Highway, did the Crystal Cave Tour, and did a hike or two.

My kids did Junior Ranger programs at all of the parks, and we now have 4 new badges to show off!