State Parks

Baxter State Park is one of the wildest places a family can go in the eastern United States: a million-acre gift of Maine forest anchored by Mount Katahdin, criss-crossed by moose trails, and threaded with cold, clear ponds. Kids who hike here come home different.

Franconia Notch State Park packs granite peaks, a glacial gorge, a sandy beach, and an aerial tramway into one compact corner of New Hampshire's White Mountains. Short boardwalk trails and easy lake swims make it one of the most family-friendly parks in the Northeast.

Letchworth State Park in western New York drops the Genesee River through a dramatic gorge with three major waterfalls and miles of rim trails sized perfectly for young explorers. It earns the Grand Canyon of the East nickname every single time the mist hits your face at the base of Middle Falls.

Niagara Falls State Park puts your family close enough to feel the spray of one of the world's most powerful waterfalls, and it has been doing exactly that since 1885. Short island walks, the legendary Cave of the Winds descent, and easy access from the parking lot make this a rare place where the spectacle is also the trail.

Watkins Glen State Park packs nineteen waterfalls, carved stone tunnels, and a dramatic two-mile gorge into one of the most rewarding short hikes in the Northeast. It is the kind of place that makes kids feel like genuine explorers and gives parents a memory worth driving across the state to find.