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A Perfect Ten
Scoring big with your kids; unforgettable days in America's premier national playgrounds.
By Charles

Sitting on the granite shore of a tiny island in Maine, my son, Robin, bright-eyed and attentive throughout the day's ranger-led tour, started asking a series of perceptive questions about what we had learned. I could almost feel his world deepening. Certain uncrowded natural places inspire the best in children. I've found many of those places while researching my book, Family Vacations in the National Parks, over years of trips with our own brood, now ages nine, six, one, and three months. Here are my top picks for how to spend your time in the following national parks.

Kenai Fjords National Park, Alaska
Paddle a double kayak below the steep, rocky shores of Resurrection Bay fjord, just outside the park. While gliding through the water, you'll likely see bald eagles, sea otters, sea lions, and possibly orcas and humpback whales. On an all-day trip you'll make it several miles down to Tonsina Point, where you can paddle above spawning salmon. Sunny Cove Sea Kayaking charges $125 per person including lunch and kayak rental for the all-day trip, $59 for a half-day:907-224-8810; www.sunny cove.com.

Olympic National Park, Washington
Strap on your packs at the Rialto Beach parking lot and hike north along the cobbles, watching the North Pacific pound sea stacks just offshore. Camp anywhere you choose along the beach (above the tidemark!) or in designated campsites in the woods just above the beach. At low tide, venture out onto a rocky shelf of tide pools inhabited by hermit crabs, anemones, sea stars, and sea urchins. Get a backcountry camping permit from the park's Wilderness Information Center: 360-452-0300; www.nps.gov/olym.

Yosemite National Park, California
Flee crowded Yosemite Valley and camp on the bank of the South Fork of the Merced River in Wawona, toward the park's south end near Mariposa Grove. You'll have the river to yourself to float the three miles from Swinging Bridge down to the campground on a raft, canoe, kayak, inner tube, or even your air mattress. (You'll have to bring your own gear and transport yourself up Forest Drive to the bridge; note that the water is too low after mid-July). Contact the Yosemite Wilderness Permit office: 209-372-0740; www.nps.gov/yose.

Kings Canyon National Park, California
No sign marks the narrow dirt road off Generals Highway that heads through immense trees into Redwood Canyon, the world's largest surviving grove of giant sequoias. Get directions and a backcountry permit at the Grant Grove Visitor Center, and then hike off to camp alone in this dim cathedral. The first backcountry campsite is three miles into a six-mile loop. Contact the Wilderness Office: 559-565-3766; www.nps.gov/seki/bcinfo.htm.

Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
At the foot of rocky, 8,000-foot peaks, Yellowstone's grassy northern valley is the star of its own western movie. Daily rides from Roosevelt Lodge let families put themselves in the scene, possibly spotting bison and elk or joining a cowboy cookout and sing-along (those under age eight can take horse-drawn wagon rides at the lodge). A two-hour ride costs $36. Contact Yellowstone National Park Lodges: 307-344-7311; www.travelyellowstone.com

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