So, you’re looking for a place to visit in Idaho that the entire family will enjoy. Well, do we have some recommendations for you! In no particular order, here are just some of the amazing Idaho family vacation spots that you can discover.
- Boise
You’ll find Boise coming up a lot in discussions around where to visit in Idaho. This is because it is located near some of the most beautiful, memorable, interesting, and breathtaking things to do in the entirety of the United States. This isn’t to detract from the city itself. In fact the city is full of fun things to do. For example there is The Old Idaho Penitentiary State Historic Site which was a functional prison from the years 1872 to 1973, and has a tonne of interesting history tied to it. If history isn’t your scene you could instead check out Freak Alley Art Gallery, which is a mix of an outdoor, and an indoor art gallery. They promote local artists, and provide access to a bunch of really cool street art all for free. Then, after you’re done exploring the city, if you’re feeling hungry, thirsty, or even just like you want to do some shopping, you have to check out Boise’s legendary markets. There are plenty of options, from farmers markets with fresh produce from local farmers, to public markets that provide a place for local artists to sell their work, to street markets where you’ll find plenty of small vendors, and shops set up to sell you whatever you might need. You’ll be sure to love one of them.
- Bruneau Dunes State Park
Wide open skies, breathtaking landscape stretching as far as the eye can see. There is so much to love about Bruneau Dunes State Park. If you’ve always wanted to visit the deserts of Africa, but never been able to make it, Bruneau Dunes is about as close as any of us are going to get in this lifetime, and they are right in our backyard. If you’re looking for a place to let the kids roam as you enjoy the otherworldly views you won’t find much better than this.
- Idaho Falls
Idaho Falls is a city with a great mix of fun for adults, and fun for kids. For the adults there are stunning views, and interesting history, with both the titular waterfall, and the museum of Idaho to check out. Then for the kids there is the Idaho Falls Zoo which has barnyard animals, birds of prey, wild cats, wild dogs, reptiles, and many more different varieties of animals. With so many choices, how could they not be interested?
- Boise Amazing Scavenger Hunt
The Boise Amazing Scavenger Hunt will take you on a real adventure. It is a guided walking tour/scavenger hunt around the city of Boise that you can do with only your smartphone. This scavenger hunt will take you on not just a journey through Boise, but a journey through history as well. The great thing about being guided by your phone is that you can take as much, or as little time as you need to complete the puzzles, and find the sites. On this trip you will see a bunch of interesting sights such as the State Capitol, the Anne Frank Memorial, and the Boise Art Museum.
- Yellowstone Bear World
If you, and your kids are looking for a wild wildlife adventure then Yellowstone is the way to go. Yellowstone Bear World is a haven for more than just bears. It has all sorts of North American wildlife inside its borders, but before we get to that, let me explain. Yellowstone Bear World is a drive through, free roam animal haven where you can interact with a whole host of different fawna, all from the comfort of your vehicle. It has a bunch of different animals to encounter such as Bison, White-tail Deer, Mule Deer, Rocky Mountain Goats, Moose, Rocky Mountain Elk and as the name implies, American Black Bear and Grizzly Bear.
- Idaho Botanical Garden
A garden might not seem like the best place to take a distractible young kid, but Idaho Botanical Garden is more than just a garden, it also has youth education classes, camps, and events so that your kids can come out knowing just that little bit more about our world then they knew going in. If that doesn’t interest you then there are music shows to enjoy, a children’s adventure garden to explore, and plenty of garden art to draw your eye.
- Hells Canyon
Hells Canyon is a stunning place as it is, but mix that with a thrilling white water boat ride, and tour down the great Snake River, and you won’t care whether it’s raining or shining because you’ll have fun either way. That’s not to forget the tour part of boat tours as while you are traveling down the river you’ll be learning all about the interesting history of the wilderness that surrounds you.
- Craters of the Moon
Craters of the Moon is a perfect visit for any families of space lovers, or volcano aficionados. The Craters of the Moon were made from vast lakes, and oceans of lava that existed tens of thousands of years ago, and hardened into the ethereal planes of natural art that exist today. This lava also sometimes formed into caves, and tunnels that are there for you to explore. This means that you can walk through where long ago rivers of molten rock ran like water. If that’s not cool enough to convince you to visit, I don’t know what is.