Pacific Northwest Family Travel: Best Destinations with Kids

The Pacific Northwest offers so many family travel destinations, and it’s one of the most beautiful and adventure-filled corners of the country to explore with kids. From volcanic lava tubes and underground caves to sand dunes, tide pools, and storybook forests, there is no shortage of memorable places to visit. Over several family road trips around our home region, we have gathered a list of our top family-friendly destinations across Washington, Oregon, and Idaho.

Many of these stops are budget-friendly and easy to enjoy with young kids. We’ve explored flat stroller-friendly trails and stayed in beautiful campgrounds near free natural wonders. Here is our family guide to the best Pacific Northwest family travel stops.

Washington

Leavenworth Bavarian Village

Tucked into the Cascade Mountains, Leavenworth is a charming Bavarian-style village and a delightful family getaway in Washington. The mountain setting adds charm to the walkable streets lined with painted facades, local shops, bakeries, coffee shops, and classic German restaurants. We have visited several times with our kids and always leave with special memories. In winter the whole town glows during its famous Christmas lighting festival, and in summer the alpine views are crisp and clear under the sun. Beyond the walkable village, families can enjoy skiing at nearby Stevens Pass in the colder months and rafting and tubing along the Wenatchee River when it warms up. Wandering the themed shops, sampling fresh bakery treats, and soaking in the storybook atmosphere make Leavenworth a memorable stop for the whole family.

In Leavenworth, we stayed in another family’s home through HomeExchange. This travel network lets members stay in each other’s homes, either by swapping directly or by using points earned from hosting guests in your own home. It’s a budget-friendly way to travel as a family, since a whole house gives you more room than a hotel. We always enjoy separate bedrooms, a kitchen for simple meals, and a comfortable, lived-in feel. The home we stayed in was welcoming and guest-ready, and having a cozy home base made our Leavenworth visit even more relaxing. If you travel often, HomeExchange is a resource worth considering!

Seattle

Seattle is a fun city to explore with kids of all ages! Our favorite destinations include Pike Place Market, the Space Needle, the Museum of Pop Culture, the Museum of Flight, and the Woodland Park Zoo. Younger kids will love the free Artists at Play playground at Seattle Center. For full details and recommendations on planning a family trip to Seattle, see our guide to Seattle with kids.

Mount St. Helens Lava Tubes

Another one-of-a-kind destination in Washington is the Mount St. Helens lava tubes along the Trail of Two Forests. These huge underground tubes were formed when tree trunks were buried in lava from a past Mount St. Helens eruption. The trees later rotted away, leaving tunnels beneath the rock. Boardwalks wrap around the formations, creating an easy walking path that works well even for young kids. Just make sure to keep little ones away from the edges! One lava tube even lets you climb down a ladder and crawl underground a fair way to the exit. This tunnel is an adventurous option if no one in your group is claustrophobic. My husband was able to squeeze all the way through!

A quick caution: Lava rock is sharp and pitted, so wear good shoes and watch young kids on the boardwalks. Some of the tube openings drop a good 6 feet into the ground.

Ape Cave

Nearby is Ape Cave, one of the longest lava tubes in North America. It was named by the Boy Scout troop that first explored it. We hiked down the stone steps into the mouth of the cave and took the upper passage, which leads to a large cavern and eventually a big rock pile. This is as far as we got with toddlers and a baby in the backpack. The cave is pitch dark, cool, and damp, and our kids loved exploring it with headlamps. The lower passage is the easier route for young families, while the upper passage gets more challenging with rock scrambling further in.

Ape Cave Highlights:

• Upper and lower passage hiking options
• Upper passage leads to a spacious cavern young families can easily explore with flashlights
• Wide range of hiking options for all abilities
• Rock scrambling and wall scaling further down the upper passage

Cautions:

• The pile of rocks shortly after the main cavern is hard for kids to climb
• Wear protective footwear; the floor of the cave is rocky and uneven
• The upper passage gets narrower and harder to navigate after the main cavern
• The cave is pitch dark, so bring flashlights or headlamps!

Oregon

The Enchanted Forest

Passing through Salem, we stopped at The Enchanted Forest, a beloved storybook theme park. Our kids loved the vintage storybook lane with its animatronic fairy tale scenes. Surprisingly, the attractions have hardly changed since my husband visited as a child. Favorites included the cave walk through Snow White’s Seven Dwarfs mine, the cleverly designed Crooked House, and the Old Shoe slide, which our kids slid down on mats at least eight times. This Pacific Northwest family travel destination is definitely worth a stop on your next road trip through Oregon!

The Oregon Coast and Tide Pools

The Oregon Coast has many beautiful hiking trails and paved paths that families of all ages can enjoy. We have visited Newport and Florence with our kids on several trips. The Newport tide pools are fun to explore, where we have found colorful sea urchins, small crabs, and sea stars tucked into shallow pools. Near Florence, don’t miss Thor’s Well, a natural rock formation that appears to drain the ocean at high tide. Also visit Heceta Head Lighthouse, perched on a scenic cliff. For everything on the coast, see our full travel guide, Oregon with kids.

Ride the Florence Sand Dunes

The sand dunes near Florence are another highlight for adventurous families. We spent a few days camping by the dunes over Spring Break, and a short ride across the sand took us straight to the beach. We brought our Polaris RZR, outfitted with seat belt harnesses for the kids, and set off across the dunes for some easy off-roading. The warm spring weather was perfect for exploring the beach side bluffs and walking along the soft white sand. Big pieces of driftwood along the beach made perfect spots to rest and look out at the ocean. It’s important to get your bearings of the terrain so you can easily find your way back to your campground. If you don’t have your own off-road vehicle, you can rent one nearby.

Crater Lake

Our travels in Oregon brought us to Crater Lake right around the Fourth of July. We drove around the huge, crystal-clear lake, which sits inside the crater of a volcano, and stopped at overlooks along the way. The kids were amazed to find snow around the lake in July! Crater Lake is a gorgeous Pacific Northwest family travel destination. Stop by an information booth to learn about how the lake formed and how it is protected.

Rogue River Gorge

The Rogue River Gorge in Oregon is an easy, stroller-friendly hike. It follows the river past a dramatic gorge with subterranean lava tubes and underground rapids. At the gorge, the whole Rogue River funnels into a narrow channel carved through volcanic rock, rushing and churning below before disappearing beneath the lava and resurfacing downstream. Paved and boardwalk paths with plenty of railings make it safe and manageable for small children. Signs along the way explain how the gorge and lava tubes formed. We camped right next to the trail, which gave us easy access to wander down to the scenic photo spots whenever we liked. The short, level walk and the drama of the roaring water make this an unforgettable stop for families with kids.

Forested Camp Sites

Camping at forested campsites with amenities is a great way to save money while traveling with kids. I have a hard time tent camping in the woods with young children, but it’s much easier to spend a few nights in our RV. Even without an RV, a picturesque campsite with bathrooms and shower access makes camping with kids a whole lot easier. We found many scenic, forested campsites along the Oregon Coast using the trip planning resource RV Trip Wizard. Booking a site or two in advance takes the guesswork out of your route and means you always have a comfortable place to land at the end of a long travel day.

Family Owned Vineyards

On our RV trips we discovered Harvest Hosts, a network of wineries and farms that offer overnight parking to travelers. Our favorite stay was at Emerson Vineyards in Oregon. Here we took a long family walk through the vineyard and watched a comical session of goat yoga. Our kids rode push carts around the wine processing center while we chatted with the friendly owners about winemaking. Stopping by this Oregon vineyard was an authentic, local experience our whole family enjoyed.

Idaho

Coeur d’Alene

Coeur d’Alene, in the Idaho panhandle, is a hidden gem of the Pacific Northwest and our longtime home base. The area is full of lakes, family hiking trails, relaxing campgrounds, and welcoming local culture. A popular destination in downtown Coeur d’Alene is Tubbs Hill trails overlooking Lake Coeur d’Alene. Nearby, families can visit the sandy lakeside beaches and ride bikes along North Idaho Centennial Trail. Our family loves visiting the many neighborhood parks with playgrounds and splash pads. Additionally, the weekly farmers market and local coffee shops give you a real taste of Pacific Northwest living. For our complete local guide, see kids activities in Coeur d’Alene.

Tips for a Pacific Northwest Family Road Trip

Camp to save money – Forested campgrounds with bathrooms and showers make travel with kids much easier and far cheaper than hotels. An RV or a roomy family tent lets kids nap during the day and sleep snug at night.

Pack for adventures and weather – Headlamps for the caves, water shoes for coastal tide pools, and layers for cool coastal mornings are all useful travel essentials for exploring with kids!

Choose flat, stroller-friendly hikes for little ones – Several of these stops, like the Rogue Gorge and the lava tube boardwalks, work well even with a baby along.

Look into hospitality networks – Harvest Hosts (wineries and farms), HomeExchange, and similar programs made our family trips more affordable.

Stop to see free natural wonders – Many of the best Pacific Northwest family travel destinations, from tide pools to lava tubes, cost nothing but a little driving and a sense of adventure.

Which Pacific Northwest adventure will your family explore first?