Junior Ranger Programs
"Explore, Learn, and Protect!" The Junior Ranger motto is recited by children around the country; each taking an oath of their own to protect parks, continue to learn about parks, and share their own ranger story with friends and family. The NPS Junior Ranger program is an activity based program conducted in almost all parks, and some Junior Ranger programs are national. Interested youth complete a series of activities during a park visit, share their answers with a park ranger, and receive an official Junior Ranger patch and Junior Ranger certificate.
With more than 500 geysers, almost four dozen waterfalls, plus hissing steam vents and exploding mud pots, kids will see something exciting everywhere they turn. The Hayden Valley, in the center of the park, and the Lamar Valley, in the northeast corner, are among the best places for drive-by spotting of some of the park's 400-plus animal species, which include an estimated 30,000 elk. On foot, follow the easy Garnet Hill Loop and Trout Lake Trails as well as the Storm Point Trail for the greatest chance to see wildlife.
Take part in the Wildlife Olympics, held three times a week in various locations. They set up seven stations that help children and parents compare their skills to those of the animals at the park.
From the south entrance, head to the Mariposa Grove to see 500 mature giant sequoias, among the world's tallest and oldest trees. While kids will be able to spot some from the parking lot, they'll really be wowed during an easy 3/4-mile hike to check out the Grizzly Giant (the largest tree in the grove) and the California Tunnel Tree (they can walk through it -- it was cut as a passage for stagecoaches in the late 1800s). After this month, the entire grove will have limited access for two years for renovations; check the park's website for updates.
Take a Junior Ranger walk starting at the Happy Islands Nature Center.
3. Grand Teton National Park - Wyoming
When you leave Yellowstone, the Teton's sister park, it will be like coming to another world, with soaring mountains and beautiful lakes. Start exploring by taking the Jenny Lake shuttle boat ($15 for ages 12 and up, $8 for ages 2 to 11) and hiking about a half mile to Hidden Falls (an 80-foot waterfall) and then, if the kids are up for it, another steeper half mile to Inspiration Point for breathtaking mountain views.
Borrow a Nature Explorer's backpack with a journal, lenses, field-guide cards, and more activities tailored for children ages 6 to 12 from the Laurance S. Rockefeller Preserve Center. If you find animal footprints on the trail, you can make impressions of them using the plaster mold in the backpack. an incredible keepsake for an incredible journey.
4. Great Smoky Mountains National Park - Tennessee
Thanks to the colorful leaves on the 100-plus species of trees, the park looks like a rainbow when you drive through in mid-October to early November. Hop on the Little River Road near the Sugarland’s Visitor Center, and take in the scenery for 25 miles to the open valley of Cades Cove; your kids may spot deer, coyotes, groundhogs, and turkeys. Follow the short Cades Cove Nature Trail to see waterfalls.
On Tuesdays in the summer, a ranger dresses in a blacksmith costume and invites kids in groups of eight to put on an apron, goggles, and gloves to learn what a blacksmith did 100 years ago. Kids can help make a triangular dinner bell that they take home with them.
Even antsy kids will be mesmerized as you drive on the Going-to-the-Sun Road, a 52-mile highway that passes by waterfalls, animals such as mountain goats and sheep, and the Jackson Glacier overlook, where they can get a good view of the seventh-largest glacier in the park. The glaciers are disappearing fast, so share with the kids while you still can. Stretch little legs on the mile-long Running Eagle Falls Trail.
Take part in the Night Explorer program, where kids will peek in telescopes, learn about the sun, and use their senses.
Don't visit until July to make sure that the Going-to-the-Sun Road is open, since it's typically snow-covered from November to late June.
Let Rawhide Travel and Tours help you with all your business and leisure travel needs. Call us at (602) 843-5100 or visit our website: rawhidetravel.com
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Rawhide Travel and Tours Inc.
6008 West Bell Rd # F105
Glendale, Arizona 85308-3793
602-843-5100
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