Channel Islands National Park. All photography is ours.
Home/Destinations/United States/California
California with Kids
Nine national parks, four of the best theme parks on earth, and eight hundred miles of coast between them. California is not a destination you tick off your list in one trip. It’s really several amazing destinations, each with its own fun, adventure, and awe. If you’re looking for some trip ideas for exploring California with kids, this is the place. In all of our visits, we’ve never gone home disappointed.
Destination guide · Updated November 2026 · Last visited July 2026
Best months
April–June, Sept–Oct
National parks
9 + 19 NPS sites
Fly into
LAX · SAN · SFO · SJC
How long
10 days, one region at a time
Book ahead
Yosemite lodges · Alcatraz · Disneyland hotels
From theme parks to national parks, California really does have it all. There aren’t many places where you can play on the beach in the morning and be standing in snow by dinner. This is also what makes it a challenge to plan. Packing for Anaheim and Yosemite are two completely different vacations in the same state.
We’ve curated the places worth building a trip around, along with every California guide we’ve published. Our goal is to help you build an amazing trip to California with kids, so browse our guides, enjoy the photos, and discover California.
Your California guide
Enjoy exploring California with kids!
Keep scrolling for the essentials and where to stay.
Essential California
Why we love California
And why you will too.
Every state has a few places that define it. California happens to have several and they’re all wildly different from each other. A castle lit up at closing time, a desert sky with billions of stars, granite walls and waterfall mist you can feel from the valley floor, a misty walk among the tallest trees in the world. These are the ones we’d send a first-timer to, and the ones we’d keep going back to ourselves.
We didn’t forget about the theme parks either (we figured you’d probably be visiting those anyway). California has some of the best. Try visiting around the holidays for some extra fun.
Disneyland & Anaheim Guide
The one most families come for, and the one most families under-plan. Where you sleep matters more than which park day you pick.
Joshua Tree Guide
Boulders built for climbing on, and a night sky most kids have never seen. Best November through March.
San Diego Guide
The most consistently kid-friendly city in the state, and the mildest weather in the country.
Redwood Forest AftT Visit
Take a stroll among the tallest living things on our planet.
And the rest we’d cross the state for
Highway 1 and Big Sur
The coast road from Monterey to San Simeon. Elephant seals at Piedras Blancas are the reliable crowd-pleaser. Check for closures before committing, since this stretch is known for rock slides most winters.
The Giant Sequoias
Sequoia and Kings Canyon national parks sit side by side, three hours from Fresno. Nothing prepares you for standing at the foot of a tree more than sixty feet around. Looking for more national park sites? See our guide to California national parks.
Universal Studios Hollywood Guide
Smaller than Orlando and better for it with younger kids. The Christmas decorations are worth timing a trip around. See Christmas at Universal Studios Hollywood.
San Francisco and the Golden Gate
Cable cars, sea lions at Pier 39, and fog that surprises everyone in July. Pack layers. It’s the coldest summer city in the state by a wide margin.
Redwood National and State Parks AftT Visit
Six hours north of San Francisco and worth every mile. The tallest trees on earth, and the trails through them are flat and shaded. One of our favorite national park trips. Don’t miss a hike through Lady Bird Johnson Grove first thing in the morning. Want more NPS sites nearby? Check out our California national parks guide.
Pinnacles National Park Guide
California’s least-visited national park, with talus caves kids can climb through and condors overhead. We’ve written up visiting Pinnacles with kids and really enjoyed our visit here.
Death Valley AftT Visit
Badwater Basin, sand dunes, and the most alien landscape of any national park in the lower forty-eight. A winter destination only. Summer here is dangerous. There are more park sites to explore in our California national parks guide.
Lake Tahoe
The rare place that works in both directions. Skiing from December, and a startlingly blue lake to swim in from July.
Browse
Find your next adventure in California
Tell us what you’re planning and we’ll match it up with some great trip ideas.
-
The Best Hotels Near Disneyland
Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California may be the happiest place on Earth, but finding a good hotel can be anything…
-
Best Family Hotels in San Diego, CA
Looking for the best family hotels in San Diego? With nearly perfect weather year round and unlimited family activities, we…
-
Things to do in Channel Islands National Park
The Channel Islands off the California coast seem trapped in time, not unlike the Galapagos farther south, and these special…
-
9 Incredible Things To Do in Joshua Tree National Park
We spent a day exploring Joshua Tree National Park California, and like all of our National Park visits, we were…
-
Christmas at Universal Studios Hollywood (A Who-ville Holiday!)
Although we’ve visited Universal Orlando Resort several times (it’s one of our favorites – read more here and here), we…
-
Visiting Pinnacles National Park with kids
If you’ve never heard of Pinnacles National Park, you’re not alone. It’s a lesser known park that could easily get…
-
Knott’s Merry Farm – A Very Merry California Christmas
A trip to Buena Park California is great any time of year, and a day at Knott’s Berry Farm is…
-
Things to do in Irvine – Orange County’s Outdoor Playground
Irvine, California surprised us with its parks, diversity, and family-friendly fun. As we drove by its perfectly manicured office parks…
-
Things to do in Buena Park California (Sunshine and Smiles for Everyone!)
For families visiting Orange County, California, a day or two in Buena Park is a must. We recently spent two…
Routes
Four California road trip itineraries
One state, four very different trips. Theme parks, national parks, the coast, or the far north. See all the best stops on our map.
Home base
Anaheim
Disneyland, Knott’s and Buena Park are all within twenty minutes. Stay within walking distance if the budget allows. If you have small kids, this is the easy button.
Then head to
San Diego
Ninety minutes south for beaches, the zoo and Balboa Park. Our San Diego guide has you covered.
Add on
Joshua Tree
Three hours east and a total change of scenery. Best November through March. Joshua Tree is surprisingly full off wildlife, so keep your eyes peeled.
Home base
Yosemite Valley
Waterfalls peak in May and June. Check the park’s reservation requirements before booking anything else.
Then head to
Sequoia & Kings Canyon
Three hours south of the valley. Drive the General Sherman loop and see some of Earth’s largest living things. Book a night or two at one of the lodges in the park to break up the trip, but book early.
Start
San Diego
Work north from the mildest weather in the country. San Diego is non-stop fun for kids and families.
Then head to
Highway 1 to Monterey
Elephant seals at Piedras Blancas, then Big Sur. Be sure to check on road closures during the winter months.
Finish
San Francisco
Cable cars and sea lions. Chocolate and sourdough. Pack layers even in August.
Start
Sacramento
Fly in and give the kids a day here. The California State Railroad Museum in Old Sacramento is worth a full morning, and the drive north starts flat and fast on I-5.
Then head to
Redding: Whiskeytown & Lassen
Two and a half hours north, and the base for two parks. Whiskeytown’s lake and waterfalls are twenty minutes west, and Lassen’s boiling mudpots are an hour east. Visit Lassen Volcanic NP in late July to witness an amazing butterfly migration.
Then head to
Lava Beds & Tule Lake
Three hours northeast, near the Oregon line. Lava Beds lends out flashlights for caves kids can walk straight into. For history, Tule Lake, the WWII segregation center next door. There is also world-class birdwatching at the Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuge.
Finish
Redwoods & Crescent City
About four and a half hours west through Oregon on Highway 199. Stout Grove is the flat, shaded walk under the tallest trees on earth. Crescent City has tide pools and a lighthouse you can walk to at low tide.
When to go
Time your visits with the weather and the region
The coast is mild all year, the deserts are beautiful, but can be dangerous in summer, and the mountains close due to snow at a moment’s notice. Be prepared and make sure you know the forecast.
Swipe the chart sideways to see the full year.
April – June
The best all-round window. Yosemite’s waterfalls are at their fullest, the desert is still pleasant, and the coast hasn’t yet fogged in. Book early.
July – August
Peak crowds and peak prices. The coast is lovely and San Francisco is chilly. The deserts are hot and miserable. Stick to mountains, beaches, and theme parks.
September – October
Our favorite. The fog lifts, ocean temperatures peak, the crowds go back to school, and the desert becomes comfortable again.
November – March
Prime season for Joshua Tree, Death Valley and Palm Springs. Theme parks are at their quietest and best-decorated. Roads in Yosemite, Sequoia, and Kings Canyon close due to snow.
Where to stay
Pick a good base to start your California adventure
California is easier (and more fun) when you don’t try and do it all. Start with these based on your activity. If you have more time, mix and match.
Theme park trips
Anaheim & Buena Park
Location, location, location. If you have small kids, pay extra to stay close or better yet, leverage those hotel points you’ve been saving.
- The best hotels near Disneyland
- Buena Park as a cheaper base
- Book refundable, then re-check monthly
Coast trips
San Diego & Orange County
Dense with chain properties, which makes it the easiest part of the state to book on points.
- Best family hotels in San Diego
- Irvine as an Orange County base
- Beach or zoo, pick one and stay near it
National park trips
Gateway towns
In-park lodges open about a year ahead and vanish the same week. Gateway towns cost half and are usually fine.
- Crescent City for Redwood National and State Parks
- Three Rivers for Sequoia and Kings Canyon
- Mariposa or Oakhurst for Yosemite
- Buy the annual park pass on day one
- Check cancellations weekly. They open constantly
Good to know
Questions families ask us about California
You can, but Anaheim to Yosemite is a six-hour drive and the two halves have very different weather. If you have ten days or fewer, pick one and do it properly. California will still be there.
LAX or SNA for the theme parks, SAN for San Diego and the southern coast, SFO or SJC for the north and the big trees, and Fresno if Yosemite and Sequoia are the whole trip. Award availability into SAN and SJC can be better than LAX, so check all of your options.
Yes, everywhere except a pure San Francisco city break. Public transport between regions is slow and the national parks are effectively unreachable without one.
Coastal fog. July and August are the foggiest months and highs sit in the sixties. Pack the same layers you’d bring for a spring trip.
Mid-January through February, and the weeks either side of Thanksgiving. Late November also gets you the Christmas overlays without the Christmas-week crowds. It’s the sweet spot most families miss. We’ve splurged on both Thanksgiving and Christmas, and if you can effectively manage the crowds, they are a really fun time to visit.
Between November and March, absolutely. Joshua Tree is a giant playground of climbable boulders. Between June and September, no. Skip it and go to the coast.
Map
Essential California, mapped
Keep exploring
Where to go next
Arizona with Kids
The Grand Canyon, plus twenty-one other park sites most people drive straight past.
