Just remember: Your family vacation won’t be perfect. But it will be exactly the vacation your family needs. And those mistakes, missed turns and disasters? They’re the family vacation memories your teens will carry with them for the rest of their lives!
Best Beaches for Teens
Think the turquoise water is only found at the all-inclusive resorts in the Caribbean , like the Turks and Caicos, or Mexico’s Riviera Maya? Not at all!
You can find white sand a road trip away. And there are even all-inclusive resorts in Florida with amazing beaches and, even better with ravenous teens, all the food they can eat!
SheBuysTravel Tip: If you want an all-inclusive just right for teens, we heartily recommend this Hard Rock Resort in Mexico . They’ll feel so cool there, especially when they find out they can borrow a Fender guitar and amp to play during their vacation!
Navarre Beach, near Pensacola, Florida, offers teens sugar white sand and turquoise blue water. Photo Credit: Allison Bean Taylor
1. Navarre Beach, Florida
With four miles of perfect white sand beach, the Gulf of Mexico on one side and Santa Rosa on the other, Navarre Beach is the hidden gem of the Florida Panhandle.
This area offers bike paths for teens to explore and beach towns packed with ice cream shops and juice stands for hanging out. And there is plenty to keep teens from complaining they’re bored.
SheBuysTravel contributor Breeze Leonard went ziplining on her Navarre Beach vacation while SheBuysTravel writer Allison Taylor and her family learned to kayak — and no one fell in! You can also take surfing classes with your teen or join a night glow kayak session .
Add in water so blue you think it’s the Caribbean, and it’s easy to see why this area can become a family vacation favorite.
Best of all, it’s close enough to take a side trip to Orlando’s theme parks. With teens, we recommend Universal Studios .
SheBuysTravel Tip: Save a few bucks by buying discounted theme park tickets through our partners at GetAwayToday .
Santa Monica Beach consistently ranks among L.A.’s top five cleanest family beaches. Photo Credit: Visit California
2. Southern California
Southern California has been a mecca for the young at heart since the dawn of TV. The beaches of SoCal created a culture that teens still crave.
Be the cool mom and sign up your teens for surfing lessons in Los Angeles or San Diego. Check out the piers and boardwalks, both packed with fun. Don’t forget Disneyland’s Star Wars attraction or take a Celebrity Homes Bus Tour ! Or hit the water parks.
Recommended and teen-approved SoCal hotel: Margaritaville Palm Springs.
Sunset on Kaanapali Beach in Maui, Hawaii. Photo credit: Cindy Richards
3. Hawaii
Collect those miles or book those companion fares to say Aloha . Each of the Hawaiian islands offers a different feel.
Oahu is the top teen destination with the urban wonders of Honolulu, the famous Waikiki Beach and the legendary surfing on the laid back North Shore of the island . Definitely spring for surfing lessons here. If nothing else, your teen will go home with a very cool t-shirt.
Maui offers beautiful beaches, immersive Hawaiian culture, the funky Lahaina waterfront town and the breathtaking drive along the Road to Hana. The drive is just 52 miles long. But with 620 curves and 59 narrow bridges, it can take a few hours. Along the way, you’ll see waterfalls, beaches and the charming town of Hana. It’s up to you whether you want to give your teen driver time at the wheel.
The Big Island of Hawaii has 10 of the world’s 14 climate zones. Active volcanoes, beaches, waterfalls, cultural sites and coffee farms are among the many attractions. The island has two airports: Hilo International Airport, and Kona International Airport. Consider flying into one and out the other. Don’t miss the famous black sand beaches or a visit to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.
Kauai is the greenest of the islands and the filming location for the first Jurassic Park movie. Treat your teens with a helicopter ride over the interior or a boat ride to see the gorgeous Napali Coast from the water. If your teens like to hike, this is the place. But start early. There are only a handful of parking spots at the trailhead.
These are our favorite Hawaii resorts .
Recommended and teen-approved hotel choice : Marriott’s Ko Olina Beach Club for its large two- and three-bedroom suites that will give teens their own space.
Grandpa and grandson at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Park, an Instagram-worthy family vacation with teens. Photo credit: Kristen Shaw
4. Michigan
The “Third Coast” as Lake Michigan boosters like to call it (yes, people surf on Lake Michigan – sometimes wearing wet suits) is home to one of the world’s most beautiful beaches, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Park near Traverse City.
SheBuysTravel contributor Kristin Shaw visited on a multi-gen family vacation with her parents and her tween son. They drove along Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive, which winds around itself like the entry road to Yosemite Park in California and stopped at Outlooks 8 and 9.
The first stop is the Instagram-worthy Glen Lake Overlook where they oohed and ahhed at the impressive vistas. Next is the Dunes Overlook, where you can take in a panoramic view of the North and South Manitou Islands, Pyramid Point, Sleeping Bear Bay, the Sleeping Bear Dunes, and more.
When SheBuysTravel Editor-in-Chief Cindy Richards visited with her teens, her track star son ran down the steep dunes and spent a challenging hour climbing back up. These days, there’s a sign at the top warning people against attempting that feat. If you attempt the dune climb and can’t make it back to the top, you’ll be charged $3,000 for the rescue.
Recommended and teen-approved hotel choice: Grand Traverse Resort and Spa for its two indoor and one outdoor pool, indoor waterpark, arcade, bowling alley, escape room and virtual reality activities.
Best Road Trip Vacations with Teens
There’s something special about road-tripping with teens — and it’s not just that they’re old enough to do some of the driving. Being in the car for all of those hours leads to long talks about nothing special, silly rounds of car games, belting out tunes and eating snacks .
The destination matters, of course. After all, you’ve got to convince the teens to spend days away from their friends and hours in the car with you.
SheBuysTravel Editor-in-Chief Cindy Richards liked to choose road trip destinations that required long stretches of driving through spotty cell service. Without a connection, her teens were more likely to talk to her. While it gets tougher all the time to find a place in America where “you can’t hear me now,” it’s still possible with these trips.
The kids took the challenging path to the foot of the Mt. Rushmore monument–over the rocks. Photo credit: Cindy Richards
5. Chicago to Mount Rushmore
This classic Midwest road trip must include kitschy stops at the Corn Palace in Mitchell and the giant Wall Drug in Wall, South Dakota. Give the kids some money to spend at both places. You might be surprised by what they choose to buy.
Cindy’s kids spent an hour giggling and trying on cowboy hats — until a store clerk pointed out the sign that said “No Trying on Hats.”
If your kids are adventurous, add Wind Cave National Park to your itinerary and go below to check out the cool underground cave system.
Recommended and teen-approved hotel choice: Rock Creek Lodge and Cabins in Custer, South Dakota
SheBuysTravel Tip: Don’t do this drive during the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally Week in early August unless you like the deep-throated roar of hundreds of thousands of Harleys while you’re trying to commune with nature in the Black Hills.
If you’re road-tripping from LA to Sequoia National Park in the spring on a family vacation with teens, stop for a walk among the California poppies. Photo credit: Brian Baer, courtesy of Antelope Valley California Poppy Nature Reserve
6. Los Angeles to Sequoia National Park
Plan this trip for the spring and stop at the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve in Lancaster. The red poppy field should be in full bloom then.
Once you get to Sequoia, impress the teens with the redwoods so tall they touch the sun. My kids had fun climbing through the trunk of a fallen giant. If your family is into camping, bring the tent or rent a cabin.
One of seven national parks near Los Angeles , Sequoia was the second park in the US National Park system, established in 1890. It’s where you can find General Sherman, the largest tree in the world.
Recommended and teen-approved hotel: Wuksachi Lodge .
Mount Washington has some of the worst weather in the USA. Come prepared if your teens want to hike to the top. Photo credit: Yvonne Jasinski
7. New York to Vermont
What teen wouldn’t want to road trip for ice cream? There’s lots to do in Vermont, but the promise of a visit to the Ben & Jerry’s factory in Waterbury is a must. Don’t leave without paying your respects to the ice cream flavors resting peacefully in the Flavor Graveyard.
But that is just one Instagram-worthy stop on this Northeast road trip. There’s also lovely Lake Champlain and quaint small towns along the way that showcase white-steepled churches and historic storefronts.
Active teens will want a detour to neighboring New Hampshire to climb Mount Washington . Hiking up is not for everyone — Mount Washington has some of the worst weather in the USA — but everyone can get to the peak via the Mount Washington Cog Railway .
Recommended and teen-approved hotel: Omni Mount Washington Resort in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire
Teenagers leaving their mark — and posing for an Insta — at Cadillac Ranch in Texas. Photo credit: Terri Marshall
8. Albuquerque New Mexico to Amarillo Texas
Plan to stop along the way in Tucumcari, New Mexico , another Instagram-friendly spot. SheBuysTravel contributor Nasreen Stump discovered Tucumcari by accident on a New Mexico road trip . Hotels in Santa Fe were pricey. She and her family needed to be in Canyon, Texas, (near Amarillo) the next night. As she searched for motel rooms along a remote stretch of Historic Route 66, all options pointed to Tucumcari.
Back in the heyday of Route 66, Tucumcari was the place to stop along the way. Book a stay in one of the really cool vintage motels, complete with nostalgic neon signs.
The goal of this road trip, though, is Cadillac Ranch . That’s the too-weird-to-be-believed desert installation of Cadillac chassis half-buried in a cow patch near Amarillo. Stop at the nearby Home Depot to buy cans of spray paint (or bring your own). The kids WILL be spray painting the cars. (You should, too!)
SheBuysTravel Tip: We like neon spray paints (they show up well). If you’re trying to write and photograph a specific message bring black or white spray paint to make a base layer.
Recommended and teen-approved hotel: the vintage Motel Safari in Tucumcari, New Mexico.
Winter skiing isn’t the only reason the mountains make a great family vacation with teens. Photo credit: Gerard de Mooij/Pixabay
Best Vacations with Teens: Mountains Are Calling
The mountains are a great active family vacation destination with teens. In the winter, active snow-friendly activities abound — skiing, snowboarding, sledding, ice skating and more. In the summer, the mountains are in bloom and hiking and mountain biking are the activities of choice.
For active outdoorsy families, heading to the mountains is one of the best vacations for teens.
A Vail summer hike typically has a fantastic payoff of spectacular mountain views. Photo: Town of Vail/ Jack Affleck
9. Colorado
Colorado’s Rockies top the continent with more than 50 peaks above 14,000 feet. Climbing a fourteener might be more than your teens can conquer. But Colorado offers an array of teen-friendly outdoor sports for families , like hiking, mountain biking, whitewater rafting, horseback riding, rock climbing, ziplining and hot springs .
The mild summer temperatures offer a respite when most of the U.S. is sweating through their shirts. Although, as SheBuysTravel Editor Cindy Richards and her teens learned on a summer Jeep tour into the mountains above Vail, it can be warm at the resort, but snowing at the top, so plan accordingly!
Winters offer world-class sports, like the teen fave, snowboarding, and skiing . Keep having fun with your kids longer and plan an annual ski trip. College students will flock home for the holidays if mom and dad pick up the tab for a ski trip!
Recommended and teen-approved ski resort: Vail Mountain
My son thinking about jumping into the water from his Zephyr Cove Marina Team jet ski. Photo credit: Margot Black
10. Lake Tahoe
Lake Tahoe, east of San Francisco in the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range, offers Olympic snow since it hosted the 1960 Winter Olympics. I love Tahoe for its mellow California vibe that attracts moguls and boarders alike.
During the summer, Lake Tahoe offers a crystal clear lake for water sports, yoga retreats and an epic hiking trail, the TRT, the Tahoe Rim Trail. It’s also a fun spot for celebrity spotting!
Recommended and teen-approved places to stay in Lake Tahoe: Edgewood Tahoe Resort , Tahoe Lakeshore Lodge & Spa , Beachcomber Inn .
Our daughter fell in love with skiing and yearly ski trips are a must for our family. Photo credit: Breeze Leonard
11. Angel Fire New Mexico
This ski resort is a favorite of road-tripping Texans, including SheBuysTravel contributor Breeze Leonard.
She and her extended family — 17 of them! — went to Angel Fire where her family learned to ski. She liked that when you sign kids up for ski school, the ski rentals are included. The resort’s most teen-friendly feature: night skiing!
Boating, stand-up paddling, and fishing are among summer activities in Big Bear Lake, CA. Photo credit: Mimi Slawoff
12. Big Bear Lake
Big Bear is a mecca for skiers in the winter, but it really shines in the summer .
SheBuysTravel contributor Mimi Slawoff has been visiting Big Bear with her family (including the dog!) since the kids were little. As teens, they spend their days on the water, paddleboarding, kayaking, swimming and more. Rent a pontoon boat to take the whole family for a ride, or give the teens a thrill by renting jet skis for them to drive over the water or Segways for them to zip around on land.
SheBuysTravel Tip: If possible, avoid heading to Big Bear on a Friday afternoon, unless you really like sitting in traffic.
13. Northern Michigan
While Westerners turn up their noses at the idea of Midwest skiing, Midwesterners know that there is plenty of snow fun to be had in northern Michigan.
SheBuysTravel contributor Jamie Bartosch says Crystal Mountain Resort and Boyne Mountain Resort are great places for family vacations with teens in the summer as well as the winter. At Boyne Mountain, she and her family rode the ski lifts up to biking trails, ziplining (the awesome guides taught them how to go upside-down and hands-free) and a disc golf course.
At Crystal Mountain Resort in Thomasville, Michigan, they zipped down the mountain on the alpine slide. Treat the kids to a throw-back evening of fun at the nearby Cherry Bowl Drive-In movie theater in Honor, Michigan.
FireChaser Express at Dollywood. Photo by Steven Bridges, courtesy of Dollywood
14. Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, Tennessee
Sometimes, one teen wants a mountain getaway with lots of outdoor activity while another wants a national park vacation. Just a handful of miles outside of Great Smoky Mountain National Park , these gateway towns offer both.
Find loads of activities from river rafting, mountain coasters and Dollywood , an affordable, family-friendly amusement park. With its quirky activities, like the Titanic Museum (check tickets here) , this area offers lots of dining, lodging and quaint cabins too.
Recommended and teen-approved hotel: Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort
Photo courtesy of Tim Jones
Best Vacations with Teens: Stunning National Parks
North America does epic landscapes really well. The US National Park Service parks attract visitors from around the globe — and it is also one of the best vacations for teens. Really.
Expect the parks to be busy this summer. Plan to arrive at the park before 9 a.m. to get in and grab a parking place.
Grand Prismatic Spring at Yellowstone. Photo credit: Cindy Richards
15. Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone National Park, located in northwest Wyoming and 320 miles northeast of Salt Lake City, tops my list of best vacations for teens. Old Faithful Geyser and Old Faithful Inn offer must-sees. Kids love animals, so drive through Hayden or Lamar Valley to see bison, bear, elk and maybe even those elusive grey wolves.
Give Yellowstone at least four days; I prefer a week. Be prepared to picnic for lunch since the food service isn’t conveniently located near iconic sights or hikes. Don’t miss out on the Huckleberry ice cream.
Teen-approved places to stay near Yellowstone: West Yellowstone Condominium Resort , Clubhouse Inn, Under Canvas Yellowstone and more .
SheBuysTravel Tip: Assign the teens to be the lookout, keeping their eyes on the horizon line in search of animals. And when you see a crowd along the road pointing at something, stop and park. The crowd has seen something you’ll want to see, too. Just remember to pull fully off the road.
The Way of the Mono trail is a short hike with scenic views at Yosemite. Photo credit: Mimi Slawoff
16. Yosemite National Park
In the central
