New Mexico is a land of plateaus and mesas, of vibrant colors and gorgeous landscapes, of delicious food and amazing national parks. It was also the destination of our spring trip in 2023. We left San Diego, CA and drove straight east across Arizona and into New Mexico.

Our two main hubs for this trip were Los Cruces and Albuquerque. These put us decent driving distance from the main places we wanted to see on our trip. Santa Fe could have easily substituted for Albuquerque. They are only about an hour apart so either city works as a hub for the more northern sites.

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White Sands National Park

White Sands National Park was my personal favorite park on this trip. I loved the soft, brilliant dunes that stretched as far as the eye can see. We did the Backcountry Trail and went sledding on the dunes – both I would absolutely recommend.

The backcountry trail is a loop over the dunes that is about 2 miles. The only downside is that the “trail” given the nature of the dunes can only be marked with posts. I’m sure the rangers do their very best to keep it marked, but again given the nature of sand, many of the posts had fallen down so I’m not sure how closely we actually followed the intended path. Nevertheless, we walked from orange post that we could see to orange post and I love every minute.

Sledding was probably the highlight for my kids. We brought sleds from home but you can also purchase sleds in the gift shop. It looked like you could return them when you are done for a partial refund and it’s also possible to purchase used sleds. We did buy the wax and applied that to our sleds, kind of like you do for surfing. All four of us had a blast sledding down the dunes. We sledded on the dunes near the parking lot of the trail head for the Backcountry Trail but there are lots of spots around the park where people were sledding.

Carlsbad Caverns National Park

Carlsbad Caverns National Park was my kids’ favorite park on the trip. It is definitely one of the most unique National Parks we have visited.

From the visitor center you can either take an elevator into the caverns or hike down a “natural path” which is what we chose. In the visitor center they warn you that it is “strenuous” but I wouldn’t say it’s super difficult. It is almost entirely gently downhill and a couple of miles long. You do have to be careful because portions are slippery and it is lit, but still quite dark. With younger kids I would probably recommend the elevator down but elementary schoolers and up would likely be fine walking down the path.

Once you’re at the bottom, you hike a loop around the “big room” which is massive. This part probably took us about an hour. There are tons of fascinating geological formations. For kids to get the most out of it, I recommend the Junior Ranger Packet which you can pick up in the lobby of the ranger station before you head down and/or learning about caves and cave formations before you visit.

Guadalupe Mountains National Park

Guadalupe Mountains is in Texas, not New Mexico, but as I learned on this trip – to go from CA or Los Cruces, New Mexico to Carlsbad Caverns you actually leave New Mexico, drive through El Paso, Texas, past Guadalupe Mountains National Park and then back into New Mexico.

These are beautiful mountains that are kind of a surprise in the desert of western Texas. There are various difficulties and lengths of trails in the park. You can also camp here, which I would choose over camping at Carlsbad Caverns personally. In the Spring when we visited, the wild flowers are pretty. From pictures it also looks like Fall would be a gorgeous time to visit.

My kids love the ocean and were fascinated to learn about the early history of this area and how it used to be underwater. We had recently read One Million Oysters on Top of the Mountain which wasn’t specifically about this park or mountain range, but did teach my kids a lot about the science of how this is possible and also how geologists have uncovered this fact.

Chaco Culture National Heritage Park

Chaco Culture National Heritage Park is set into a canyon and preserves portions of an ancient pueblo site. These are fascinating to walk around and through. We’ve been learning about ancient history this year and had recently learned about the Maya civilization. It was fun to hear my kids compare and contrast the two as we explored. I love how this experience brought ancient cultures and civilizations more to life for them.

My one caution about this park is that you have to take dirt roads to get to the park. This is fine, but when it starts to rain these dirt roads because very hard to maneuver mud roads. If you’re able to pick a day where the skies are clear it would be a much more safe and pleasant experience.

Valley of the Dreams Hike

The Valley of the Dreams hike has similar caveats. This is a hike that my husband had been on with a friend on a previous trip. Getting there involves some off roading, some navigational faith, and maybe even some luck. That being said, it was pretty awesome. There is no official trail here. You “start at the abandoned car” (his exact words) and then head down into the valley and loop around. It is a incredible area that feels almost other worldly and very remote.

Albuquerque

Albuquerque was more of a hub for us. There are actually quite a few things to do in Albuquerque. Top on my list was the Nuclear Science Museum but for various reasons we had to shorten our trip and exploring this city more was one of the things we had to cut out. We stayed in the Uptown area near the mall though and found it incredibly convenient. There were lots of restaurants nearby along with a Trader Joe’s and a Target.

Santa Fe

Santa Fe has a distinct feel. Kind of western, kind of quirky. It is its own thing. We explored the main touristy area, popping in and out of shops. We all loved the Collected Works Bookshop and Coffeehouse.

Meow Wolf

Meow Wolf is really hard to explain. It is billed as an immersive art experience intended to inspire creativity. I would really recommend visiting their site to read more and watch their about video to get an idea of what it is. It was quirky and fun. My kids both really enjoyed it and as kids who love fantasy and creativity I would say they found it inspiring. There are four locations right now, but Santa Fe is the original home of Meow Wolf.

Georgia O’Keefe Museum

The Georgia O’Keefe Museum is tiny but completely dedicated to the artist and has a well rounded collection of her work along with a good background of her development as an artist. I prepped my kids beforehand by reading about Georgia O’Keefe, studying some of her art, and doing a little O’Keefe inspired art. You can find more information and reserve tickets (not required but recommended) on their website.

Petrified Forest National Park

The Petrified Forest National Park is in Arizona, not New Mexico but it was on our route home from Albuquerque to San Diego so it was impossible to resist stopping. This park was different than I expected but I absolutely loved the Blue Mesa Trail. It was my second favorite hike of the trip and absolutely worth the stop and added hours to our trip home in my opinion. It’s a loop down into a canyon with layered mesas all around you.

I recommend stopping at the northern Ranger Station to pick up Junior Ranger packets. The rangers there were also super helpful and eager to share tips on the park. Then drive south through the park stopping occasionally and at the bottom there is another Ranger Station where you can get your Junior Ranger badges and walk the Petrified Log loop out back.

Homeschooling on the Go Around New Mexico

For us, this was a learning experience. I would argue all travel is a learning experience. The parks, the geography, the museums – they all offer experiences that provide exposure, learning opportunities, etc. To deepen that learning both before the trip and during the trip, I would also recommend the following resources.

• Junior Ranger Packets at National Parks. These are often so well done and offer a range of history, geography, science and more for kids. You don’t necessarily have to do the whole book or go back to get sworn in for a badge if your kids aren’t interested, but I would suggest you at least pick one up. I always learn something from going through these packets with my kids. I think they do a good job of deepening your understand and often appreciation of the park.

• Geology plays a huge role in what is so cool about New Mexico. I felt like I saw layers in mountain and rock so much more clearly here than other places and we saw a huge variety of different rock as we explored. Learning about the underwater, coral reef history of Carlsbad Caverns and Guadalupe Mountains also makes much more sense in the context of some understanding of geology. If your kids are interested either before or after the trip, here are some things we’ve done and used to study geology in the past.
• Read about Georgia O’Keefe. There are a lot of children’s books about Georgia O’Keefe. This one is a good general overview for younger kids. The Who Was series also has a good early chapter book about Georgia O’Keefe. My personal favorite is Georgia in Hawaii which is about when she was commissioned by the Dole Plantation to paint a pineapple in Hawaii. Some of the resulting paintings were at the Georgia O’Keefe Museum in Santa Fe which was kind of fun.

• Great American Artists for Kids activity book. For each artist there is a brief bio and then a hands on art activity for kids to do. We used this book when we studied the 50 states, we’ve used it before going to see a specific exhibit at the museum or in this case a museum about a specific artist. Soon we will use it again when we do more United States history. I haven’t loved every single activity, but most of them have been fun to try and give the kids an idea about the artist and how they work. Find Online

In fourth grade every kid in the United States can get a FREE family pass to the National Park system. This seems to be a incredibly well kept secret. I am in no way affiliated with the National Park system, but I adore the incredible diversity and beauty of the parks. We often plan family vacations around parks we want to visit and the idea that you can do this for free for a whole year (or more if you have several children) feels like an incredible gift.

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Our Fourth Grade Park Adventures

Our twins were in Fourth Grade in 2020-2021 school year. This felt like a huge disappointment to me because all of my plans for big National Park road trip adventures were suddenly more complicated. Everything was more complicated in 2020.

I know a lot of people actually did more local travel and more road tripping to National Parks in 2020 because it was an outdoor, reasonably safe alternative to traveling abroad. In our case, my husband works on a US Navy base and was under orders to stay within 300 miles of the base unless he was deployed. Sure, we could have gone off just me and the kids on a longer road trip but I always hesitate to do that since we are already away from him a lot. However, we did have some National Park adventures in Fourth Grade. So, here are the Parks we explored.

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Joshua Tree

Located just a few hours from San Diego, Joshua Tree National Park is a great option for southern California families. If you’re okay with a long day, this can even be done as a day trip. We have day tripped, camped in the park, and stopped as part of longer road trips. We love this unique park.

More about Joshua Tree

Sequoia & Kings Canyon

During fourth grade we took a road trip up to Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. We loved both parks. They are absolutely stunning. Kings Canyon was our favorite, so make sure you don’t skip it despite Sequoia being the more well known.

More about Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks

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All About California Unit for Fourth Grade

Cabrillo National Monument

Cabrillo is located in San Diego and one we visited frequently in fourth grade. The lighthouse and display about Spanish explorers is fun to learn about, the park offers incredible views of San Diego and the ocean, and if you’re able to come when the tide is low, the tide pools are some of the best in this part of the country.

Learn More about Cabrillo

How to Make the Most of the National Park with Kids

The National Parks are great for all ages. There are things to marvel at and enjoy no matter what your interests or ages. For the purposes of this post I am going to focus on the things we did to make the most of the National Parks for our fourth graders (9-10 year olds).

Get your FREE Fourth Grade Pass Here

1. Dress for the weather – When you’re packing, make sure to pay attention to what the weather is like in the park. For example, where we stayed near Sequoia was always a good 10+ degrees warmer than up in the park where there was still snow on the ground in some parts in the Spring. The Redwoods National Park had rain off and on while we were there so raincoats were essential. Being warm, cool or dry enough while you’re exploring is essential to happiness.
2. Bring Adventure Supplies – exploring a National Park can feel like the ultimate adventure for kids. There are mountains to climb, streams to cross, great dunes of sand to slide down, unfathomable trees to view. I always bring some variation of these Adventure Supplies when we go on an adventure. Having at least one tool (binoculars, camera, journals) to deepen your explorations and being stocked and prepared for any needs helps to keep everyone happy and engaged.
3. Junior Ranger Program – my kids love the Junior Ranger program at the National Parks. Some parks have better guides for the kids than others, but all of them have taught us something about the wildlife or geography. Often they give us a great guide to what to do in the park, if not the park rangers are a great resource. Before you hit the trails, pick up a Junior Ranger packet for each kid. Some parks, like Joshua Tree, have these at the front gate when you drive in. Other times you have to stop at the Ranger Station.
4. National Parks Activity Books – we keep busy in the car with a variety of audiobooks, games and activity books. On our National Park road trips in fourth grade my kids loved reading this Lonely Planet guide about the different National Parks and doing the activities in this National Geographic Kids Junior Ranger activity book. Depending on the park you’re visiting, there are also some wonderful children’s books about the parks. For example, we read REDWOODS by Jason Chin before our trip to the Redwoods and he also wrote this award winning, absolutely stunning picture book about the GRAND CANYON.
5. Stamp Your National Park Passport – lastly, don’t forget to stamp your passport! My kids both have National Park Passports like these. You can buy them beforehand on Amazon or the Ranger Stations always have some in stock as well.

More National Park Guides

Although we didn’t explore as many parks during fourth grade as I’d hoped, we have visited a lot of national parks with our kids. Here are some more guides to our favorites:

Redwoods National Park (CA)

Death Valley National Park (CA)

Cabrillo National Monument (CA)

Carlsbad Caverns National Park (NM)

Chaco Culture Heritage Park (NM)

Golden Gate National Recreation Area (CA)

Guadalupe Mountains National Park (TX)

Fire Island and the Sunken Forest (NY)

Petrified Forest National Park (AZ)

Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes National Seashore (MI)

Washington DC Mall Monuments (DC)

White Sands National Park (NM)

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