Best places to travel in 2025: Where to go in the US for an enriching family trip

Imagine paddling off the coast of Maui and pointing out a spiky but harmless red pencil urchin to your awestruck child. Or waking them up at 05:00 so they can gaze at a mother and baby bison grazing right outside the cabin window in Yellowstone National Park.

In a year when some travellers may be hitting pause on US trips, there's still a world of awe, play and unexpected joy to be found across the country's mountains, prairies, coasts, islands and cities. This list for 2025, informed by my own adventures across the United States with kids in tow, includes magical destinations that are also offering something new right now.

Across the US, cities, states and national parks are unveiling exciting updates, from newly launched initiatives to unexpectedly fun (and often surprisingly affordable) experiences that you won't find anywhere else. Add in kid-friendly accommodations – whether you're after a national park lodge or a luxury resort with activities built in – and all these destinations offer much more than just a holiday. That's why I've made it a priority to bring my own children, age two and nine, to every one of these places, and why you should consider booking them for your next family holiday too.

There are many things that make this string of barrier islands, stretching 200 miles off the North Carolina coast up to Virginia, so special. For one, the opportunity to go kayaking among great blue herons and wild horses – something my family does off the coast of Beaufort, NC, every summer. Another idea? Give back to the OBX (that's Outer Banks to locals).

The islands are the first US destination to create a tourism-specific volunteering programme that directly connects the traveller with 90-plus non-profit organisations for ways to live up to the Outer Banks Promise, a pledge by both visitors and residents to protect and preserve the ecosystem. Consider joining a beach cleanup between playing in the waves.

There are many interesting places to base yourself, from Hatteras Island up to the upscale town of Duck and all the way to Carova Beach, which hits the Virginia border. But I'm partial to Ocracoke, the southernmost town in the chain, where the local dialect is akin to Elizabethan English. The island has no beachfront development or chain hotels – just 16 miles of beaches protected by the National Park Service. Children will love exploring by bike, attending the fun Fig Festival in August and getting a taste of island life shaped by generations of fishermen and artists. 

Bonus for the "noctourists" among us: Ocracoke is actively becoming a Dark Sky destination, and from here you can see the Milky Way, meteor showers and sometimes even bioluminescent waters on nighttime beach strolls. And don't miss the Ocracoke British Cemetery; this small plot of land on the island is British territory in perpetuity. There's an annual ceremony in May here, hosted by the heartwarming partnership of Royal Navy representatives and local school children, to symbolise the enduring friendship between the US and the UK.

Best time to go: June-August is peak beach season, but September-October hits that sweet spot of great weather and sparser crowds. Summer and autumn offer the best chances to spot bioluminescence.

One of 2025's biggest travel trends is the "destination dupe" – travellers seeking to avoid over-visited (and often pricey) places in favour of unsung settings with a similar vibe. So, skip the Grand Canyon and head to Grand Junction. The small city is on Colorado's western edge, between the 200,000-acre Dominguez–Escalante National Conservation Area and Grand Mesa, the world's largest flat-top mountain. Here, you and your family can hike the Colorado National Monument, a semi-desert that sits high on the Colorado Plateau, with spectacular canyons cut deep into sandstone and granite that earn it the nickname "mini Grand Canyon". Children can learn about local geology, ecology and cultural history – and even earn a Junior Ranger badge in the process. You can also hike Rattlesnake Canyon, which has the world's second largest concentration of arches, instead of dodging the crowds who are trying to get the same postcard photo in Utah's Arches National Park.

Just outside Grand Junction, the Little Book Cliffs Wild Horse Reserve is home to around 100 wild mustangs and is one of just three wild horse preserves in the country. Families can get there by hiking, taking an ATV or, fittingly, via horseback. Back in town, don't miss the Dinosaur Journey Museum, where children will love uncovering bones during a real-life dino dig. At the EUREKA! McConnell Science Museum, young ones (and the young at heart) can check out creature-filled saltwater tanks and meet friendly Charlie the chinchilla. This year marks a particular celebration for downtown Grand Junction: 2025 is the 40th anniversary of Art on the Corner, a public art programme that is lauded as one of the first free outdoor sculpture exhibitions in the country.

Best time to go: Grand Junction doesn't have major seasonal extremes so it's a great year-round option. Spring and autumn are favourites for enjoying the local flora, from wildflowers to leaf-peeping.

Los Angeles has long been a holiday favourite for families – Disneyland is, after all, just 30 minutes away if the LA traffic gods oblige. But this sprawling beach-to-mountains city on California's southern coast needs visitors more than ever following the recent wildfires. Visit California assures travellers that it's now safe to visit – in fact, more than 98% of Los Angeles emerged from the fires undamaged –  and, as my family experienced when travelling here mere weeks after the fires, most of the compelling local spots remain open. These include the world-renowned art collection at the Getty Center, the entertaining and educational California Science Center (the West Coast's largest hands-on science exhibit) and the child-favourite Natural History Museum (more dinosaurs!). My children's personal pick is open, too: the small but mighty Cayton Children's Museum in the beachside neighbourhood of Santa Monica.

"The local community has been working tirelessly to continue to provide one-of-a-kind experiences for tourists," says Laura Dominguez, director of operations for LA's Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows, which provided reduced rates and donated meals to their displaced neighbours in Altadena following the fires. 

The best part of visiting LA right now? According to Dominguez, "with fewer crowds than usual at this time of year, visitors can enjoy a more relaxed pace while exploring the area". So take advantage and bring your family to local non-profit Heal The Bay's aquarium right on the Santa Monica pier to teach your children about the 100 local species on-site. Treating the little ones to funnel cake on the pier afterwards is optional, but highly recommended. 

Best time to go: There's no such thing as a bad time to visit LA, thanks to mild weather and all that California sunshine. That said, March through May can feel ideal, since it's warm but with fewer crowds.

Grand Rapids, also known as Furniture City due to its fascinating couch-factory history, is an underappreciated gem for families. The city, situated just 30 minutes from the sandy, ocean-like coast of Lake Michigan, is home to the Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park, where my children love to run around among 200 captivating sculptures and a dedicated Children's Garden. Named Best Sculpture Park in the US three years in a row, Meijer Gardens also earns points for its commitment to green building practices and renewable energy use. Another earth-minded local attraction is the 134-year-old John Ball Zoo, which emphasises animal conservation with some wild new friends my sons cannot wait to meet: two lions and a warthog. For more outdoor fun, Millennium Park – one of the largest city parks in the nation – has playgrounds, scenic trails and the sandy beach along peaceful Millennium Park Lake is perfect for picnics or pickleball.

Don't worry if rain is in the forecast: Grand Rapids has lots of indoor exhibits to choose from. There's the colourful Grand Rapids Children's Museum, the Grand Rapids Art Museum (GRAM), the Gerald R Ford Presidential Museum, and my dark-horse favourite, the gorgeous Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Meyer May house, which you can tour for free. A particular 2025 highlight is the Grand Rapids Public Museum, which has undertaken a significant renovation and expansion with an eye towards accessibility, sustainability and educational experiences set to wrap up this year. The museum remains open in the meantime, with ongoing planetarium shows like "Anishinaabe Star Knowledge", which teaches kids about how the area’s Indigenous tribes approach astronomy.

Best time to go: There are few things better than summer in Michigan. As someone who lives in an overheated Southern state, I visit Grand Rapids every July to marvel at the breezy 22 degree (73F) average temps.

There's nothing quite like immersing yourself in the natural wonder that is Yellowstone, with its multicoloured, sulphur-steaming geothermal features and wild bison and bears roaming the hills. Most of this 3,500-square-mile wilderness is in Wyoming – but it's the Montana side of the park that should spark your interest for 2025 as it gets you stealth-easy access to Yellowstone. If you fly into the former railroad town of Billings, MT, you're just a 2.5-hour drive from the national park entrance – my son and I did this recently and were delighted to avoid the nearly 50% of Yellowstone visitors who enter at the west, the busiest of five ways in.

During winter, sport-loving families should head to Big Sky, about an hour north-west of the park, for incredible skiing and snowboarding. Here, an ambitious 10-year project called Big Sky 2025 is slated to be complete and the area's iconic Lone Mountain "will be further transformed with new scenic lookouts, family-friendly food and beverage hubs, and a learning centre on the new gondola's mid-station for beginner skiers and riders", says Carolyn Addison of tour operator Black Tomato, who frequents Big Sky and says she has seen a significant increase in client requests to book ski holidays. Addison is looking forward to One & Only Moonlight Basin in Big Sky, a new hotel opening this summer with an eco-conscious design, an indoor spa pool with sweeping views of alpine forests and a kid's club for the little ones. 

Best time to go: Autumn and spring are the name of the game if you're hoping to avoid summer crowds, with spring taking a slight lead because of the potential to see baby animals (my son was thrilled by our baby bison spotting). Much of Yellowstone closes during winter when certain terrain becomes impassable, but that just means it's primetime for snow sports over in Big Sky.

There's perhaps never been a better time to travel to Maui, Hawaii's second-largest island, and my family and I kicked off 2025 with a trip here that became, without trying too hard, a fascinating wildlife lesson – we got a close look at octopi and sea urchins, and watched humpback whale mothers and babies frolicking in the waves. Maui is the second-most visited of the Hawaiian Islands, yet with tourist numbers that are less than half those of Oahu.

In the wake of the devastating 2023 wildfires, the island is now actively inviting travellers who support both the local economy and the environment. You and your family can take part in the Mālama Hawaii (mālama meaning "to give back") voluntourism programme and lend a hand in forest restoration, food distribution and more. The initiative also offers discounted or even free stays at some of Maui's finest resorts, from the Ritz-Carlton Maui to the White Lotus-famous Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea.

But it's Maui's nature that truly makes this long-haul destination (a nearly six-hour flight from Los Angeles and a full day of travel from London) worth the schlep for families. Hike the magical ʻĪao Valley to spot the 1,200ft moss-covered Kūkaemoku rock; watch pro surfers face down 40ft breakers at Peʻahi take the kids out into the bay for whale-watching and tortoise-spotting with Maui Undersea Adventures.

Best time to go: Maui is paradise year-round, full stop. While winter sees the most rainfall and slightly rougher seas, it's also when you'll catch the awe-inspiring humpback whale migration.

If you approach this artsy town by car, you'll see it emerge from among the southern Blue Ridge mountains like an oasis. There are plenty of traveller testaments to Asheville's strong "good vibes" energy, and Jan Luescher, CEO of travel community ASMALLWORLD agrees. "Asheville is experiencing a revival," he says, "with new businesses and attractions opening, making it an exciting time for family travellers to explore its vibrant arts scene." That's something of a rising-from-the-ashes renaissance he's referring to, as Asheville is now welcoming visitors back after 2024's locally devastating Hurricane Helene. Now, "attractions, restaurants and music venues are all open and welcoming," says Luescher, who facilitates off-the-beaten-path trips around the world, including Asheville and its surrounds.

A must-visit in Asheville is the Biltmore Estate, a countryside mansion of the Vanderbilt family, some of the original American aristocrats, that was built in the late 1800s. Children will love exploring the vast gardens and the new King Tut exhibit; grown-ups will enjoy these too, plus the on-site Biltmore Winery. Pro tip: kids can hire an adorable audio tour of the Biltmore Estate that's "narrated by" Cedric, the Vanderbilt family's Saint Bernard. Other family favourites include the Asheville Museum of Science, the Hands On! Children's Museum and the North Carolina Arboretum, as well as a wide assortment of local breweries made kid-friendly with lawn games, toy corners, and even a taproom inside a train car.

Best time to go: Summers are relatively mild in the mountains compared to the rest of the South, with chilly nights and mornings, but it's still quite humid. Experience verdant views of the Blue Ridge Mountains in spring and summer, snow-topped peaks in winter and comfortable temperatures plus leaf-peeping under sunset-hued treetops in autumn.

This central Florida city may be known primarily as the home of Disney World and Universal Studios, but if you're spending an entire Orlando holiday in the theme parks, you're missing out. Orlando's educational attractions alone are worth the visit. The Kennedy Space Center gets astro-inclined children like my nine-year-old inspired; while future veterinarians and biologists will enjoy wildlife tours of the area's nature preserves and parks – showing a completely different side to the busy, trendy city.

The city's recent sustainability initiatives are another reason to take a look at Orlando, which is aiming to be carbon neutral by 2035. The new Universal Studios Epic Universe park, opening in May, is a hallmark of this plan. It will span five kid-favourite "worlds", including How to Train Your Dragon, Super Nintendo World and Harry Potter Ministry of Magic, that will delight fans of those franchises – and it's keeping sustainability at the forefront of its design, including electric transport options to get around the parks.

Best time to go: March and April are peak season for almost all Florida due to spring break, so steer clear of the "breakers" and aim for early summer or autumn for lovely weather minus the crowds.

The only entire state on this list, West Virginia is an underrated destination that you likely haven't yet experienced – because it is officially the least-visited US state, according to data from the International Trade Administration. But what it lacks in notoriety, West Virginia makes up for with some of North America's most remarkable wilderness, which it really wants you to see for yourself. "This year, West Virginia State Parks is upgrading every state-operated lodge and cabin which is part of over $250m in improvements – much of which will be completed for guests visiting in 2025," says Chelsea Ruby, West Virginia Department of Tourism cabinet secretary. Try Cacapon Resort State Park Lodge for a luxury stay at the foot of Cacapon Mountain. Or go for one of the charming state-operated cabins or history company houses at Cass Scenic Railroad State Park for more unique accommodations.

The state is also creating interactive experiences to introduce family travellers to hidden treasures throughout the state, like the West Virginia Waterfall Trail (these WV beauties can be visited in all seasons, including via snowshoe in winter) and the West Virginia Paranormal Trail. The latter capitalises on the nationwide trend of spooky tourism and takes you through the state's most haunted spots, from an abandoned amusement park to the town of Harper's Ferry (home to the first ghost tour in the US) to the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum.

Best time to go: You don't need to worry about crowds, so aim for April-May and September-October for the very best temperatures for hiking, swimming and ghost-hunting alike.

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