Having fun: It’s a walk in the national park

WE were staring at one of the wonders of the world, but the kids weren’t impressed.

“I’m thirsty,” said the 4-year-old.

“I have to go to the bathroom,” said his 6-year-old cousin.

“There are too many people here,” complained her 8-year-old brother.

So much for the Grand Canyon. My two kids and nephew wanted to go play. Grandma and I had no choice but to leave the spectacular rocks and follow.

The scenic float trip through the canyon the next day wasn’t much better. The bus ride to the river was too long, they griped, and the all-day float was boring. It’s not that they were ungrateful or more jaded than any other pint-sized crew. Their take on touring national parks -- and vacation fun in general -- is a lot different from mine. Ask my two kids what they remember about that trip and it’s not seeing the canyon, but the fact that their cousin wouldn’t let them share his water or food all weekend.

As many of us get ready for what we hope will be memorable forays to the nation’s national parks -- nearly half of summer travelers say a national park will be on their vacation itinerary, according to the Travel Industry Assn. -- it’s important to keep the kids’ perspective in mind. That means making an effort to spend less time in the car, even if you can’t hit as many parks as you’d like.

“Just think how much more you’d see if you stay in one place for a week or two,” said Curt Buchholtz, executive director of the nonprofit Rocky Mountain Nature Assn., www.rmna.org, which offers guided field seminars.

If you let your kids have a big say in the itinerary, you’re guaranteed to get their cooperation -- and more enthusiasm from the start. I learned my lesson at the Grand Canyon. That’s why our subsequent trips to more than 20 national parks across the country were more successful. We touched a glacier in Glacier National Park in Montana, went fishing in Yellowstone, crawled through a lava tube in Volcanoes National Park in Hawaii, hiked to the top of a waterfall in Yosemite and gladly let the kids cook breakfast at the campsite in Acadia in Maine. (Kids can link to the park you plan to visit from the National Park Service Web site at www.nps.gov; some individual park Web sites have special areas for kids.)

The parks have a growing array of activities specifically for kids, including rock-climbing lessons and campfire stories at Yosemite and special supervised “Basin Buddies” hikes around the geyser basin at Yellowstone. Many programs are complimentary, run by park rangers.

“There are a lot of kids with their MP3 players and Game Boys who don’t know how to play in the outdoors,” said Stewart Collins, who oversees guest recreation at Yosemite.

And parents sometimes arrive not knowing how they should plan their stay. “We have to lead them by the hand,” said Collins, himself the father of three. His secret to a memorable national park vacation: plenty of downtime between organized activities like trail rides and hikes.

Various educational park associations have jumped on the family bandwagon too, with more kid-friendly activities. The Rocky Mountain Nature Assn. at Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado has family field seminars to stalk big bugs. The Yellowstone Assn. Institute has daylong “Wildlife Ed-Ventures” to seek out animals such as elk, wolves and bears. And the association’s four-day “Yellowstone for Families” adventure was so popular last year that there will be 48 such naturalist-guided sessions this year. Visit www.yellowstoneassociation.org.

Such programs can be bargains, with rooms costing well under $100 a night (campsites much cheaper) and with all the free activities you could want. And you haven’t missed your chance if you haven’t booked yet. Because of a significant decline in the number of foreign tourists, there’s room at even the most popular parks.

“There’s availability at the parks almost every night, with rates as low as $69,” said Judi Lages, vice president of Xanterra Parks and Resorts, which manages hotels at such heavily visited parks as Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon. (Hint: Book midweek stays for the best value.)

There’s even some space available this summer for the popular raft trips through the Grand Canyon, which typically sell out months ahead. These trips are sure to please families with teens. Visit the Grand Canyon River Outfitters Assn. at www.gcroa.org.

Growing numbers of families are happily leaving all of the planning for their national park trips to others. Some join inexpensive Sierra Club service trips to restore neglected trails at parks around the country, or go on Sierra Club family trips in the parks. Visit www.sierraclub.org/outings.

Other families choose national park family adventures organized by outfitters such as upscale Austin Lehman, www.austinlehman.com; Grandtravel, www.grandtrvl.com, for grandparents traveling with their grandchildren; and Connecticut-based Tauck World Discovery, which has just created a family division called Tauck Bridges, www.tauckbridges.com. Tauck’s national park trips have become so popular that extra departures have been added for trips that include the Grand Canyon and other Western parks. Weeklong, mostly inclusive Tauck trips start at $1,600 per adult, less for kids.

“Maybe you pay a little more, but there’s no stress,” said Kappy Yates, a North Carolina mom who has taken two Tauck trips to national parks. “We were able to do much more than we could on our own.”

And, said 15-year-old Charlie Yates, “You had plenty of people to hang out with when your parents got annoying.”

Taking the Kids appears twice a month. E-mail Eileen Ogintz at Eileen@takingthekids.com.