Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
A narrow, deep canyon with walls so steep and dark that sunlight barely reaches the bottom. The Gunnison River carved this dramatic gorge over millions of years!
National park8 place-specific finds
Home / Park guides / Mountain West
Regional outdoor-learning catalog
Mountain West park learning for kids
The catalog includes 42 places across 4 states or territories in this region. Families can investigate alpine environments, geothermal features, canyons, wildlife, and public lands through park-specific observations, discussion, field notes, and shared trip planning.
42 catalog parks346 specific finds3 public printable examples
Plan from the managing agency: catalog descriptions support learning, not live visitor logistics. Check current closures, access, reservations, weather, wildlife rules, and permitted routes before every visit.
CO (12)
Cherry Creek State Park
A nature oasis right next to Denver with a big reservoir for swimming and boating, plus prairies where you can spot deer and coyotes. A great place for a family picnic!
State park8 place-specific finds
Colorado National Monument
Dramatic red rock canyons and towering monoliths rise from the desert near Grand Junction. Drive Rim Rock Drive for amazing views of deep canyons and the Book Cliffs!
National park8 place-specific finds
Dinosaur National Monument
See real dinosaur bones still stuck in the rock at the Quarry Exhibit Hall! This park also has deep canyons carved by the Green and Yampa Rivers.
National park8 place-specific finds
Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument
Millions of years ago, this was a warm lake surrounded by giant redwood trees. Now you can find amazingly detailed fossils of insects, leaves, and petrified tree stumps!
National park8 place-specific finds
Garden of the Gods
Giant red rock formations tower over the park with Pikes Peak in the background. The rocks were tilted on their sides by the same forces that built the Rocky Mountains!
Local park9 place-specific finds
Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve
The tallest sand dunes in North America sit right at the base of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. You can sled down the dunes and splash in Medano Creek!
National park9 place-specific finds
Maroon Bells Scenic Area
Two stunning maroon-colored peaks reflected in Maroon Lake make this the most photographed spot in Colorado. The mountains get their reddish color from ancient mudstone!
National park9 place-specific finds
Mesa Verde National Park
Explore ancient cliff dwellings built by the Ancestral Puebloans over 700 years ago. These amazing homes were carved right into the sides of cliffs!
National park9 place-specific finds
Mueller State Park
A family-friendly park in the mountains near Pikes Peak with miles of trails through forests and meadows. Watch for elk, hawks, and even black bears!
State park8 place-specific finds
Rocky Mountain National Park
Towering peaks, alpine lakes, and meadows full of wildflowers make this one of the most popular parks in the country. You can drive above the clouds on Trail Ridge Road!
National park9 place-specific finds
Roxborough State Park
Dramatic red rock formations jut out of the earth like giant fins near Denver. This park is a Colorado Natural Area with no bikes or dogs allowed, keeping it peaceful for wildlife!
State park8 place-specific finds
ID (10)
Bruneau Dunes State Park
Home to the tallest single-structure sand dune in North America! Climb to the top and sled back down, then stargaze through the park's telescope at night.
State park8 place-specific finds
City of Rocks National Reserve
Giant granite towers and spires rise from the landscape like the buildings of a stone city. California Trail pioneers camped here and carved their names into the rock!
National park8 place-specific finds
Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve
A vast landscape of lava flows, cinder cones, and lava tubes that looks like the surface of the moon. Explore caves made of lava and walk on rock that was once flowing hot liquid!
National park9 place-specific finds
Farragut State Park
A beautiful park on the shores of Lake Pend Oreille that was once the world's second-largest naval training station during World War II. Swim, hike, and explore the old Navy ruins!
State park8 place-specific finds
Harriman State Park
A beautiful ranch preserve along the Henry's Fork of the Snake River where trumpeter swans, moose, and sandhill cranes live. The river here is world-famous for fly fishing!
State park8 place-specific finds
Hells Gate State Park
Sitting at the entrance to Hells Canyon, the deepest river gorge in North America, this park has beaches on the Snake River and is the gateway to amazing wilderness!
State park8 place-specific finds
Mesa Falls Scenic Area
Two stunning waterfalls on the Henry's Fork River plunge over volcanic rock ledges in a forested canyon. Upper Mesa Falls is one of the last undisturbed waterfalls in the Northwest!
National park8 place-specific finds
Old Mission State Park
The oldest standing building in Idaho is a beautiful church built by the Coeur d'Alene tribe and Jesuit missionaries in the 1850s, entirely without nails using woven grass and mud walls!
State park8 place-specific finds
Shoshone Falls Park
Called the "Niagara of the West," this waterfall on the Snake River is actually higher than Niagara Falls! The 212-foot cascade is most spectacular in spring.
Local park8 place-specific finds
Thousand Springs State Park
Water gushes out of cliffs along the Snake River Canyon in hundreds of waterfalls! The springs come from an underground river that travels through lava rock for over 100 miles.
State park8 place-specific finds
MT (10)
Bannack State Park
Walk through a real ghost town from the 1860s gold rush! Over 50 buildings still stand, including the old hotel, jail, and schoolhouse where miners' children learned.
State park8 place-specific finds
Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area
A deep canyon carved by the Bighorn River holds a long blue lake backed by towering 1,000-foot walls. Wild horses roam the Pryor Mountains above the canyon!
National park8 place-specific finds
Flathead Lake State Park
The biggest natural freshwater lake west of the Mississippi sits between mountain ranges and is so clear you can see the bottom. Swim, kayak, and hunt for cherries along the shore!
State park8 place-specific finds
Giant Springs State Park
One of the largest freshwater springs in the country gushes out of the ground near the Missouri River. Lewis and Clark described this amazing spring in their journals!
State park8 place-specific finds
Glacier National Park
Stunning mountain scenery with glaciers, turquoise lakes, and the famous Going-to-the-Sun Road. Mountain goats and grizzly bears roam the rugged peaks!
National park9 place-specific finds
Lewis and Clark Caverns State Park
Montana's first and most popular state park features one of the largest known limestone caverns in the Northwest. Crawl through passages and see amazing cave formations underground!
State park8 place-specific finds
Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument
Walk the hills where one of the most famous battles in American history took place. Markers show where soldiers and warriors fell during the Battle of the Little Bighorn.
National park8 place-specific finds
Makoshika State Park
Montana's largest state park is a land of colorful badlands, hoodoos, and real dinosaur fossils. Triceratops and T. rex bones have been found right here!
State park8 place-specific finds
Missouri Headwaters State Park
Stand at the exact spot where three rivers join to form the mighty Missouri River! Lewis and Clark camped here in 1805 and named the three forks the Jefferson, Madison, and Gallatin.
State park8 place-specific finds
Pictograph Cave State Park
Three caves with ancient rock paintings made by people who lived here over 2,000 years ago. The paintings show animals, warriors, and symbols from long-ago times!
State park8 place-specific finds
WY (10)
Boysen State Park
A big reservoir in Wind River Canyon surrounded by colorful rock walls. Fish for walleye, swim at the beach, and explore canyons carved through ancient rock!
State park8 place-specific finds
Devils Tower National Monument
A massive rock tower rises 867 feet above the surrounding prairie like a giant tree stump. It was the very first national monument in the United States!
National park8 place-specific finds
Fossil Butte National Monument
Fifty million years ago, this was a tropical lake full of fish, turtles, and crocodiles. Now their perfectly preserved fossils are some of the best in the world!
National park8 place-specific finds
Grand Teton National Park
Jagged mountain peaks rise straight up from a flat valley floor with no foothills in between. Moose wade in the rivers and bears roam the forests below!
National park9 place-specific finds
Guernsey State Park
A beautiful reservoir surrounded by dramatic cliffs with real Oregon Trail wagon ruts carved into the stone. See the same tracks pioneers used heading west over 150 years ago!
State park8 place-specific finds
Hot Springs State Park
Natural hot springs bubble up from underground and create colorful terraces of mineral deposits. You can even swim in a free public bathhouse fed by the hot springs!
State park8 place-specific finds
Medicine Bow National Forest
Mountains, forests, and alpine meadows cover this huge national forest in southeastern Wyoming. Climb to the top of Medicine Bow Peak or explore the unique Vedauwoo rock formations!
National park8 place-specific finds
Sinks Canyon State Park
A river disappears into a cave and reappears a quarter mile away! Watch the Popo Agie River vanish underground and then find it again at a pool full of giant trout.
State park8 place-specific finds
Wyoming Dinosaur Center
A world-class dinosaur museum where you can see full-size skeletons and even dig for real fossils at nearby excavation sites. Supersaurus, one of the longest dinosaurs ever, was found here!
Local park8 place-specific finds
Yellowstone National Park
The world's first national park is full of geysers, hot springs, and wild animals. Watch Old Faithful erupt and see bison, elk, and maybe even wolves!
National park10 place-specific finds
Use a regional catalog without turning it into a checklist race
Let the child heart places that create real curiosity, compare two landscapes or histories, and choose one attainable family visit. At the park, use three to five observations for younger children and a field note or evidence-backed explanation for older children. Missing an item is a reason to ask a question, never a reason to approach wildlife or leave an allowed route.
Try the family wishlist demonstration · See the complete outdoor-learning model