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MIDWEST TRAVEL MAMA

National Parks

6 must-do’s when visiting Mt. Rushmore with kids

Midwest | National Parks | South Dakota

6 must-do’s when visiting Mt. Rushmore with kids

New Mexico slot canyons

National Parks | New Mexico

7-day New Mexico Road Trip Itinerary

Carlsbad Caverns

National Parks | New Mexico

Carlsbad Cavern National Park

White Sands National Park

National Parks | New Mexico

White Sands National Park

Tallgrass prairie national preserve

Hiking & Camping | Kansas | Midwest | National Parks

Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve

Hey, hi 👋🏻 I’m Kristen, an adventure mom

Hey, hi 👋🏻

I’m Kristen, an adventure mom from the Midwest who loves finding incredible places close to home to explore with my family

If you want to discover and explore the middle of America, follow along! From hidden gems, to weekend roadtrips to the bucket list hikes, we do it all.

If you’re new here, say hey in the comments and let me know where you’re from!

#midwestexplored #midwestadventures #midwest #midwestmom #midwestfamily #hiking #adventurefamily

Hey, hi 👋🏻 I’m Kristen, an adventure mom

Hey, hi 👋🏻

I’m Kristen, an adventure mom from the Midwest who loves finding incredible places close to home

If you want to discover and explore the middle of America, follow along! From hidden gems, to weekend roadtrips to the best hiking, we do it all.

If you’re new here, say hey in the comments and let me know where you’re from!

#midwestexplored #midwestadventures #midwest #midwestmom #midwestfamily #hiking #adventurefamily

Have you been to Western Kansas to see some of the

Have you been to Western Kansas to see some of the incredible geological formations yet? If not, this is one day trip you are going to want to take in 2025!

📌 Steal my 1-day Western Kansas road trip itinerary

🌻 Start your day early and head towards Quinter, Kansas to see Castle Rock (about 3 hours from Wichita). When you enter the gate, take a right to see tons of stunning rock formations on your way to Castle Rock. Get out and climb the rocks and explore the grounds.

🌾 Next, head into Oakley to Fick Fossil & History Museum in Oakley (1 hour) to see fossils and learn about the natural history of Western Kansas.

🦬 Head over to the Buffalo Bills cultural center in Oakley (<5 minutes) to take a picture with the giant Buffalo Bill statue. There is also a picnic area, small collection of historical exhibits, and a gift shop.

🌻 Drive to the Little Jerusalem Badlands State park (30 minutes) and hike the Life on the Rock trail (2.4 miles out and back, rated easy).

🦬 Last, stop at Monument Rocks (25 minutes) to take in the stunning formations before heading home.

Things to know:
💛 Spotty cell reception in some of these areas, so look at the map ahead of time
💛 There are not a ton of places to eat near Oakley and Quinter, so we packed a lunch and had a picnic at the Buffalo Bills cultural center
💛 All of these places are free to enter, except Little Jerusalem, which requires a Kansas State Park pass ($5/car)
💛 Do not visit Castle Rock after a recent rain, as the road to enter is very bumpy and would be easy to get stuck if muddy
💛 Castle Rock and Monument Rock are both located on private property, but the owner’s are kind enough to keep them open to the public. Please be respectful and make sure to leave no trace.

Have you explored Western Kansas yet?

📍 Starved Rock State Park, located less than 2

📍 Starved Rock State Park, located less than 2 hours outside of Chicago

This incredibly beautiful state park would make the perfect day trip if you are visiting the Windy City. Full of stunning bluffs and incredible canyons, this is one Midwest state park you need to add to your bucket list.

We hiked the 1 mile Ottawa Canyon, rated easy. This was a super fun trail for our kids, and they had a great time running under the waterfall and exploring the canyon.

Things to know:
🪨 Visitor’s Center is open daily from 9am - 4pm
🪨 Trails are open from 7am until sunset
🪨 This is a popular park! But there are lots of trails to choose from, and they are all amazing. Choose one of the lesser popular trails to avoid crowds but still have incredible views
🪨 Free to visit
🪨 Check out its sister park, Matthiessen State Park. Located only 10 minutes from Starved Rock, it offers some amazing hikes as well.

This secret slice of heaven, only 90 minutes outsi

This secret slice of heaven, only 90 minutes outside of Oklahoma City, should absolutely be on your 2025 bucket list. It was one of my absolute favorite places we visited last year, and I cannot wait to go back. We visited the first weekend in May and the wildflowers were incredible, and there were baby bison, too!

📍 Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Refuge near Lawton, Oklahoma

With breathtaking mountain views, stunning waterfalls, and so much wildlife, you will completely forget you are in Oklahoma. This nearly 60,000 acre refuge offers so many adventures perfect for the whole family.

Day 1:
🦬 Start your arrival with a stop at the Visitor’s Center, where you can learn the history of the Wichita Mountains, and earn your Jr. Ranger badge.
🦬 Head to the Narrows trail, a 2.4 mile hike rated moderate
Tip: Bring water shoes and let your kids play on the sand banks and splash in the water along this trail
🦬 Then head over to the Forty-foot hole trail, a 0.9 mile trail rated easy with a stunning waterfall at the end.
🦬 Head to Doris campground to set up camp for the night

Day 2:
🦬 Start your morning early with a hike up the Little Baldy Trail (0.8 miles) to view the sunrise
🦬 Then take a nice slow scenic drive to view the bison and longhorns.
🦬 Stop at Prairie Dog town to watch the prairie dogs in action
🦬 Take a drive up to the top of Mt. Scott for some gorgeous views
🦬 Visit the Holy City of the Wichitas

There is truly so much beauty here, so make sure to slow down and enjoy it.

If you are starting to get cabin fever this winter

If you are starting to get cabin fever this winter, check out this list of great places in Kansas to take your kids for some fresh air!

The best part? No hiking involved, and all of them are low cost or even FREE to visit!

🍄‍🟫 Mushroom Rock State Park. This tiny state park has tons of unique rock formations for kids to climb on and run around. The perfect place to let their imagination run wild.

🏰 Coronado Heights. Visit this historic castle just outside of Lindsborg, and explore the grounds while getting some wiggles out.

🎣Santa Fe Lake. Check out the waterfall, explore the trails, or have a picnic by the lake. ($10 day pass required to visit)

🐢 Great Plains Nature Center. This free nature center located in Northeast Wichita has tons of things to do in the winter. Take a stroll around the walking path and feed the turtles, and watch for birds or deer. Check out the free museum inside, and you can even watch for wildlife from the indoor observation room.

🦬 Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve. Earn your Jr. Ranger badge, explore the Visitor’s Center, walk the grounds and check out the historic barn and house on site here.

💦 Chase Lake Waterfall. Grab your rainboots and jump in the puddles at this amazing Kansas waterfall. It’s wet weather dependent, so winter is an amazing time to see it flowing!

🪨 Castle Rock. Your kids will be in heaven here, with tons of boulders and rocks to climb on. Perfect place to spend the afternoon when you need some fresh air and to burn some energy. You might even see a fossil!

🪨 Rock City. Another one of nature’s playgrounds, this park is filled with boulders and rocks that are perfect for a game of hide and seek, or some afternoon mountain climbing.

🎠 Independence Park. This park is the perfect place to burn some energy this winter. With a free zoo, tons of play equipment, a nickel carousel, a 50 cent train, and $2 putt putt, pack your lunch and spend the day here.

What are your favorite outdoor places to visit in the winter?

Unpopular opinion: Mt. Rushmore is incredible and

Unpopular opinion: Mt. Rushmore is incredible and is something everyone should see in their lifetime.

Seriously, this was one of my favorite things we did in South Dakota!

If you are thinking about a trip to Mt. Rushmore, but are worried your kids will be bored, save this list of things you have to do on your visit!

🤍 Walk the 1-mile Presidential Trail for amazing, up close views of Mt. Rushmore
💙 Visit the Sculptor’s Studio to learn more about the sculptor and process of the mountain carvings
❤️ Explore the Visitor’s Center and walk through the museum to learn more about the history of Mt. Rushmore {my kids thought it was so cool, so definitely don’t skip it!}
⭐️ Earn your Jr. Ranger badge
🇺🇸 Search for your state along the Avenue of Flags
🍦 Grab a scoop of Thomas Jefferson’s famous vanilla ice cream {seriously- it’s so good!}

Things to know:
❤️ Arrive early to avoid crowds (we arrived at 8:30 and got great parking and got lots of pics with minimal people in them at this time)
🤍 Free to visit, but parking costs $10
💙 Onsite restaurant for dining
🇺🇸 Extra time? Hike the 4-mile Blackberry Trail to experience the beauty of the Black Hills surrounding Mt. Rushmore

Is Mt. Rushmore on your bucket list?

I *think* I may have found the most quirky and uni

I *think* I may have found the most quirky and unique state park in the the Midwest

📍 Cave in Rock State Park located on the edge of the Shawnee National Forest in Southern Illinois

This one of a kind state park in Southern Illinois is centered around a 55-foot wide limestone cave that overlooks the Ohio River. An easy trail takes you to the massive cave, which you can climb into and explore.

If you are visiting Shawnee National Forest, make sure to add this stop to your itinerary!

Things to know:
☀️ Open 6am to 10pm daily
🆓 Free to enjoy
🐶 Pet friendly
🥾 2 hiking trails in the park
🧺 Picnic shelters and bathrooms available
🛝 Three playgrounds for kids
🎣 There is a pond for fishing, or you can enjoy boating, swimming or fishing in the Ohio River

Would you visit this unique Midwest state park?

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