Wyoming is a state with many attractions for a family with kids. If your family wants to try some outdoor adventures, see what the Old West was like, or just enjoy magnificent scenery, Wyoming is a great place to visit. Wyoming has hot, dry days and cool nights during the summer, and lots of snow in the winter for fun activities. Here are some things you can do with your family on a trip to Wyoming.

A visit to Yellowstone National Park is one that all kids will remember. Yellowstone has many activities available for families; special educational packages for families with kids ages 5-12 and 8-12 are offered, or you can pursue activities such as hiking, camping, fishing, horseback riding, and viewing the parks attractions on your own. There are stagecoach rides, Old West cookouts, and boat rides on the lake available, and kids will be amazed by the natural wonders of Yellowstone, such as the Old Faithful geyser, the herds of bison, and hot springs; reading about or watching films about the attractions of the park before visiting will allow kids the excitement of connecting real-life adventure to their educational efforts. You can use your car to get around the park during the summer; bus tours are also available. There are many different types of lodging available inside the park and in nearby towns, from luxury hotels to camping.

Another great natural site to visit with kids is the Devils Tower National Monument, located in the northeastern corner of Wyoming. The huge rock column was featured in the movie Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and was a landmark to early pioneers as they came across the Black Hills area. Hiking around the tower is fun; there are trails that range up to three miles long. The Tower Trail will take you around the bottom of the tower for some good close-up views, and at the base of the tower theres a prairie dog town; kids can watch the little dogs popping up out of the holes frequently.

During the summer months, many towns in Wyoming hold a Mountain Men Rendezvous, also called Pioneer Days in some places. These festivals have displays of pioneer crafts such as blacksmithing, shooting contests, storytelling, Dutch oven cooking, pack horse races, and more. Kids will get a chance to see costumed participants relive the Old West, and there are often additional events such as hot air balloons and vendor markets. Many Native American pow-wow events are also held during the summer in Wyoming. Combined with some outdoor adventures, a festival would be a fun activity for the whole family.

If your kids are interested in dinosaurs, just about all of Wyomings major towns have museums containing dinosaur bones and skeletons. Kemmerer, Fossil, Thayne, and Thermopolis all have sites where kids can dig for fossils, and they can keep what they find, unless they unearth a rare specimen. At the Vore Buffalo Jump in Sundance, you can see where buffalo were chased over the edge of a sinkhole by the Plains Indians, and theres a museum and excavation site there. The Fossil Butte National Monument has a Junior Ranger program, where kids can learn about some of the 50-million year old fossils on display at the site. For fans of Jurassic Park, Wyoming has much to offer.

White-water rafting on the Snake River is exciting and fun for both kids and adults. Many different rafting companies offer several kinds of trips; some offer dinner, such as steak or salmon cooked outdoors at a campsite, and others allow you to see wildlife such as moose, elk, and eagles. Rafting trips can last from a few hours to overnight, with camping provided, and kids who love the outdoors will have a great time interacting with the guides and learning new skills.

Wyoming has quite a few camps and schools for kids who want to experience outdoor adventures without having their parents along. Designed mostly for older kids aged 9-18, the camps offer wilderness skills, such as map reading, survival techniques, horseback riding, and camping. Llama trekking, canoeing, riflery, photography, fishing, mountaineering, archery, music, and rafting are also offered at some of the camps. Most camps offer instruction in the geology and ecology of the area, and kids will leave with an appreciation of the natural wonders of Wyoming.

Wyoming is a state with many outdoor attractions, and wherever you go in the state, you will find something of interest to kids. Even the small towns celebrate their Old West and Native American heritage, and there are many unusual natural attractions found only in Wyoming. Take the kids to Wyoming for a fun family vacation.