Best Places to Travel with a Baby in the USA

Are you looking for the best places to travel with a baby in the USA? Whether you’re a first-time parent or seasoned traveler, planning a trip with a baby can be both exciting and overwhelming. Fortunately, there are plenty of baby-friendly destinations across the United States, which are perfect for your first family vacation.

From peaceful beach resorts to scenic national parks with easy trails, these family-friendly destinations cater to families with young children, offering convenient amenities like stroller-friendly paths, baby gear rentals, and quiet places to unwind.

Many of the best places to travel with a baby found within this post are based off our personal family vacations to the USA. We are also lucky that several of our readers have shared their favorite baby-friendly destinations with us too.

Ready to start planning? Here’s a list of the top baby-friendly vacation destinations in the US!

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16 Amazing Places to Travel with a Baby in the US

1. San Diego with a Baby

Looking for a perfect destination for traveling with a baby? We loved our trip to San Diego, California with a baby! With its endless sunny weather, baby-friendly attractions, and relaxed vibe, you’ll have no trouble finding activities that suit both you and your little one.

When we visited San Diego with our 9-month-old baby (and 2-year old toddler), we found plenty to do. Our baby loved splashing in the calm waves at Mission Beach, and we had a peaceful time exploring the stroller-friendly trails of Torrey Pines Natural Reserve.

The San Diego Zoo was a hit with its baby-friendly paths, and the calm atmosphere of the Birch Aquarium was a relaxing break for both us and baby.

San Diego offers everything you need for a fun, stress-free family vacation, making it one of the best places to visit with a baby in the USA!

2. Sedona with a Baby

We took a family vacation to Sedona, Arizona when our second child was just 3 months old, and we loved it. If your family enjoys the outdoors, Sedona is one of the best places to visit with a baby. The breathtaking red rock scenery and peaceful atmosphere made it easy for us to find short, baby-friendly hikes that allowed us to explore as a family.

With our baby comfortably settled in a good baby carrier for hiking, we were able to enjoy some of Sedona’s best and most scenic trails and take in the incredible red rock views. In addition to the family-friendly hikes, Sedona’s laid-back vibe made it easy to relax as a family.

Located just a few hours outside of Phoenix, Sedona is a fantastic spot for a baby-friendly vacation in the great outdoors!

3. Palm Springs with a Baby

Another sunny, baby-friendly destination in the US, Palm Springs, California, is a fantastic winter escape and one of the best places to travel with a baby in the U.S. Palm Springs’ sunny weather, easygoing atmosphere, and kid-friendly activities make it perfect for a relaxing family vacation.

Palm Springs also offers access to nearby family-friendly attractions like Joshua Tree National Park, where you can enjoy scenic drives or short, easy walks with your little one. While Disneyland and Legoland are nearby for future trips, Palm Springs itself is an ideal spot to relax and unwind with your baby. This laid-back California destination offers a perfect mix of fun and relaxation for new parents.

4. Chicago with a Baby

Chicago is one of the best cities in the U.S. to visit with a baby, offering the perfect blend of family-friendly activities and vibrant city culture. With its abundance of parks, stroller-friendly paths, and baby-friendly attractions, exploring the Windy City with your little one is a breeze.

For parents, Chicago’s world-class museums and stunning architecture offer plenty of sightseeing opportunities that are easily accessible with a baby. If you’re looking for a US city that balances culture, relaxation, and family fun, Chicago should definitely be on your list of places to travel with a baby.

5. New York City with a Baby

We visited New York with our (almost) one year old. While Manhattan may not be the first place that comes to mind when thinking about the best cities to travel with a baby in the US, it really is incredibly baby friendly.

Traveling to New York City with a baby can be an incredible US family holiday. With the world-famous subway system and a baby carrier or a lightweight travel stroller, you can get virtually anywhere without having to worry about rental cars and traveling with car seats.

There’s plenty to do that the whole family will enjoy and if you need to give your baby time to play, you’ll have no trouble find parks to stop at. With so many baby-friendly NYC hotels and virtually limitless options for family activities, NYC is certainly one of the best cities to visit with babies.

Just be aware that with so much going on that NYC can be very stimulating for a baby, so getting your baby to nap on-the-go might prove to be a little difficult.

6. Asheville with a Baby

With plenty of fun breweries, great restaurants and a plentitude of places to get out and enjoy nature, Asheville, North Carolina should be on your list of places to visit!

Find out the best recommendations from a local, and you’ll enjoy every minute of this charming and friendly city!

7. White Sands National Park with a Baby

Previously known as White Sands National Monument in New Mexico, White Sands National Park is a must visit! While visiting family in New Mexico, we visited White Sands National Park with a baby and had the best day ever.

The expansive, soft white sand dunes are unlike anything you’ve seen. Don’t forget to stop at a nearby pistachio farm after! They have some of the best pistachio flavors.

Be prepared when you visit White Sands National Park! It’s fun to slide with your kids down the sand dunes. You also want to make sure you are prepared for the sun and heat. Bring plenty of water too.

While the highlight of our visit to New Mexico was White Sands National Park, we also made stops in Roswell, Ruidoso and Santa Fe. New Mexico has plenty of places to fill a road trip with a baby.

8. Acadia National Park with a Baby

For parents who want to get back into camping with a baby, Acadia National Park in beautiful Maine is the perfect spot.

Acadia National Park is one of the smallest US national parks and there are a number of small towns connected to the park, which makes it easy to relax after a day of hiking with a baby.

9. Rocky Mountain National Park with a Baby

Rocky Mountain National Park has plenty of hikes to choose from. Whether you are up for a challenging day hike or a few easy hikes, you’ll find something there.

The afternoons are perfect for hanging out in Estes Park. Just make sure to book accommodations with a balcony so you can enjoy some time spotting wildlife after your baby is sleeping for the night!

10. Lake Placid with a Baby

If you are looking for a baby-friendly destination in Upstate New York, check out Lake Placid. A beautiful location within the Adirondack Mountains, Lake Placid is a wonderful place for a family vacation.

There are many baby-friendly things to do in Lake Placid, such as playing on sandy beaches, going on easy family hikes, or visiting attractions like the Olympic Center.

11. Lake Tahoe with a Baby

Can you tell that lakes make for great places to visit with a baby? As with Lake Placid, Lake Tahoe is another excellent baby-friendly destination in the US, this time in the western USA.

As you’d expect, the beach plays a big role in why Lake Tahoe is so baby-friendly. But, there’s also family-friendly hiking trails, boat trips and paddleboarding to enjoy.

13. Grand Canyon with a Baby

Visiting Grand Canyon National Park is a perfect destination option for families who love the outdoors and who want to enjoy the canyon while their baby is still young and not yet fully mobile.

We recently visited the Grand Canyon with our nine-month-old, and she loved enjoying the fresh Arizona air and stunning views. The Grand Canyon offers a wonderful, free shuttle service that makes getting around the park quick and easy (with plenty of storage space for your collapsible stroller).

The Rim Trail is the perfect option for families who want to experience the beauty of the Grand Canyon with a baby without doing a major hike. The Rim Trail is well-paved, so feel free to bring your stroller! Some points of the trail will feel safer than others, but it is always recommended to keep your baby close to you in either a stroller or a baby carrier.

The Grand Canyon offers several amazing restaurant options that are all baby-friendly. El Tovar offers amazing views of the canyon and delicious food, and they will make you feel welcome as a family.

Overall, the beauty of this gorgeous American national park makes the Grand Canyon is one of the best places to travel with a baby!

This amazing idea for places to travel with baby was shared with me by @anadventureiscalling.

14. Disneyland with a Baby

It’s never too early to visit Disneyland with a baby! Sure, they won’t remember any of it, but just imagine how enchanting Disneyland looks through the eyes of a baby. As you’d expect, Disneyland has lots of baby-friendly programs and amenities to help you make the most of your first trip to Disneyland with a baby.

15. Yellowstone National Park with a Baby

You might not think a land of scalding water, precipitous cliffs, and wolves and bears is the best place to travel with a baby, but I do. Living about an hour north of the world’s first national park means our kids grew up visiting Yellowstone from the time they were infants.

There is a lot of science telling us we all need to spend more time outside, especially kids. The numerous benefits include better mental well-being and physical health. Of course, you have to do it safely.

Yellowstone National Park is one of the best places to visit with a baby in the USA because there are stroller-friendly boardwalks, easy-access swimming areas, and many short, wonderful trails. It’s the perfect place to go hiking with a baby.

Yellowstone lodging is family-friendly (though in high demand, make your reservations early!), there are plenty of restaurants, and the markets and general stores have all the necessities you might have forgotten at home.

As your kids get a little older, children’s Ranger programs and campfires, interactive visitor centers (especially at Old Faithful), and Junior Ranger programs, will keep them entertained while they learn more about the park.

This top baby friendly travel destination was shared with me by @TravelingMelMT from YellowstoneTrips.com.

16. Yosemite National Park with a Baby

It may sound surprising, but Yosemite National Park is an awesome baby-friendly travel destination! And that doesn’t mean just driving to overlooks to see the views and snap selfies of yourself with your little ones. There are so many baby-friendly hikes you can do with a good off-road stroller, and even more options if you’re willing to use a baby carrier to hike with your baby.

We visited Yosemite recently with our baby boy for a long weekend, and bringing him along didn’t hold us back at all. We took him on three great hikes to see some of Yosemite’s most picturesque waterfalls.

We used a stroller to get to Bridal Veil Falls and Lower Yosemite Falls (two relatively easy hikes), and used a baby carrier to reach the Vernal Fall footbridge (a slightly more steep and strenuous hike). He even had fun crawling around some of the displays at the visitor center!

Visiting Yosemite with a baby — actually, visiting any US national park with a baby — is a great idea. With just a little extra gear, like one of these best baby carriers for hiking, you can take baby all over the park and still have an epic mini-adventure.

Mary Beth from A Reluctant Mom shared Yosemite National Park with me for my list of the best places to travel with a baby.

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