5 Reasons National Monuments are BETTER for kids (Than National Parks)

 The big, scenic national parks are the stars of the public land family, but what about their little sisters, the monuments? These less-known units of the park service are not any less valuable. In fact, I think they are even better for kids! 

So what is the difference between parks and monuments? While there are over 400 units managed by the US Park Service, only 63 of them are designated as national parks. Other park service sites include historic sites, seashores, battlefields, and, of course, monuments. “Monument” is a broad category- they can be wilderness areas, fossil sites, historic or cultural preservation sites, or geologic areas, among others. Monuments can be designated by a simple presidential proclamation, while national parks require an act of congress- for this reason many areas are first designated as monuments, bringing them protection immediately, and then are changed to parks later. In fact, around half of our national parks began as monuments! 

Camping at Curecanti National Recreation Area, Gunnison, CO

What is so special about these relatively unknown sites? How can they be better for kids than the more famous parks? While I think every kid should experience Yellowstone and Grand Canyon, there are several reasons our family has come to prefer many of the monuments and other NPS sites over national parks.

(Note: While there are only 80 park service sites designated as monuments, I am talking about all NPS sites that aren’t designated as “National Park” in this article-they're similar regardless of name.)

Size
Monuments are usually smaller than national parks- especially those huge parks in the west! You could spend weeks in Yellowstone and not see it all. But that huge area means it takes a LONG time to get anywhere in the park. Add in slow speed limits (to protect wildlife) and it can be hours before you arrive at your destination- even if you're staying in the park. 

These long drives also mean less time doing things. You spend hours driving, hop out for a quick visitor center perusal and a short hike, and suddenly it's time for supper. With smaller areas, there's a chance to get to know the site rather than barely scratching the surface. This also removes the temptation to rush in order to "see it all"- another thing kids don't usually enjoy. 

We can spend the afternoon at a monument and still get to everything: pick up Junior Ranger books. explore the visitor center, go for a few short hikes, look through a fort or house, catch the park film, finish up our books, and be home in time for supper.

Popularity
While the big national parks are usually swamped with visitors in the summer, many of the monuments are nearly empty. We love exploring without the crowds- especially when we have a bunch of kids! They get more freedom to explore and run around when there aren't so many crowds to disturb (or get lost in!). Besides, who wants to enjoy a wilderness experience with 150 other people?

Mock battle at Fredericksburg National Battlefield

History and Culture
Are your kids sick of scenic views? Many monuments and historic sites are fascinating for kids. From dinosaur fossils to old forts full of cannons, the NPS sites have a lot to offer. Not only are there tons of really interesting places, they capture kids' imaginations with their museums and visitor centers, park films and interpretive rangers in period clothing. 

Natural Areas
Most NPS sites have nice scenic areas to explore, full of nature. Some monuments are focused on the natural area, just like the bigger parks. These areas have just as much in the way of scenic views, beautiful hikes, and wildlife as the large parks- they're just easier to get to! We also love the short hikes you usually find in national monuments- perfect for stretching little legs after a car ride and getting out the wiggles, without being boring and exhausting. Most of these hikes are 1-2 miles in length. Many areas also have very short nature trails with interpretive signs or visitor guides to the nature in the area.

Working on Junior Ranger books
outside Oregon Caves National Monument

Junior Ranger Programs

There are over 200 Junior Ranger programs in the National Park Service system- meaning most monuments offer the program, just like the bigger parks. These booklets vary from a few pages of black-and-white activities to full-fledged books. Often the monument booklets have fewer pages and activities then the large parks. This is perfect if you only have a day or afternoon at the site.