We found out about the Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden by accident—and I’m so, so glad we did. What happened was Edie made friends with another little girl at Mauna Loa Beach. I got to chatting with the kiddo’s mom, who shared some of her recommendations of the best things to do in Hilo. (We were heading that way to visit Volcanoes National Park.) She practically made me promise we’d stop at these incredible Hawaii botanical gardens along the way.

I’m beyond grateful we did just that.

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If you’re looking for things to do in Hilo, Hawaii, drive the 15 minutes to the Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden. You’ll love the chance to stroll through a lush rainforest, peep tropical plants and take in the Big Island’s unforgettable scenery.

Beautiful Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden

Visiting Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden remains a top highlight from our recent vacation on the Big Island. We stopped here on our way from Waikoloa on the Kohala Coast to Volcanoes National Park. The adventure helped break up our drive, gave us a chance to stretch our legs and let us experience the Big Island’s rainforest.

We brought in a picnic lunch, too. We sat on benches at a wooden table that overlooked the teal waters of Onomea Bay. The break was a perfect stopping point to refuel—and it’s hard to imagine a more scenic picnic spot.

The Hawaii botanical gardens trail felt steep in parts and included a few areas of stairs. Unfortunately, the Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden is not wheelchair-accessible. My kids, who are 7 and 9, got a little tired walking up the boardwalk to the garden’s exit but the hike is definitely not strenuous.

This Big Island hike doesn’t require a lot of effort—but pays off in big ways. The bioreserve packs in a ton of biodiversity in a small area—so much that you’ll want to linger along the trail. Definitely pause on your adventure; you’ll be more likely to spot critters like the technicolor-hued gold dust day gecko! (This lizard isn’t native to Hawaii, but Maxine and Edie were still overjoyed to watch them.)

Many of the plant species aren’t native, either. That makes sense with Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden’s mission. It opened in the 1980s after years of curation and restoration. It had been choked with invasive species and was so overgrown that no one would have been able to visit. The founders cleaned up debris and even abandoned cars and appliances, creating the gardens and walking paths of today. When it was created, the founders included tropical plants from all over the globe so visitors could see them all.

Must-see botanical gardens: Big Island, Hawaii

Just over a mile-long trail winds through the rainforest on the Hamakua Coast on the Big Island. These botanical gardens grow rare and even endangered tropical plants—all for you to see up-close.

The trail starts on a boardwalk angling down a green hillside. Keep an eye out from the moment you enter these Hawaii botanical gardens. You’ll begin to spot orchids, dangling heliconia, lilies, bromeliads and more. It’s like stepping into the biggest, best florist ever.

You can think of these botanical gardens near Hilo like a living library or museum. Where else can you see such incredible diversity of plants you’d only read about otherwise? Edie appointed herself the job of identifying the bioreserve’s flowers and other plants. By the end of our Big Island hike, she began to point out heliconia and anthuriums on her own—without the help of the garden’s plant ID guide (or our help with pronunciation).

One thing I liked about Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden was how it was organized. The map is numbered so instead of wandering, Maxine led us along the path in sequential order. That way we saw everything and didn’t accidentally skip an area of this gorgeous botanical garden.

Good thing, too: You’ll want to see everything.

It’s practically impossible to pick a favorite spot from all the gems in the Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden. (I know because we tried!) The biggest highlights, though, were the waterfall (toward the start of the trail), the pond, the monkey pod trees and the crashing waves of Onomea Bay.

My kids’ minds were blown to see how bananas and pineapples grow. (They speculated that I might grow into a pineapple, given how much of it I ate on this trip!) That’s right: This Hawaii botanical garden includes varieties of both so my kids learned how these fruit start out before they reach our plates.

Best things to do in Hilo, Hawaii

When we recently stayed on the Big Island, we spent most of our time on the Kohala Coast—the island’s western, drier coast. I’m so grateful we spent a day on the eastern, rainier coast, too. The lush rainforest was such a change from the lava fields of the Kohala Coast—and a real wonder for Maxine and Edie.

If you’re looking for things to do in Hilo, Hawaii, don’t miss the Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden. The bioreserve is just a 15-minute drive north of Hilo—absolutely worth the short trip. (If you’re looking for something to entertain the whole family while driving, download or order my book, Road Trip Games & Activities for Kids!)

You can fully enjoy these Hawaii botanical gardens in a half-day, including drive time. That gives you an opportunity to check out other fun things to do in Hilo or nearby.

Tips to visit Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden

I’m no mind-reader, but I feel pretty confident you now want to visit Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden on the Big Island. (How could you not?!) Let me lend you our firsthand experience so you can make the most of your trip. Follow these tips for a visit that’s memorable in all the best ways.

• Bring a picnic lunch. You can eat at benches throughout the botanical garden or post up at the picnic area at Onomea Bay.
• Prepare for rain. It’s a rainforest after all! The Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden lies on the rainy side of the Big Island, so don’t be shocked if rain is in the forecast. The garden’s little shop, where you buy tickets, also sells rain ponchos.
• Use insect repellant. Mosquitoes love the humid climate near Hilo. We bought and applied bug repellant that we bought in the shop for a few dollars per wipe (per person).
• Make sure you’re up for the walk. Wheelchairs, scooters and crutches are not allowed in the garden; if you need mobility assistance, this may not be the destination for you. Strollers are allowed but kids must walk or be carried along the steep boardwalk.
• Pack plenty of water. You’ll get thirsty as you walk.

Still have more questions? See Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden FAQs below.

I can’t wait for your family to check out these incredible botanical gardens on the Big Island of Hawaii. If you’re planning an upcoming trip, don’t forget to pin this post for later!

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Lost Lake, Oregon on Mt. Hood: Adventure + Fun

Just two hours from Portland, this breathtakingly beautiful spot has everything you need for the perfect family day trip: hiking, boating, camping, yurts, cabins and a general store fully stocked with ice cream. They’ve made it so easy to enjoy Lost Lake, Oregon that it’s practically a crime not to go.

I know that planning day trips with kids can be a little tricky—how far do you go? Will there be something to interest all the kids, no matter their ages? How much food do you pack? Will the hike be too long?—but since I’ve already made this trek, I’m here to share all the details.

Read on to learn all about visiting Lost Lake, Oregon with kids (or even without ’em!). You’ll want to head up Mt. Hood as soon as you can—or at least pin this post for later!

A perfect kids’ hike around Lost Lake

Hiking with my family is pretty much my all-time-favorite thing to do, but we sometimes struggle to find new destinations that won’t be too hard for my kids.

Hiking around Lost Lake with kids is a no-brainer: Not only is it gorgeous, offering postcard-perfect views of Mt. Hood, but it’s entirely flat.

Level 10 travel tip: Part of the loop around Lost Lake is made up of boardwalks. Just go clockwise from the general store to hit up this section. Know, though, this is the busiest section of the trail because it runs along the day use area.

The loop is 3.25 miles, which made it on the long side for my little hikers (ages 2 and 4). My 4-year-old managed the whole hike by herself but I ended up carrying Kiwi for about half of the hike.

Like with all hikes with young children, you’ll want to allow for plenty of stops. While hiking Lost Lake with kids, you might see newts swimming near the shore, patches of snow (we found several even on a hot May day!) and the unfortunately named but absolutely gorgeous blooms of the skunk cabbage. (Check out this picture guide of Lost Lake wildflowers for more to spot!)

About halfway around the lake, some of the trail is washed out. There are two or three stretches of approximately 15 feet where you’ll have to balance on rocks in the river to continue (or do as Hubs did and simply take off your shoes to walk through the water). There are impromptu trails that go up and around these sections but they’re steep and not suitable for young children.

Right in between these stretches, there is a rock beach—perfect for taking a power-up break with the kids. We stopped for snacks but my girls were too busy wading in the cold water and throwing rocks to eat.

Overall, hiking Lost Lake with kids was one of the most rewarding hikes we’ve done with children in Oregon.

Boating on Lost Lake with kids

Last summer while hiking around Trillium Lake, we decided we want a canoe. We haven’t made the leap (yet!) but we rented one at Lost Lake for a practice run. The entire family—including the kids and even our dog—were 100% on board.

Lost Lake offers incredible views of Mt. Hood’s snowy peak, and you get a perfect vantage point from the middle of the lake.

You can rent canoes, row boats, kayaks and stand-up paddle boards for between $20-25/hour at the general store. Note that during peak season (June-September), they enforce a 2-hour minimum. Life jackets are included in the rental price.

You can also bring your own canoe or other watercraft. The rental price is a bit pricey, but the experience of paddling around Lost Lake and taking in the view of Mt. Hood from the water is priceless.

We’ve been back to Lost Lake since that first day trip from Portland, of course. On our most recent visit—when we camped at Lost Lake—we brought our paddle board. Friends we camped with also brought a kids kayak (which we’re purchasing for our kids’ birthday!).

Our kids are now 9 and 7, old enough to paddle out onto the lake. We also love having one or both kids on a SUP and an adult paddling the crew around.

The views of Mt. Hood from the middle of Lost Lake are stunning. It’s no wonder that this is one of the most-photographed places in Oregon.

Lost Lake Campground

The Lost Lake Campground is a wonderful spot for camping on Mt. Hood. In fact, the campsites here are the nicest of anywhere we’ve camped in Oregon.

That’s a big claim.

Campsites at Lost Lake Campground are enormous. We camp with an 8-person tent to fit our family of 4 plus 2 dogs (one of whom is 100 pounds). Well, our enormous tent fit easily—and we could have fit another one of the same size on our campsite, with tons of room to spare.

Our campsite wasn’t the exception. We camped with 2 other families, for a total of 6 adults and 8 kids. All the campsites were huge! All the kids ran back and forth between the sites, rode their bikes on the loop, explored the woods behind the campsites and even put on a talent show.

Lost Lake Campground has 148 spots, most of which can be reserved. (Reserve your Lost Lake camping trip here.) Reservations can be made up to 6 months in advance. For summer camping and weekend trips especially, reserve as far in advance as you can. These spots fill up fast. So if you want to camp at Lost Lake, Oregon in July, like we did, make your reservation in January.

There are no flush toilets or showers at the Lost Lake Campground. Well maintained vault toilets are stationed throughout the campgrounds. There are potable water spigots, too.

Lush woods of Doug fir and spruce surround the campgrounds. Our kids climbed logs, made forts and found plenty to do around the site.

Lost Lake Campground is not next to the lake, though. You can hike about a quarter-mile along the Old Growth Trail from Loop A to the South Day Use Area, which we did several times. The South Day Use Area is much less busy than the North Day Use Area because you don’t get the spectacular views of Mt. Hood from there. This area has easier access to the lake along with more picnic tables, though.

If you’re going to the lake for the day, you’ll probably want to drive to a day use area. That way you can pack your picnic, paddle boards or kayaks, dogs and whatever else you’ll bring. If you drive, go early to get a spot. Parking at Lost Lake day use areas is like a competitive sport.

Travel pro tip: Buy campfire wood on your drive in. You can buy it at the Lost Lake General Store for $9 a bundle, but it’s significantly cheaper at gas stations and grocery stores along the way.

Visiting Lost Lake with kids: Everything you need to know

• Lost Lake is just under a 2-hour drive from Portland. To make a whole day of your trip, stop in Mt. Hood on the way back for ice cream—or in Parkdale’s Solera Brewery for even more stunning views of the mountain.
• Entrance to the lake is $9 per car. Parks passes are not valid because the lake is run by a private company, Lost Lake Resort.
• There are vault toilets near the general store but no other toilet facilities on the lakeshore trail.
• The best view of Mt. Hood from the Lost Lake trail is about a half-mile counter-clockwise from the general store, or just a short distance from parking at the North Day Use Area. The viewpoint is well marked.
• Lost Lake is busy on warm days, and summer is peak visiting time. Arrive early (before 10am) for easiest access to parking.

If you liked this post, I know you’ll love my post on other family-friendly day trips from Portland, Oregon. Click on over because I know you’ll find more inspiration for travel with your kids!

Have you ever been to Lost Lake? Would you paddle a canoe with your kids?

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What you’ll get visiting Gifford Pinchot National Forest

This 1.3 million-acre national forest surrounding Mt. St. Helens is an absolute treasure. Visiting Gifford Pinchot National Forest is a slam-dunk sure-bet for stunning views, gorgeous hikes, nature play and family-friendly camping.

From views of snow-capped mountains to second-growth forest (since some of this area was decimated during the 1980 eruption of Mt. St. Helens), from pristine creeks to kid-friendly hikes, I can’t wait to revisit Gifford Pinchot National Forest with kids.

Explore, play, discover in Gifford Pinchot

With 1.3 million acres, it’s tough to write an exhaustive list on visiting Gifford Pinchot National Forest with kids, so I won’t even try. What I will do is share a few highlights.

Camping at Gifford Pinchot

We stayed at the Iron Creek Campground in Gifford Pinchot National Forest, which is about a 20-minute drive from Randle, Washington. The campground is large—it has just under 100 sites—but sites felt roomy. The campsites are divided between four loops, and we couldn’t even see our neighbors from our spot.

Campsites are shaded and are tucked in the forest, which means you don’t get hot, direct sunlight as soon as dawn comes. In fact, one morning the girls slept until 8 am!

The family-friendly campground in Washington includes flat, paved roads for bike riding and a 1.5-mile loop trail that winds along the Cispus River and around the entire campground. It was easy terrain for our kids to hike, and there were plenty of downed logs to climb on along the way. We also stopped at a river bank to throw rocks in the river, of course!

Note that the only restroom facilities are vault toilets. (The kids mostly peed outside anyway, abiding by my dear Uncle Dick’s rule to never miss an opportunity to pee outside!!)

Level 10 travel tip: You can get ice (or ice cream!) in Randle if you run out.

Hikes and waterfalls in Gifford Pinchot National Forest

At the recommendation of one of the campground hosts, we hiked to Covel Creek Falls, about a 10-mile drive from Iron Creek Campground. Park in front of the Cispus Learning Center (46.4399° N, 121.8486° W) then cross the road to catch the trail.

You’ll hike through old-growth fir and spruce forest and along Covel Creek. The intensity and variety of green hues had us stopping to marvel throughout the 3-mile kid-friendly hike. The girls loved crossing logs and climbing onto tree stumps—they’re like little forest fairies!

Note that signage isn’t great along the trail, and two bridges are out. That just means there are two places you have to scramble a bit, but we were far from the only family who managed. I helped Kiwi (aged almost 3) up and down some of the embankments, and Peeper (aged almost 5) managed on her own. “Obstacle conquered!” Peeper shouted each time, and she was so proud!

IMG_6576 from Catherine Ryan Gregory on Vimeo.

The real payoff is Covel Creek Falls, a gorgeous waterfall you can hike behind. The final ascent just before the waterfall is steep, but Peeper managed it. (By this time I was wearing Kiwi. Hey, she made it most of the way up!) We very carefully walked down behind the waterfall, and it was an unforgettable experience for the girls.

Level 10 travel tip: When it gets steep, you’ll be tempted to turn around if your kids start to complain. About halfway up the steep section there’s a level spot with fallen logs that’s perfect for a snack break. Power up here then tackle the rest of the ascent—you won’t be disappointed in Covel Creek Falls!

Mt. St. Helens Visitor Center

If you’re driving to Gifford Pinchot from Portland, make sure to stop at the Mt. St. Helens Visitor Center at the base of the volcano. For us on our road trip from Portland, it was exactly halfway to our destination in Gifford Pinchot and so was a perfect opportunity to use the bathroom (I have the world’s smallest bladder!) and stretch our legs. The Mt. St. Helens Visitor Center is almost exactly one hour from Portland.

Inside the visitor center, you’ll find an information desk that was more like a hotel concierge. The park staff were incredibly helpful in recommending kid-friendly trails around Mt. St. Helens and telling us about road closures. (Even in late May, several passes on Mt. St. Helens were still closed due to snow.)

We also walked through the interpretive displays ($5 admission for adults). My kiddos were much to antsy to wait while I read the (sometimes long) explanations so I didn’t get to learn as much as I’d like about the eruption, but they did enjoy some of the interactive parts of the exhibit—mostly pushing buttons and walking underneath a model of the volcano. There is also a short video that plays twice an hour at :05 and :35, but we didn’t watch it: The last thing I wanted for my kids after a road trip was to sit down!

Level 10 travel tip: If you’re pressed for time, feel free to skip the interpretive displays. We only spent about 10 minutes walking through, but I don’t mind spending the admission fee for such a short time: I figure it’s my way of supporting the park, since parking here is free.

Hiking Silver Lake at Mt. St. Helens

From the Mt. St. Helens interpretive center, you can access a 0.6-mile hike around Silver Lake—an ultimately kid-friendly and accessible trail. This short hike is entirely flat, goes through forest as well as wetlands, and has bridges—which are pretty much my kids’ favorite things on the planet.

(Our conversations about kid-friendly hikes go something like this: Me: “We’re going on a new hike today!” Kids: “Yeah but are there bridges?” Me: “…”)

We listened to the distinctive call of red-winged blackbirds, which nest in the cattails growing in the wetlands here. The girls also chased butterflies and loved looking for other wildlife. Thousands of migratory birds pause at Silver Lake, making it an excellent spot for bird-watching. Also, a fascinating bit of trivia: Silver Lake is also home to the Bladderwort aquatic plant, which is carnivorous! When insects brush against it, a piece of the plant closes around the unsuspecting bug and is slowly digested. Feed me, Seymour!

Stopping at Silver Lake is the perfect hike and way to stretch your legs when you’re traveling to Gifford Pinchot National Forest.

Exploring Gifford Pinchot National Forest with kids

There’s so much to see in Gifford Pinchot National Forest—it’s like nature’s playground.

So much of kids’ lives today are scripted, scheduled and constrained, so I cherish time my girls spend outside. As we kept repeating all weekend, “We have no agenda.” So if the girls wanted to hold a centipede for five minutes, cross the same stretch of creek 10 times or get “lost” in the woods behind our campsite, it was all good. We had no place to be except present.

Covel Creek, Gifford Pinchot National Forest, Washington from Catherine Ryan Gregory on Vimeo.

That’s the true treasure of going to a place like Gifford Pinchot National Forest with kids: It’s off the grid. It’s beautiful. It’s quiet. It’s the perfect environment to reconnect with each other and with nature.

We’ll be heading back to Gifford Pinchot, Washington again soon. There’s still so much to explore! See you out there!

PS – Don’t miss my post all about the Best Camping Hacks!

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