Bring Kids to These UNESCO Sites in the Western United States

The UNESCO World Heritage designation recognizes the world’s most precious natural and cultural landmarks and, at the same time, provides good goals for family travel. In the western United States, these include some of the country’s most popular destinations, as well as some lesser well-known places that open windows into American history.

Mesa Verde National Park
Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado preserves a huge concentration of Pueblo Indian dwellings dating as far back as the sixth century. The site includes villages built on the Mesa top and the astonishing cliff dwellings of more than 100 rooms.

Taos Pueblo
At Taos Pueblo in New Mexico, children can see how contemporary Pueblo people have continued their ancestor’s way of life in one of the settlements originating more than 600 years ago. The tiers of multistoried adobe buildings include homes and public spaces where a living culture continues.

Redwood National Park
The tallest trees in the world grow in Redwood National Park, between the coast and the mountains north of San Francisco, California. The park includes several habitats, and along with being wowed by the soaring trees, kids may see wildlife such as sea lions, bald eagles and endangered brown pelicans.

National Parks
The Grand Canyon and Yellowstone are the two most iconic national parks; both are UNESCO sites for remarkable geological and natural history. Yellowstone contains more than 10,000 geothermal features, with more 300 geysers including Old Faithful. Riding through the park, kids are likely to spot bison, bears and other wildlife. The enormous expanse of the Grand Canyon literally beneath their feet is an experience your children will never forget.