5 Fabulous Family-Friendly Day Trips from Manhattan

What truly constitutes a fabulous day trip?  Exploring from your home base can be just as fun as jumping on a plane if the place you’re headed to provides an experience that feels considerably different from home.  In addition, the drive should be short enough so that you and all the kids can make it home for bedtime.  From the heart of New York City, here are 5 day trips that your kids are sure to love and don’t require a trip to the airport.

If one of your favorites day trips didn’t make our list, go ahead and write a comment and tell us about it.

Mohonk Mountain House
New Paltz, NY
Distance from Manhattan: 1 hr 30 min

The first time I laid eyes on Mohonk Mountain House, my jaw dropped.  It truly looks magical.  If you have a child who loves castles and you’re not planning a trip to Europe anytime soon, take a short drive from New York City and be transported to a place fairytales are made of. Even if you don’t plan to spend the night, families can visit for the day. In the Spring, Summer and Fall (April to November-ish) families can enjoy swimming, boating, and fishing in cool, clear Lake Mohonk, hiking and horseback riding on 85 miles of well-maintained trails, plus tennis, croquet, shuffleboard, golf (on a nine-hole course).  In the winter, Mohonk offers an ice-skating rink, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing in the stunningly beautiful Hudson Valley.

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Howe Caverns
Accord, NY
Distance from Manhattan: 2 hrs

If you have never taken your children to a limestone cavern, this will be an eye opener for them.  It’s a great lesson on not judging a book by its cover.  They will be totally surprised to see what lies inside an ordinary looking rock.  Be sure not to give away too much about what to expect to protect the element of surprise.  Kids can also enjoy gemstone mining, biking and hiking above ground.

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Washington Crossing National Historic Park and Bowman’s Hill
Washington Crossing, NY (near New Hope)
Distance from Manhattan: 1 hr 30 min

This historic park marks the turning point of the revolution.  School age children studying about American history can enjoy roaming through 13 historical buildings.  In the spring and summer, enjoy hikes through glorious wildflowers at the Bowman’s Hill Wild Flower Preserve
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Atlantis Marine World and the town of Riverhead
Riverhead, NY (Long Island)
Distance from Manhattan: 2 hrs

Riverhead is a small town in the Hamptons which offers wonderful experiences for children.  Situated in Long Island, the Hamptons are known for wild beauty and sandy beaches.  Your kids will enjoy sand dunes, tide pools and more on Seal Walk. You don’t need to fly to the Caribbean to have an underwater adventure. Just a half-hour west of the Hamptons, at Atlantis Marine World in Riverhead, kids can spend a half-hour in a cage face-to-face with ten sharks, a 300-pound turtle, seven-foot-long moray eels, stingrays, and exotic fish.
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Rockefeller State Park Preserve
Tarrytown, NY
Distance from Manhattan: 45 mins

Located in Tarrytown, NY, the Rockefeller State Park Preserve is a gem of 1,200 acres of richly varying terrain.  Most come here to hike.  For children, the flat fields with roaming cattle make for a fun walk that is easy for young legs to enjoy.  But there are also steep slopes that gaze over the spectacular Hudson River. The preserve is open year-round.  In the winter the hiking trails becoming ideal cross-country-skiing trails each winter. The shallow Pocantico River has recreational fishing holes. 
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