These 21 Kid-Friendly Airbnbs for Summer Are Worth a Hot Road Trip

• Sleeps: 11
• Rate: $578; $514/night
• Why We Love It: close to Yellowstone, outdoor deck, dedicated arcade room, private office with wifi, firepit

Want to help your children discover the great outdoors? Rent this Airbnb that’s got plenty of hiking area around it, as well as a firepit outside and a fireplace inside. It’s just 18 miles from Yosemite, so you’ll be able to show them that, as well as the Milky Way at night, since you’re in the middle of a low light pollution zone. And just so your kids don’t think you’ve transported them back to the Stone Age, there’s a room with retro arcade games, foosball, arcade basketball and corn-hole.

• Sleeps: 10
• Rate: $451/night
• Why We Love It: close to Disney, ping-pong table and indoor bounce house, pool, washer-dryer

After spending a day with your extended family at Disney, why not retire to a home where the kids can play—in an indoor bouncy house, by shooting hoops at an indoor basketball court and on a pingpong table—while you’ve chilling with a book and a glass of wine at the other end of the cathedral-ceiling playroom? And that’s not all—there’s a swimming pool to beat the midsummer heat.

• Sleeps: 9
• Rate: $229/night
• Why We Love It: lots of single beds, climbing adventure, outdoor trough pool, indoor and outdoor hammocks, hiking trails, lake, better for older kids

Older kids and agile parents will appreciate this two-story treehouse—the first floor, with a bunk bed, is accessible by wooden staircase, and you reach the second floor loft’s queen and four twin beds via an inside ladder. Set on 70 private acres, after a day hitting the hiking trails, creek and  lake, you can cozy around the back yard fire pit. Free range chickens, ducks and dogs roam the property, which is a former retreat center that the Airbnb super hosts have taken over and are in the midst of rehabbing. Two live trees grow through the roof of your treehouse, a two-level affair that includes a fireplace, hot shower, air-conditioning and heat.

• Sleeps: 6
• Rate: $379/night
• Why We Love It: like Harry Potter came to life, minutes from downtown, bookshelf reveals hidden staircase, 500 feet of riverfront

Let’s say you’re enjoying showing the kids the lights of Knoxville, including the art museum, the World’s Fair park and the zoo—how much fun will it be to say “Okay kids, let’s retire to the castle for the evening” and drive a short distance to this estate surrounded by 300 acres of the Ijams Nature Center and the river? Modeled on a traditional Scottish castle, the kids will enjoy examining the suit of armor and sneaking into the hidden staircase revealed behind a bookshelf. And there’s a huge multi-level deck overlooking the river, an idyllic place to lunch on a warm summer day.

• Sleeps: 5
• Rate: $188/night
• Why We Love It: renovated interior, view bison feedings, feed goats and mini horses, near Smoky Mountains attractions

Sited in the middle of a 65-acre buffalo ranch, this fully renovated train car lets you enjoy small house living with all the mod cons, like a full kitchen and heated bathroom floors, while nestled into a refurbished 1960s caboose. Since you’re staying on an actual working ranch, the kids will be able to view the bison feeding from a safe raised platform, as well as participate in some kid-appropriate petting zoo feedings. Hiking the Ashville Botanical Gardens and exploring the Linville Caverns by guided tour are nearby outdoors explorations the kids will enjoy.

• Sleeps: 10
• Rate: $364/night
• Why We Love It: covered outdoor play area, 20 minutes to Disney, trampoline, indoor play area, pool, hot tub

A tidy, crisp four-bedroom home with six beds and two baths is your home away from home, if that means you have more entertainment for your kids than you do at your house. In the full heat of Orlando in the summer, you’ll appreciate the pool (and after long days of hiking Disney and Universal theme parks, an end-of-day hot tub soak). The covered outdoor patio and shaded chaises are welcome respites, while the kids busily splash away in the fenced-in yard that keeps your pet safe.

• Sleeps: 4
• Rate: $461; $381
• Why We Love It: retro arcade games, table tennis, foosball, wildlife visible from large deck, sleek modernist design

For design mavens that want family entertainment, the feeling of being secluded in nature and a great backdrop for Instagram to boot, this minimalist cabin in upstate New York is a winner. It’s only a two-hour drive from New York City, but the quiet of the woods and dark of night mean you might as well be on the dark side of the moon—except it’s a quick 15-minute drive to the artsy burg of Woodstock for dinner and a walk around  Main Street.

• Sleeps: 8
• Rate: $631/night
• Why We Love It: train-themed, fire pit, great location, toys and games, on-site dance studio

This modern reimagining of an historic early 20th century train depot has a sprawling and fully fenced backyard, a grand piano (for your virtuoso), a popcorn maker, a reading nook with children’s toys and books, capsule-style beds for the little ones designed to look like train sleeper cars and a sprung-floor dance studio. Thomas the Tank Engine fans are going to go nuts for this, and your little will remember it long after you’ve left.

• Sleeps: 4
• Rate: $250
• Why We Love It: proximity to water parks, 15 bikes to choose from, kayaks, access to private beach, pet-friendly, four-person hot tub

Wisconsin Dells is the waterpark capital of the U.S., not only for its site on the Wisconsin River but also for its indoor-outdoor theme parks built around watery entertainment. This two-bedroom cabin allows your nuclear family to have some private time on days off from the half-hour drive to the Noah’s Ark park, with private beach access, nature walk trails and golf nearby—as well as a wide range of bikes and kayaks to choose from.

• Sleeps: 4
• Rate: $77; $66/night
• Why We Love It: close to Branson entertainment, arcade games, pool tables, tennis courts, basketball courts

The beauty of the Ozarks and the razzle-dazzle of musical entertainment are going to keep your family busy out in the community, or you can just stay on property at this resort condo. We especially like the multi-generational options for fun onsite, with pastimes like shuffleboard and horseshoes on offer as well as a small projection movie theaters and golf course access.

• Sleeps: 8
• Rate: $150/night
• Why We Love It: arcade, water view, fireworks every Saturday night, sports courts, water park access available

This cottage in a dreamy little community will provide lots of active options for your family, starting with a ride on the long slides of the waterpark, for an extra charge. Included with your cottage is access to an arcade, rock climbing, paddleboards and weekend fireworks over the water. And be ready to challenge family members on the 18-hole mini-put course.

• Sleeps: 13
• Rate: $479
• Why We Love It: nearby Six Flags Fiesta, outdoor 65-inch TV, game room, heated pool, hot tub, charcoal grill

Take the whole family plus everyone’s friends to this home which has lots of room indoors and out for fun and chill time. The game room is sleek and well-appointed with a pool table, shuffleboard, air hockey, foosball and PacMan arcade game, and the outdoor TV area has cool egg-shaped chairs, a couch and plenty of room for real whooping it up while watching the game. All this, and it’s less than a half-hour’s drive to Six Flags Fiesta.

• Sleeps: 8
• Rate: $249
• Why We Love It: in-ground trampoline, close to water park, hiking, biking, fireplace

Road trip to the Wasatch Front and enjoy the clean mountain air and crisp warmth of the summer sun at the Cowabunga Bay Water Park with the fam, when you’re not hiking, biking and otherwise exploring the great outdoors. This upscale home’s décor is as calm and soothing as the mountain vista, and the open concept living room/dining area gives you a chance to all hang together as a group. That is, if you can ever get the kids get off the trampoline and come inside.

• Sleeps: 8
• Rate: $199; $179/night
• Why We Love It: proximity to Dollywood and Titanic Museum, right on the lake, hot tub, outdoor firepit for s’mores

The superhost owners factor the kid count into their offering and make sure to have ample snacks and s’more ingredients waiting upon your arrival. Waterfront on Lake Chilhowee, and close to the kids’ activities in Pigeon Forge, this cabin has a Jacuzzi, kayaks with paddle gear, tubes, floats, corn hole, Frisbee golf and an outdoor fire pit with marshmallow roasting sticks at the ready. (Bonus points for a portable crib for the baby.)

• Sleeps: 4
• Rate:  $165
• Why We Love It: hot tub, outdoor shower, tent camping with proper beds, slide from elevated deck

The best of both worlds, comfort and rusticity are the themes at this elevated tent that is kitted out with three top-of-the-line memory foam mattresses (two twins and one king) under a canvas roof. Kids will love the large tube slide that will spit them out directly onto the well-maintained field, and there’s a hot tub and fire pit nearby should you want to do something besides constant sliding.  Bonus: You’re close to Philly’s wide selection of museums, play spaces and more.

• Sleeps: 10
• Rate: $241/night
• Why We Love It: bunk beds, walkable to town, private beach access, fire pit

This lakeside carriage house offers 132 feet of private beach on the West Grand Traverse Bay, and for the growns, there are wineries nearby on the Old Mission Peninsula. It’s only a six-minute walk to the shops and restaurants in Traverse City, but you won’t need to buy anything for the house, since all your beach supplies are here already. A full kitchen to make dinner, a firepit to craft S’more for dessert, and whew, a glass of a local vintage on the covered porch for a calm moment to yourself once the kids are in bed.

• Sleeps: 10
• Rate: $265/night
• Why We Love It: foosball table, cornhole boards, midway between downtown Charleston and Folly Beach

This home on Johns Island is the quiet southern beach getaway that comes complete with a screened-in porch to play board games in during the midday heat, before taking a short drive to justifiably touted Folly beach for an afternoon frolic on the wide white sand. A twenty-minute drive takes you in to Charleston to visit the petting zoo of Magnolia Plantation and Gardens or to climb on the ruins of Fort Sumter—or you can just get into it with in interfamily cornhole bout in the back yard.

• Sleeps: 6
• Rate: $285
• Why We Love It: proximity to Portland children’s attractions, two-story playhouse, quiet neighborhood

A quiet two-bedroom cottage in a nice neighborhood with a little playhouse in the backyard for your children to call their own is just the ticket. Here, you’re within walking distance to the shops and bistros of the cute Eliot district. Or get in the car for a short drive to the Oaks Amusement Park, an old-timey attraction that’s been operating since 1905 and maintains its old Americana charm. Alternatively, take your fam for a little futuristic STEM exposure at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry.

• Sleeps: 8
• Rate: $179/night
• Why We Love It: toys and books for 2-5 year olds, close to zoo and conservatory, foosball, outdoor room to play

Stay in the suburban community of Berwyn, close to Chicago urban attractions while enjoying enough room for your family to decompress in a quiet neighborhood. There are toys and books for the littles, while older kids play foosball and have one of four bedrooms to themselves.

• Sleeps: 10
• Rate: $535/night
• Why We Love It: waterfront location, pool table, foosball table, kayaks available for rent

Vacationing at a waterfront cottage is the antidote to a year's worth of stress, hard work and the overall grind. Around the corner from a public boat launch, the home's living room looks out onto Lake Wicwas and leads to a large deck with seating and gas grill. For an extra fee, you can bring your dog—so everyone can enjoy the lake together.

• Sleeps: 5
• Rate: $147/night
• Why We Love It: includes kayaks, fishing poles, primary bath has a deep jetted tub with TV, speakers above the tub and a fireplace

If you and your family like to fish, go boating or simply relax while viewing the breeze on the water from your deck, this is your destination. This contemporary lake house in the Kisatchie Nation Forest on the edge of Lake Kincaid is about the perfect spot—95 percent of guests give the location a five-star rating. While full of rustic charms, the sleek two-story home also has cool mod cons like a 12-by-12 rainfall water feature, six body jets, a wand and LED lights.