Best cheap family vacations revealed in 2025 rankings — and two of them are just a 4 hour drive from NYC

Amid nan rising costs of living, cash-strapped American families are looking to prevention superior money connected their getaways this summer.

And nan US News & World Report’s rankings of nan Best Cheap Family Vacations for 2025 beryllium location are still respective home destinations wherever you tin get bang for your buck.

“Rest assured, you won’t person to break nan slope to return nan kids connected a memorable travel this year,” nan report’s editors wrote.”Based connected traveler feedback, editor study and factors for illustration sights, worth and accessibility, US News compiled this database of nan champion inexpensive family vacations.”

Yellowstone National Park took retired apical spot, acknowledgment to its “reasonable” entranceway fees. According to nan National Parks Service website, a full family tin participate successful a azygous conveyance for conscionable $35.

While accommodation tin beryllium pricey successful highest season, nan publication urged families to cheque retired nan park’s “highly-regarded campsites” to debar “paying a beautiful penny for a room.”

Coming successful 2nd spot connected nan Best Cheap Family Vacations database was Yosemite National Park successful California, acknowledgment to nan truth that its entranceway passes are valid for 7 days.

That truth intends it’s easier to compression a full week’s worthy of worth retired of a azygous payment.

But if families fearfulness that some Yellowstone and Yosemite whitethorn beryllium excessively engaged astatine this clip of year, nan US News & World Report classed Gatlinburg 3rd connected its database of inexpensive family vacations.

The lesser-known upland municipality successful Tennessee is “the gateway to nan Great Smoky Mountains,” and families tin still prosecute successful hiking, biking and sightseeing without nan crowds.

Grand Canyon National Park and Grand Teton National Park rounded retired nan apical 5 successful nan rankings.

For families who for illustration formation getaways, North Carolina’s Outer Banks (number 6 connected nan US News list) and South Carolina’s Myrtle Beach (number 11) were among nan champion inexpensive picnic destinations for families.

Meanwhile, if you’re looking to recreation to a metropolis to soak up immoderate creation and culture, Washington DC was named nan 7th champion inexpensive family picnic spot acknowledgment to its free museums, iconic monuments, outdoor spaces.

For New York City residents looking to flight nan metropolis this summer, 2 places connected US News & World Report are conscionable a 4-hour thrust from nan Big Apple.

The Adirondacks successful upstate New York came successful 12th spot, while Ocean City, Maryland, classed astatine number 14.