Junior Ranger Badges and Booklets:
National Park Programs We’ve Completed

The National Park Junior Ranger program is one of our favorite ways to keep kids engaged during family trips. Our girls have completed Junior Ranger booklets at National Parks, monuments, historic sites, forests, and recreation areas across the country.

This guide shares the Junior Ranger badges and booklets we have completed, how long each program took, whether the booklet could be done before arrival, and which parks required visitor center exhibits or ranger help.

Because Junior Ranger materials can change, always check the official park website before your trip. We use this page as a family-tested planning guide, not as a replacement for current park instructions.

What Is the Junior Ranger Program?

The Junior Ranger Program is a program where kids and adults can learn about a National Park Service area through self-guided activities.

After completing the required activities, Junior Rangers are awarded a patch or badge.

More Info

Who Can Participate?

Anyone can become a Junior Ranger. There is no age limit, and everyone is eligible as long as they complete the work and earn it.

Kids participating in a Junior Ranger activity at the Grand Canyon

Road Trip Tip!

Print and bind your road trip Junior Ranger materials before you leave so the right booklets are easy to find during the trip.

Bound Junior Ranger booklet for a family road trip

How to Use This Junior Ranger Guide

Use the Quick Guide below to compare the Junior Ranger programs we have completed, including which booklets were easiest to start before arrival, which ones worked better onsite, and which programs required visitor center exhibits, ranger help, or special timing.

Then scroll down to see the full badge list with family-tested notes from our visits. The badge section includes every Junior Ranger badge or similar program our girls have completed so far, while the Quick Guide is a curated planning table for the programs where timing, logistics, or preparation mattered most.

Quick Guide to Junior Ranger Badges and Booklets

These are the Junior Ranger programs we have completed so far, with family-tested notes on timing, planning, and whether the booklet could be started before arrival.

Park or Program	Best Planning Note	Can Kids Start Before Arrival?	Visitor Center or Ranger Help?	Time Needed
Acadia National Park	Good booklet to work on while exploring scenic drives, coastal stops, carriage roads, and visitor center areas.	Partly	Helpful	About 1 to 1.5 hours
Statue of Liberty National Monument	Best for planning around Liberty Island, museum exhibits, and monument visit time.	Partly	Helpful	Varies
Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration	Best paired with time in the immigration museum, exhibits, and family history conversations.	Partly	Helpful	Varies
Arches National Park	Some activities may require park exhibits or on-site information.	Partly	Helpful	About 1 hour
Capitol Reef National Park	Good booklet to review before visiting.	Partly	Helpful	About 1 hour
Olympic National Park	Helpful for keeping kids engaged across a large park with different areas.	Partly	Helpful	About 1 hour
Mount Rainier National Park	Good option for a family visit focused on trails, viewpoints, and visitor centers.	Partly	Helpful	About 1 hour
Yellowstone National Park	Best started early because the park is large and activities may connect to different areas of Yellowstone.	Partly	Helpful	About 1 to 2 hours
Grand Teton National Park	Plan around a ranger talk because one activity required attending a ranger program to earn the badge.	Partly	Required for one activity	About 1 hour
Washington, DC / National Mall	Useful for combining multiple historic sites into one learning activity.	Partly	Helpful	Varies
Alcatraz Island, Golden Gate National Recreation Area	Best planned around ferry timing, the island visit, exhibits, and prison history.	Partly	Helpful	Varies
Gateway Arch National Park	Good to pair with museum exhibits, riverfront history, and Gateway Arch visit time.	Partly	Helpful	Varies

Planning note: Junior Ranger booklets and requirements can change. Some linked booklet copies may be archived versions. Before your trip, check the official park website for the most current booklet, age guidance, and badge instructions.

Junior Ranger Badges We Have Earned

These are the Junior Ranger badges and programs our girls have completed so far.

Some badges include a related trip guide where we have already published the full family travel post for that destination.

Acadia National Park

The Acadia National Park Junior Ranger program was a fun way to keep the girls engaged as they explored the park’s coastal views, scenic drives, carriage roads, and family-friendly stops. Some activities could be done during the day as we moved through the park, while others were easier to complete after visiting key areas and paying attention to park signs, exhibits, or ranger information.

Because Acadia has several areas to explore, this is a good booklet to start with early in the visit rather than waiting until the end. It worked best when we treated it as something to complete throughout the day rather than as a single final visitor center task. In all, the program took about 1 to 1.5 hours to complete.

Alcatraz Island, Golden Gate National Recreation Area

The Alcatraz Island Junior Ranger program was a memorable way to keep the girls engaged as they explored the island, learned about the former prison, and connected the visit to the broader history of San Francisco Bay. Because Alcatraz requires timed ferry transportation, this is a good booklet to review before your visit and bring with you on the island.

Some activities can be started before arrival, but the program works best when kids can use what they see during the island visit, exhibits, and cellhouse areas. Plan to work on it during your Alcatraz visit rather than saving it for the end of the day.

Arches National Park

The Junior Ranger program at Arches National Park offers 13 activities to try, but kids only need to complete 5 to earn the Junior Ranger badge. One activity requires kids to look at a sign in the park or use the park map, so it works best if you bring the booklet along during your visit instead of saving it for later.

Some activities can be completed before your visit, while others may require information from visitor center exhibits, park museums, signs, or stops inside the park. In all, it took about 30 to 45 minutes to complete. Arches National Park also offers a Night Explorer badge, a fun extra option if your family is spending time in the park after dark.

Arlington House National Memorial

The Arlington House Junior Ranger program was one of the more thoughtful programs we completed in Washington, DC. The booklet had been restructured before our visit, so a copy was not available online, but the activities still gave the girls a meaningful way to learn about the site, the people who lived and worked there, and the difficult history connected to slavery.

This program asked the kids to think more deeply than some of the other Junior Ranger booklets, so it was better suited for a slower visit with time to talk through the exhibits together. In all, it took about 1 to 2 hours to complete.

Bryce Canyon National Park

The Bryce Canyon National Park Junior Ranger program was a little more involved than many of the other booklets we completed. Some activities could be started before arrival, but several sections worked best once we were in the park and could use visitor center exhibits, park information, and what we saw along the overlooks and trails.This was a good booklet to begin early in the visit instead of saving for the end. The girls spent extra time going through the exhibits and connecting the activities to the hoodoos, canyon views, and park geology. In all, it took about 2 hours to complete.

Castle Clinton National Monument

The Castle Clinton National Monument Junior Ranger program was a short Lower Manhattan stop that paired well with our Statue of Liberty ferry day. Since Castle Clinton sits in Battery Park, it helped connect the ferry area, New York Harbor history, and our Liberty Island and Ellis Island visit.This is a smaller Junior Ranger activity, but it worked well as an easy add-on during a New York City sightseeing day. It did not require as much time as some of the larger park programs, but it gave the girls another way to connect the harbor, ferry departure area, and early New York history.

Canyonlands National Park

The Canyonlands National Park Junior Ranger booklet was one of the quicker programs we completed, but it was still a good way to help the girls pay closer attention to the park. The activities worked well with a visit focused on overlooks, canyon views, desert landscapes, and understanding how different this park feels from nearby Arches.This booklet did not take as much time as some of the larger Junior Ranger programs. For us, the biggest time commitment was getting to the visitor center, not completing the activities. In all, it took about 1 hour to complete.

Capitol Reef National Park

The Capitol Reef National Park Junior Ranger booklet was relatively quick and easy to complete, but it did require either attending a ranger talk or watching the movie at the visitor center. Most of the remaining activities were manageable for the girls to work through as we drove into the park and explored the visitor center area.This was a good booklet to start before arriving, especially if your family is driving into Capitol Reef as part of a larger Utah road trip. In all, it took about 1 hour to complete, plus the time needed for the ranger talk or visitor center movie.

Coconino National Forest

The Coconino National Forest Junior Ranger program for the Red Rock Ranger District near Sedona was a little different from many of the National Park booklets we completed. The activities were divided by age group, which made the program feel more tailored, but also meant each child had different sections to work through.

Spider Monkey was able to complete most of her booklet before we reached the visitor center, while Buttercup needed more information from the exhibits to finish her sections. This was a good program to pair with a Sedona trip, especially if your family is exploring the red rocks, scenic drives, or visitor center area. In all, it took about 1 hour to complete.

Crater Lake National Park

The Crater Lake National Park Junior Ranger program helped the girls connect what they were seeing at the park with how the lake was formed, why it is so deep and blue, and the role park rangers play in protecting the area. Some activities could be completed before arrival, but others worked best once we were in the park and could use signs, exhibits, and what we saw around the rim.

This was a manageable Junior Ranger booklet for a one-day visit, especially if your family is stopping at overlooks, the visitor center, or other scenic areas around the lake. In all, it took about 1 hour to complete.

Craters of the Moon National Monument

The Craters of the Moon Junior Ranger program was a great fit for one of the most unusual stops on our Idaho road trip. The booklet helped the girls connect the lava fields, volcanic landscape, caves, cinder cones, and rugged terrain to the story of how this otherworldly place was formed.

This is a good booklet to start before or early in your visit, especially if your family is planning to explore the scenic loop, walk through the lava fields, or visit the caves and overlooks. It helped give the girls more context for a place that felt completely different from anywhere else we had visited.

Denali National Park & Preserve

The Denali Junior Ranger program was a good way to help the girls connect with the land portion of our Alaska adventure. The booklet worked well with a visit focused on mountain views, wildlife, tundra, visitor center exhibits, and learning why Denali feels so different from many of the other national parks we have visited.This is a good booklet to pick up early in your visit so kids can work on it as the day unfolds instead of trying to finish everything at the end. It works best when families treat it as part of the Denali experience, using the visitor center, park information, and what they see throughout the day to complete the activities.

Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration

The Ellis Island Junior Ranger program was a meaningful add-on to our Statue of Liberty visit. The booklet worked well during our time inside the immigration museum and helped the girls slow down while learning about the people who came through Ellis Island and the stories connected to their journeys.

This is a good Junior Ranger activity to pair with museum exhibits, family history conversations, and a Statue of Liberty ferry day. It gave the girls a more focused way to explore Ellis Island instead of simply walking through the museum.

Federal Hall National Memorial

The Federal Hall National Memorial Junior Ranger program was a compact history-focused activity that fit well into our Lower Manhattan sightseeing day. The booklet helped connect the girls to George Washington, early U.S. government history, and the historic sites around Wall Street.This is a smaller Junior Ranger stop, so it does not require as much time as a full national park booklet. It works well if you are already exploring the Statue of Liberty, Battery Park, Castle Clinton, or Lower Manhattan and want to add another quick history stop.

Ford’s Theatre National Historic Site

The Ford’s Theatre Junior Ranger program was a good way to help the girls connect our visit to the events surrounding President Lincoln’s assassination. Some activities could be completed before we arrived with help from internet research, while others were completed during our tour of Ford’s Theatre and Petersen House.

This was one of the more manageable Washington, DC Junior Ranger programs for our family. The booklet worked well with the tour experience and gave the girls something specific to focus on as we moved through the historic site. In all, it took about 45 minutes to 1 hour to complete.

Gateway Arch National Park

The Gateway Arch Junior Ranger program worked well with our visit to the museum and Arch grounds. The booklet helped connect the girls to the history of St. Louis, westward expansion, the Mississippi River, and the riverfront instead of making the stop only about riding to the top of the Arch.This was a good Junior Ranger activity to pair with the museum exhibits, a visit to the Gateway Arch, and time walking around the riverfront. It was not one of the longest booklets we completed, but it added helpful context to a very unique national park stop.

Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve

The Glacier Bay Junior Ranger program was a memorable Alaska cruise badge because we experienced the park from the water instead of through a traditional visitor center visit. The booklet helped the girls pay closer attention to the glaciers, mountains, wildlife, and protected wilderness we were seeing from the ship.This is a great Junior Ranger program for families visiting Glacier Bay by cruise, because park rangers come aboard during the Glacier Bay day and Junior Ranger materials may be available through the ship or ranger programming. It gave the girls a focused way to connect with a national park we were exploring from the deck instead of by trail.

Grand Canyon National Park South Rim

The Grand Canyon National Park South Rim Junior Ranger program was one of the more involved programs we completed. The girls needed to attend a ranger-led program, and several activities worked best while we were exploring the Rim Trail, stopping at viewpoints, and paying attention to signs along the way.

This is a good booklet to start early in the visit instead of saving for the end, especially because the ranger program requirement can affect your timing. In all, it took about 2 hours to complete.

Grand Teton National Park

The Grand Teton Junior Ranger program was a great fit for our visit, but it required a little more planning than some of the other booklets we completed. One activity required attending a ranger talk to earn the badge, so we had to build that into our day instead of treating the booklet as something the girls could finish entirely on their own.

Some parts of the booklet could be completed while exploring the park, but families should check the current ranger program schedule before visiting. This was a good booklet to start early in the day, especially if you are combining scenic drives, visitor center time, and ranger-led programming. In all, it took about 1 hour to complete.

Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument

The Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument Junior Ranger program was a good fit for the fossil-focused part of our Idaho road trip. The site helped the girls connect the landscape around Hagerman with ancient animals, fossil discoveries, and the work scientists do to understand what this area looked like long ago.This is a good Junior Ranger stop to pair with the Thousand Springs Visitor Center and other nearby Idaho road trip stops. The booklet is picked up onsite, so this is one to plan around visitor center hours rather than trying to complete entirely before arrival.

Hot Springs National Park

The Hot Springs Junior Ranger program worked well with a walk through Bathhouse Row and time learning about the park’s thermal springs. The booklet helped the girls connect the historic bathhouses, spring water, and downtown setting to the national park story.This is a good Junior Ranger activity for a walkable national park visit, especially if your family is exploring Bathhouse Row and the visitor center area. It does not feel as spread out as some larger park booklets, but it gives kids a helpful way to understand why Hot Springs is protected as a national park.

Kenai Fjords National Park

The Kenai Fjords Junior Ranger program was a great Alaska badge for connecting glaciers, fjords, marine wildlife, and coastal scenery. The booklet helped the girls think more carefully about how ice, ocean, wildlife, and changing landscapes all shape this part of Alaska.This is one of the more manageable Alaska Junior Ranger booklets and works well with a visit to Kenai Fjords, whether your family is exploring from a visitor center, spending time near Exit Glacier, or experiencing the park by boat. In all, families should plan for about 30 minutes to 1 hour to complete the required activities.

Lewis & Clark National & State Historic Park

The Lewis & Clark Junior Ranger booklet can be turned in at the Astoria Visitor Center at Fort Clatsop, but the program connects to multiple sites across both Washington and Oregon. Because we visited more than one site, the girls were able to earn both a badge and a patch, with the patch based on the number of sites visited.The activities were relatively manageable, but some needed to be completed onsite using information from the historic areas, exhibits, and park stops. This was a good Junior Ranger program to pair with a Pacific Northwest road trip, especially if your family is visiting Fort Clatsop or other Lewis and Clark sites. In all, it took about 45 minutes to 1 hour to complete.

Mendenhall Glacier, Tongass National Forest

The Mendenhall Glacier Junior Ranger program was a great fit for our Juneau stop in Tongass National Forest. The booklet helped the girls connect the glacier, rainforest, wildlife, and visitor center exhibits with what they were seeing outside at one of Alaska’s most accessible glacier areas.This program works best as an onsite activity because the booklet needs to be reviewed and signed by a Forest Service ranger before kids receive the badge. It is a good one to pair with time at the visitor center, glacier viewpoints, and nearby trails, but plan enough time to complete the activities and find a ranger before leaving.

Mesa Verde National Park

The Mesa Verde National Park Junior Ranger program has been updated since our visit in 2023, but many of the activities appear similar to the booklet our girls completed. The program was a good fit for a visit focused on cliff dwellings, park history, overlooks, and learning about the Ancestral Pueblo people who lived in the area.

This is a good booklet to start early in the day, especially if you are visiting multiple overlooks or touring one of the cliff dwelling sites. In all, it took about 1 to 2 hours to complete.

Meteor Crater Natural Landmark

Meteor Crater Natural Landmark is not part of the National Park system, but it does offer a scavenger hunt-style booklet for kids to complete during their visit. The booklet was not available to download before our trip, so we picked it up when we arrived and worked through the questions during the museum exhibits and guided tour.

This was a good activity for keeping the girls engaged at a very different type of stop. After completing the booklet, they turned it in at the gift shop and received a patch. In all, it took about 45 minutes to complete.

Minidoka National Historic Site

The Minidoka National Historic Site Junior Ranger program was one of the more meaningful stops on our Idaho road trip. The booklet helped the girls learn about the Japanese Americans who were incarcerated at Minidoka during World War II and gave us a structured way to talk through a difficult but important part of American history.This is not a light or purely activity-based Junior Ranger program, but it is a valuable one. It works best when families take time to read the exhibits, walk the site thoughtfully, and talk through the history together. It is a good stop to approach slowly rather than rushing through.

Montezuma Castle National Monument

The Montezuma Castle National Monument Junior Ranger program was a fun and manageable activity for our visit. The booklet helped the girls pay closer attention to the cliff dwelling, the surrounding environment, and the history of the people who lived in the area more than 800 years ago.

Several activities could be completed before we arrived with a little background research, while a few sections needed information from the trail signs or museum exhibits. This was an easy Junior Ranger program to pair with a short national monument visit. In all, it took about 30 to 45 minutes to complete.

Mount Rainier National Park

The Mount Rainier National Park Junior Ranger program was a quick and manageable booklet for our family. The activities covered trees, wildlife, volcanoes, park protection, and other topics that helped the girls connect what they were seeing in the park with the larger Mount Rainier story.

Many of the activities could be completed before arrival with a little background research, so this was an easy booklet to start before our visit. We turned it in at the first visitor center before heading out to enjoy the park. In all, it took about 30 to 45 minutes to complete.

Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument

The Mount St. Helens Junior Ranger program looked a little different during our visit because Johnston Ridge Observatory was unreachable, so we completed the booklet at the Silver Lake Visitor Center. The exhibits there gave the girls the information they needed to work through the activities and learn more about the eruption, volcanoes, and the surrounding landscape.

The booklet had changed and was only available at the visitor center, so this is one to check on before your trip. It was a good Junior Ranger stop to pair with our Mount St. Helens visit and helped give the girls more context before exploring the area. In all, it took about 1 hour to complete.

National Mall and Memorial Parks

The National Mall and Memorial Parks Junior Ranger program was a good way to keep the girls engaged while exploring Washington, DC. The booklet helped them learn about the meaning behind the memorials, the history connected to the National Mall, and the different places where they could collect passport stamps along the way.

Several activities could be completed before arrival with a little background research, while others worked well during our time visiting the memorials. We turned our booklet in at the Lincoln Memorial gift shop before continuing with the rest of our sightseeing. In all, it took about 30 to 45 minutes to complete.

Night Explorer

The Night Explorer program is a national Junior Ranger program focused on exploring parks after dark. The activities help kids learn how to find the North Star, track the phases of the moon, think about constellations, and understand why dark night skies matter.

This booklet can be completed at home or during a national park visit, but it was especially fitting for our Arches trip because Arches is an International Dark Sky Park. It is different from the park-specific Junior Ranger booklets because it focuses on night skies rather than one individual park. In all, it took about 45 minutes to complete.

North Cascades National Park

The North Cascades National Park Junior Ranger program was a quick and manageable booklet for our family. The activities focused on animal tracks, pine cones, nature sounds, glaciers, and other features that helped the girls notice more of what makes the park unique.

Most of the activities could be completed before arriving at the park, which made this one easier to fit into a road trip day. It was a good booklet to start ahead of time and finish around visitor center or park time. In all, it took about 30 to 45 minutes to complete.

Olympic National Park

Olympic National Park has two different Junior Ranger programs: the Discovering Olympic’s Web of Life program and the Ocean Steward program. The Web of Life booklet is the main Olympic National Park Junior Ranger booklet, while the Ocean Steward booklet works best if your family is visiting one or more of Olympic’s beaches.

These booklets were a good fit for a park with several very different areas to explore. Some activities could be completed with a little background research, while others worked best after visiting the coast, rainforest, or other park areas. We turned both booklets in at the Hoh Rain Forest after exploring the coast.

Olympic National Park Ocean Steward

Olympic National Park has two Junior Ranger-style programs we completed: the main Discovering Olympic’s Web of Life program and the Ocean Steward program. The Ocean Steward booklet is focused on Olympic’s coastal areas, so it works best if your family is visiting one or more of the park’s beaches.

This was a good companion to the regular Olympic Junior Ranger booklet because it helped the girls pay closer attention to tidepools, beaches, coastal wildlife, and how the ocean connects to the park. We turned both booklets in at the Hoh Rain Forest after exploring the coast.

Oregon National Historic Trail

The Oregon National Historic Trail Junior Ranger program was a good way to connect our Idaho road trip to the larger story of westward migration. The booklet helped the girls think about wagon travel, trail history, and what life may have been like for families moving across the country.This program works well as a road trip activity because it is tied to the broader historic trail rather than one single park stop. It paired naturally with our time exploring Idaho, Hagerman, and Oregon Trail history along the route.

Paleontologist

The Junior Ranger Paleontologist program is a multi-park program for kids interested in fossils, ancient life, and how paleontologists work. The activities helped the girls learn about fossil protection, how scientists study the past, and why many national parks preserve important fossil sites.This booklet was different from a park-specific Junior Ranger program because it could be completed without needing a particular visitor center or museum. Some parks, including Petrified Forest National Park, may also offer paleontology demonstrations or fossil-focused activities that pair well with the booklet. In all, it took about 45 minutes to complete.

Pearl Harbor National Memorial

The Pearl Harbor Junior Ranger program was a fun and interactive way to keep the girls engaged while exploring the visitor center area. The booklet worked almost like a scavenger hunt, with clues and activities connected to the museums, exhibits, and the history of Pearl Harbor.

This is a good booklet to start early during your visit because you need to find a park ranger to turn it in when you are finished, which can be harder close to closing time. It paired well with our Oahu trip and gave the girls a more focused way to understand the site. In all, it took about 1 hour to complete.

Petrified Forest National Park

The Petrified Forest National Park Junior Ranger program was a fun and manageable booklet for our family. The activities covered fossils, human history, wilderness, park protection, and the unique landscapes that make Petrified Forest feel so different from other national parks.Several activities could be completed before arrival with a little background research, which made this an easy booklet to start ahead of time. We turned it in at the first visitor center before continuing through the park. In all, it took about 30 to 45 minutes to complete. Petrified Forest National Park also has a Junior Ranger Paleontologist badge, which pairs well with this stop.

President's Park National Historic Site

The President’s Park Junior Ranger program was a good way to connect our White House visit with the surrounding area in Washington, DC. The booklet includes activities about the White House, President’s Park, and nearby sites, so it can still be completed even if your family is not taking a White House tour.

Some activities could be completed before arrival with a little background research, while others worked best after visiting the White House Visitor Center and gathering information from the exhibits. We turned our booklet in after our White House tour. In all, it took about 30 to 45 minutes to complete.

Statue of Liberty National Monument

The Statue of Liberty Junior Ranger program was a great way to help the girls connect with Liberty Island beyond just seeing the statue. The booklet worked well with time at the museum, the monument, and the views across New York Harbor.This is a good Junior Ranger activity to pair with a Statue of Liberty visit, especially if you are also visiting Ellis Island on the same ferry day. It gave the girls a more focused way to slow down, notice the history around them, and connect the ferry day to the larger story of the monument.

Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace National Historic Site

The Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace Junior Ranger program was a smaller historic-site activity that fit well into our New York City sightseeing. The booklet helped the girls connect Theodore Roosevelt’s early life, the restored birthplace, and the exhibits inside the historic home.This is a good Junior Ranger stop if you are already planning a history-focused day in Manhattan. It does not take as long as a full national park booklet, but it gives kids a focused way to slow down and connect the site to a larger American history story.

Wrangell-St. Elias National Park & Preserve

The Wrangell-St. Elias Junior Ranger program was a good fit for a park that feels enormous, remote, and a little harder to grasp than some of the smaller national parks we have visited. Since we experienced this area from our cruise, the booklet helped the girls connect the mountains, glaciers, wild landscapes, and scale of the park with what we were seeing from the water.This is a good booklet to review before or after a cruise-based visit, especially because many families will not be stopping at a traditional visitor center. It gives kids a way to understand why Wrangell-St. Elias is such an important protected landscape, even if their visit is more scenic than hands-on.

White House National Historic Site

The White House Junior Ranger program was a good way to connect our White House tour with the history of the building, the surrounding area, and the White House Visitor Center. The booklet was handed out during our White House tour, and some activities overlapped with the President’s Park Junior Ranger booklet.

Several activities required information from the White House Visitor Center, while others could be completed before arrival with a little background research. We turned our booklet in at the White House Visitor Center after our tour. In all, it took about 30 minutes to complete.

Yellowstone National Park

The Yellowstone Junior Ranger program was a great way to keep the girls engaged while exploring the park’s geysers, wildlife, visitor centers, scenic stops, and boardwalk areas. Some activities could be worked on during the day as we moved through the park, while other parts were easier to complete after visiting key areas.

Because Yellowstone is so large, this is a good booklet to start early in the trip instead of saving until the end. It worked best when we treated it as something to complete throughout our time in the park. In all, the program took about 1 to 2 hours to complete.

Zion National Park

The Zion National Park Junior Ranger program was a fairly manageable booklet for our family, but it did require attending a ranger program in addition to completing the activities. The girls attended a program at the Nature Center where they made casts of animal footprints, which ended up being one of the more memorable parts of the experience.This is a good booklet to start early in the visit so you have time to work around the ranger program schedule. Some activities can be completed while exploring the park, but the ranger program requirement means it is not one to save until the very end. In all, it took about 2 hours to complete.

Junior Ranger Badges and Booklets: National Park Programs We’ve Completed