Ready, Set, Go Wild

By Alison Ashton

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Gear Up. Although outfitters typically provide most of the equipment, ask for a suggested packing list. Don't forget such items as hats and high-SPF sunscreen. If you need serious gear, such as outdoor sleeping bags or tents, you can rent the equipment affordably from a sporting-goods store.

Consider Less-Expensive Options. If an adventure vacation organized by an outfitter doesn't fit in your budget, check out alternatives closer to home. Rangers at county, state, and national parks often lead kid-oriented nature hikes and other programs. Check with local sporting-goods stores for affordable day and weekend adventures in your area or visit outdoor outfitters such as REI (www.rei.com) and Adventure 16 (www.adventure16.com) for gear and travel tips.

Top Family Adventure-Tour Outfitters

GORP Travel, Inc. (877-440-4677; http://gorptravel.gorp.com): Offers family-focused lodge- and ranch-based vacations, rafting excursions, and other adventures. As with all outfitters, fees vary based on the trip.
Backroads (800-462-2848; www.backroads.com): offers family trips to destinations in North America, Latin America, and Europe. Choose from walking, biking, and multisport adventures. Sample adventure: A six-day camping trip in Washington's Puget Sound is $948 per adult. Kids' discounts range from 75 percent off for tykes 2 and under to 10 percent off for kids 11 to 16.
Kids Go Too Travel (800-638-3215; www.kidsgotootravel.com): Customizes adventures in Colorado and Wyoming with activities ranging from covered-wagon trips and rafting to horseback riding, gold-mine visits, and dinosaur-fossil digs.
The World Outside (800-488-8483; www.theworldoutside.com): Families are welcome on any trip, but the company also offers special family multisport adventures in the Grand Tetons/Yellowstone National Park, the Colorado Rocky Mountains, and Colorado's Four Corners region.
Thomson Family Adventures (800-262-6255; www.familyadventures.com): Trips to Africa, Nepal, Turkey, Costa Rica, Australia, Egypt, the Galápagos Islands, and Ecuador will appeal to families with a taste for the exotic. Thomson's 13-day "Affordable Tanzania Safari" offers tremendous value for the money. Cost: $2,990 per adult, including round-trip airfare from the East Coast, with a $500 discount for kids 11 and under.
Wilderness Inquiry (800-728-0719; www.wildernessinquiry.org): Offers very affordable family canoeing, hiking, swimming, and fishing trips in the summer; cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and dogsledding in the winter.