( CNN ) -- Spread across nearly 3,500 square miles and home to some 60 animal species and almost half of the world 's geysers , visitors could explore Yellowstone National Park for weeks and not see everything in the country 's first national park . Parents seem to agree the park in Idaho , Montana and Wyoming is a don't-miss spot in the United States : Yellowstone was named the top `` favorite family destination '' and top `` nature escape '' in FamilyFun magazine 's first travel awards . FamilyFun surveyed some 2,000 U.S. moms with children ages 3 to 12 , asking the adults to rate 360 popular destinations . The destinations were divided into regions ( West , Midwest , South and Northeast ) with parents voting within their respective geographic area . Fun , accessibility and affordability were key elements of the survey . `` Most families only have a few weeks of vacation each year , so the choice of where to go and what to see really carries a lot of weight , '' said Ann Hallock , editor-in-chief of FamilyFun magazine . `` The great thing about our list is that the winners in each region are chosen by families who actually live there , so you know you 're getting the real scoop on what 's going to be fun . '' 10 budget all-inclusive resorts . Favorite family destinations . It 's not just Yellowstone . Parents are focused mostly on nature , according to their Top 10 picks . Coming in second place is Acadia National Park in Maine ; third place is Carlsbad Caverns National Park in New Mexico and fourth place is Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona . Rounding out the top 10 are Mount Rushmore National Memorial in South Dakota ; Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore in Michigan ; Yosemite National Park in California ; Disney 's Magic Kingdom Park in Florida ; Glacier National Park in Montana ; and Pearl Harbor Visitor Center/USS Arizona Memorial in Hawaii . The magazine also announced winners in other categories . Here are the top three spots in those areas : . Top nature escapes : Yellowstone National Park , Acadia National Park and Carlsbad Caverns National Park . Top tourist attractions : Mount Rushmore National Memorial in South Dakota , Pearl Harbor Visitor Center/USS Arizona Memorial in Hawaii and the Statue of Liberty National Monument in New York . Top tourist towns : Mackinaw City , Michigan ; Monterey , California ; and the Lake Tahoe region in California and Nevada . Top museums , zoos and aquariums : Smithsonian 's National Museum of Natural History in Washington ; Omaha , Nebraska 's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium ; and the Saint Louis Zoo . Top amusement parks : Disney 's Magic Kingdom Park in Florida , Disneyland in California and Holiday World & Splashin ' Safari in Indiana . Top family resort : Walt Disney World Resorts hotels ; Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach in Hawaii ; and Loews Coronado Bay in California . Beyond Disney : Best family cruises for 2013 .
National parks and other nature - focused U.S. destinations are family favorites . FamilyFun magazine surveyed 2,000 parents for family - friendly park rankings . Parents chose top spots in their regions of the country : West , Midwest , South and Northeast . Yellowstone National Park topped the lists .