Amazing Things to Do in Napa with Teens

Whenever you think about things to do in Napa Valley, the first thing that comes to mind is “adult” activities like drinking wine. California law states that a person under 21 years old is prohibited from drinking and possessing alcohol. There’s another challenge: many teens won’t be interested in visiting wineries.

But in case you have a teen with you on your family Napa vacation, you don’t have to worry because you can find a lot other fun things to do without involving wine. You won’t need to literally drag your kid to the vineyards or the wineries.

Fortunately, Napa’s Mediterranean-type climate, which is conducive to growing wine grapes, is also conducive for a lot of outdoor activities. This is especially good for the hyperactive teens because they love to have fun outdoors. Lake Berryessa (the biggest lake in Napa County) and the Napa River are popular for many activities like whitewater kayaking, fishing, waterskiing, jet skiing, rafting, canoeing, and of course swimming.

Hiking is also a fun way to discover Napa’s beauty, especially for teens who love nature and adventure. There are a lot of hiking spots available that have multiple levels of difficulty. If teens want to hike just for leisure, take the Yountville Crossroads or Westwood Hills Park, with easy-to-climb-and-descend trails. For the more adventurous young hikers, Sugarloaf Mountain Trail, the Robert Louis Stevenson State Park, and the Skyline Wilderness RV Park offer more challenging trails. All of these trails lead to exhilarating views of the fields and the valleys.

You may be able to get your teens interested in wines if you have them participate in the grape stomp festivals where the kids can get dirty… but in a good way! Most vineyards offer grape stomps during the fall season, where the ripened grapes are harvested and ready for wine making. Maybe, just maybe, they will get curious how these crushed grapes will be processed into wine.

Many of the wineries in Napa offer more than just wines. They know how to combine wine with other pleasurable activities. The Sterling Vineyards in Calistoga offers a short cable car ride which leads to the hilltop distillery and villa overlooking the valley. If your teens are interested in art while you are more interested in wine, visit wineries like the Hess Collection and Artesa – both having vast art collections for the teen to enjoy. This will be a win-win situation for both of you!

Shopping also interests teens. Napa Valley has almost everything you want and need — food, clothing, art and art-themed products and supplies, and so much more! The Napa Premium Outlets lets you shop for the best-known brands like Adidas, Banana Republic, Michael Kors, Calvin Klein, and others at incredible discounts!

For the more adventurous side of your teen folks, a hot air balloon ride will surely make their day! Once the balloon leaves the ground, teens will find the experience incredible, they’ll see the immaculately neat rows of grapevines, the rolling hills, and the deep valleys. The uninterrupted, unobstructed views, plus witnessing the morning sun, will exhilarate them. Teens will surely swear this is the best ride (and time) of their life! And of course, they won’t forget to bring their smartphones, cameras, and GoPro video cameras to take awesome photos and videos to share at home.

What could be a better partner for your hot air ballooning adventure than Balloons Above the Valley? Our wine tours and sunrise balloon rides packages include other perks like pre-flight breakfasts and post-flight brunches with champagne provide an unforgettable wine tour. Don’t worry about the champagne brunch, as teens will have a non-alcoholic drink to enjoy!

Trying to find amazing things to do in Napa with teens (who at times can be a bit fickle) can be a bit challenging. But Napa has plenty of fun things and adventure-filled activities for everyone, including teens!