We finally got to explore Zion National Park and man, we were blown away! The views just driving through were like nothing we’d ever seen before. Keep reading to learn all about how to spend a day in Zion National Park with Kids!
Zion National Park Information
Address: 1 Zion Park Blvd., Springdale, UT 84767
Phone: 435-772-3256
Fees: $35 per vehicle
Hours: Open year round, 24 hours a day
Shuttle Service: Website (shuttle service is mandatory for certain areas of the Park)
This was our first trip to the area, so we wanted to pack in as much as we could during our spring break in Utah. We stayed in Kanab and visited Bryce Canyon National Park, Zion National Park, explored slot canyons, hiked the Toadstool Hoodoos, and more! We only dedicated one day to Zion National Park, and while we had a great visit, we could’ve spent the entire week just at this Park!
Hiking
Full disclosure, it was pretty crowded during our visit over spring break. Because of the crowds, it was hard to find parking and the shuttle lines were insane. We opted to hike two trails in East Zion that did not require the shuttle, and we highly recommend both!
Zion Canyon Overlook Trail – Distance: 0.9 miles | Time: 30-45 minutes | Level: Easy
If you only have a day in the Park, you don’t want to miss this easy hike. The overlook is truly impressive and the entire trail has views for day, just check out the photos below!
Lower Pine Creek Waterfall Trail – Distance: 0.7 miles | Time: 1 hour | Level: Moderate
The second trail we hiked was by happenstance when a spot opened up in the parking lot as we were driving by. I’m so glad we decided to stop here, we ended up having the entire trail to ourselves! And the best part, this hike ended at a gorgeous waterfall!
We really enjoyed the rock scramble to get to the falls! If you have kiddos, they will really love the adventure that this trail provides!
Driving
If you’re unable to hike, you can still see many impressive views just driving through! Just be mindful that from March through November, it is mandatory to take the free shuttle on the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive!
When to Visit
April through November is considered the best time to visit Zion National Park. The fall months provide the best weather for hiking and the crowds begin to thin. Summer is usually the most popular time to visit, so expect crowds and longer wait times for parking and shuttle lines. We visited in March and the weather was very pleasant, but it was already very crowded!
Things to Know
Arrive early to ensure you find parking and have enough time for your adventures!
Be aware of the permits and mandatory shuttle services for certain areas of the Park.
Bring plenty of food, snacks, and water if you’re hiking.
Be cautious of the ledges and steep drop offs on some of the trails.
Overall, we had a wonderful day in Zion National Park! In fact, this was my husband’s favorite experience of our entire Utah trip. My only regret is not planning more time in this Park! Whether you go the day or for a week, I’m sure you’ll have a memorable visit!
Every Kid Outdoors Pass
The teacher in me is so excited to share about this amazing opportunity for elementary students in fourth grade! Did you know that with an Every Kid Outdoors Pass, fourth grade students can get into any National Park in the United State for FREE? And really, every person in the whole entire passenger vehicle gets in free, too!
My fourth grader was so eager to get his pass! We completed the information online and printed the confirmation page. Once we visited our first National Park with the printout, my fourth grader was given his very own National Park Pass! These passes are good from September 1st – August 31st! So, be sure to share this information with anyone that has an elementary student! Using my son’s pass we were able to visit Bryce Canyon National Park and Zion National Park for free during our spring break trip!
One of my new favorite National Parks is Bryce Canyon National Park! I cannot wait to tell you about the hikes we chose and share photos of the stunning hoodoos and landscape. Keep reading to learn how to spend a day in Bryce Canyon with kids!
This was our first trip to the area, so we wanted to pack in as much as we could during our week long trip to Southern Utah. We stayed in Kanab and visited Bryce Canyon National Park, Zion National Park, explored slot canyons, hiked the Toadstool Hoodoos, and more! It’s a great place to base from. Even though we only had a day at Bryce Canyon National Park, we feel like it was the perfect amount of time for our family!
One Day Itinerary
Visitor Center / Jr. Ranger Program
Drive to Bryce Canyon from Kanab, UT (1.5 hours)
Sunset Point Overlook
Hike Navajo Loop Trail
Visitor Center / receive Jr. Ranger badge
Hike Mossy Cave Trail
Drive Back to Kanab, UT (1.5 hours)
Visitor Center / Jr. Ranger Program
We always like to stop by the Visitor Center when visiting National or State Parks! Most are similar to a small museum with artifacts and Park information. Plus, my youngest son really likes to participate in the Jr. Ranger Program. We grab the booklet to work on throughout our visit and then stop back by to turn it in when it’s complete so that he can swear in and get his Jr. Ranger badge!
Sunset Point Overlook
Our first glimpse of the magic of Bryce Canyon, was at the Sunset Point Overlook. You can’t miss this one, especially if hiking isn’t your thing! If you do plan to hike, many of the trailheads can be found near Sunset Point, so it’s a great place to park your vehicle!
The Hikes
Now, on to the good stuff…hiking! Based on the trails that were open and hiking with kids ages 13 and 9, we decided to hike the Navajo Loop Trail and Mossy Cave (which is outside of the Park).
The Navajo Loop Trail is the most popular trail in Bryce Canyon National Park! It truly is amazing walking in between huge hoodoos! To find this trail, head to the parking lot area at Sunset Point. You’ll see the trailhead near the overlook area.
This trail can be moderately challenging when hiking back up to Sunset Point. For us, the entire trail was a little tough because of the wet conditions. It was very muddy, which made the hike down a little tricky in spots! The views are amazing, so don’t let a little mud discourage you from making the trek.
Be sure to check the weather before you go. If it has rained or snowed in the days before your trip, I suggest wearing hiking boots and bringing along spikes for mud or ice!!
After finishing the Navajo Loop Trail, we drove about ten minutes to the Mossy Cave Trail. This is a short hike with a small waterfall, rock formations with “windows,” and a cave at the end. The waterfall was more of a trickle when we visited, but we still enjoyed the trail!
Even though this trail is part of Bryce Canyon, it was not as muddy or as crowded as the Navajo Loop Trail within the park. I’ve heard it’s fun to see this waterfall in the winter, because it freezes and you can walk behind it! We really like hiking to caves, but I was a little disappointed that the cave is blocked off by a fence, so you can’t actually explore inside it. But, it was still a fun hike and the views were awesome!
We packed in a lot of time hiking during our one day visit to Bryce Canyon National Park! I know that we didn’t see everything that this amazing Park has to offer, but we really enjoyed our day and the trails that we chose to hike!
Highlights
Bryce Canyon has the largest concentration of hoodoos found anywhere on Earth! What exactly are hoodoos? Well, they are unique, thin spires of rock formed by weathering and erosion that can be caused by wind, ice and rain.
This Park is open and amazing year-round!
The crowds were much smaller than the crowds at Zion National Park!
There are no mandatory reservations, permits, or shuttle rides required.
There are scenic overlooks and viewpoints if you do not enjoy hiking.
It’s a great place for a day trip!
When to Visit
October through May is an ideal time to visit! The crowds are smaller and the temperatures are cooler. Summer is the most popular time to visit, with more crowds and higher temps. Winter is gorgeous with deep blankets of snow! We visited in March and there was still a lot of snow. It was an unexpected surprise, especially since we came from Texas and don’t usually get to see that!
Things to Know
Arrive early to ensure you find a parking spot at the trailhead or overlook area!
Bring plenty of food, snacks, and water if you’re hiking.
Be cautious of the ledges and steep drop offs on some of the trails.
The teacher in me is so excited to share about this amazing opportunity for elementary students in fourth grade! Did you know that with an Every Kid Outdoors Pass, fourth grade students can get into any National Park in the United State for FREE? And really, every person in the whole entire passenger vehicle gets in free, too!
My fourth grader was so eager to get his pass! We completed the information online and printed the confirmation page. Once we visited our first National Park with the printout, my fourth grader was given his very own National Park Pass! These passes are good from September 1st – August 31st! So, be sure to share this information with anyone that has an elementary student! Using my son’s pass we were able to visit Bryce Canyon National Park and Zion National Park for free during our spring break trip!
We just returned from a fantastic week in Utah! I’m so excited to share our Kanab, Bryce Canyon, and Zion National Park itinerary and photos with y’all! This itinerary is great for families, couples, or solo travelers.
Day 1:Texas to New Mexico
We began our road trip to Utah from North Texas. For us, it’s about a sixteen hour drive, so we had to break the drive up into two days. We decided to stop in Farmington, New Mexico on our first day of driving. It’s twelve hours from us, so we knocked out the majority of the drive on day one and only had four hours to go the following day.
Farmington is in the Four Corners region and has several great options of places to see if you want to explore more of this area. We’ve stopped at the Aztec Ruins National Monument and to see Shiprockon previous road trips!
Day 2:Kanab/Toadstool Hoodoos
On day two, we continued driving and stopped first in Page, AZ. We only stopped here because we happened to drive right by the Big Lake Trading Postand I wanted to do the short hike from the parking lot to see the sand cave! It was really cool, quick stop!
After that stop, we continued on our drive towards Kanab, UT which is where we were basing out of the entire week. We decided to stop by the Toadstool Hoodoos on the drive into Kanab and I am so glad that we did! My boys loved this stop and we had such a fun time exploring this area. Plus, it wasn’t crowded at all. Several different times during this stop, we were the only people there!
Hoodoos are unique, thin spires of rock formed by weathering and erosion. There are several different sized hoodoos on this trail and it truly felt like we were on another planet! The entire landscape was nothing like we’d ever explored before.
The Toadstool Hoodoos Trail – Distance: 1.8 miles | Time: 45 min. | Level: Easy | Cost: FREE
Once we left the Toadstools, we continued driving to Kanab. We stayed at the Comfort Suites and enjoyed this hotel. We had so much space in our room and it was in a great location! We also enjoyed the free breakfast buffet each morning, but the rates were the best part! We paid less than $450 for six nights here!
For dinner, we ate right down the road from our hotel at Vermillion 45 and it was delicious! It was a little fancier than our usual dinners on the road, but so good! I had shrimp risotto, the boys had pizza and rigatoni, and Jereme had chicken fricassee.
Day 3: Bryce Canyon National Park
After looking ahead at the predicted weather for the week, we decided to explore Bryce Canyon National Park on day three. The weather forecast was great for this day, but snow was predicted for later on in the week. It is right under 1.5 hours to get from Kanab to Bryce Canyon!
Based on the trails that were open and hiking with kids ages 13 and 9, we decided to hike the Navajo Loop Trail and Mossy Cave (which is outside of the Park). Be sure to check the weather before you go. If it has rained or snowed in the days before your trip, I suggest wearing hiking boots and bringing along spikes for mud or ice!
Navajo Loop Trail – Distance: 1.5 miles | Time: 1.5 hours | Level: Moderate| Cost: $35 per vehicle
We enjoyed this trail so much because of the up-close view of the hoodoos it provides! But, it was a little tough because of the wet conditions. It was very muddy, which made the hike down a little tricky in spots! The views are amazing, so don’t let a little mud discourage you from making the trek.
After finishing the Navajo Loop Trail, we drove about nine minutes to the Mossy Cave Trail. This is a short hike with a small waterfall, rock formations with “windows,” and a cave at the end. The waterfall was more of a trickle when we visited, but we still enjoyed the trail!
Mossy Cave Trail – Distance: 0.9 miles | Time: 45 minutes | Level: Easy |Cost:FREE (trail is outside main area of Park)
When we returned to Kanab, we had an amazing dinner at Escobar’s Mexican Restaurant. Hands down, this was the BEST food we had on our entire trip! If you’re in the area, definitely make sure to eat here.
Day 4: Kanab
On day four we decided to have a little bit of down time. My boys always seem to need a day to recover after a long drive and a lot of activities. It was so nice to sleep in, walk around the quaint downtown area, and check out some of the places right outside of Kanab.
The boys were tired of hiking and wanted a day to relax, watch tv, and play video games. So, Jereme and I had our own adventure date to the Kanab Sand Caves, also known as Moqui Caves. This place is fascinating! I highly recommend checking it out if you’re ever near Kanab. You don’t need a lot of time here and the hike is pretty easy!
This is such a unique place, right off the main highway that leads to Bryce or Zion from Kanab! We parked right off Highway 89 in a large, marked parking lot for the Sand Caves. You can’t miss it!
For dinner, we decided to have steaks at Iron Horse Restaurant. It was great, the boys loved this place! I didn’t take any food pics, but we all had steak, mashed potatoes, and salad.
Day 5 – Zion National Park
We dedicated day five to exploring Zion National Park and man, we were blown away! The views just driving through were like nothing we’d ever seen before. Full disclosure, it was pretty crowded during our visit over spring break. Because of the crowds, it was hard to find parking and the shuttle lines were insane. We opted to hike two trails in East Zion that did not require the shuttle and we highly recommend both!
If you only have a day in the Park, you don’t want to miss this easy hike. The overlook is truly impressive and the entire trail has views for day, just check out the photos below!
Zion Canyon Overlook Trail – Distance: 0.9 miles | Time: 30-45 minutes | Level: Easy|Cost: $35 per vehicle
The second trail we hiked was by happenstance when a spot opened up in the parking lot as we were driving by. I’m so glad we decided to stop here, we ended up having the entire trail to ourselves! And the best part, this hike ended at a gorgeous waterfall!
Lower Pine Creek Waterfall Trail – Distance: 0.7 miles | Time: 1 hour | Level: Moderate| Cost: $35 per vehicle
We really enjoyed the rock scramble to get to the waterfall! If you have kiddos, they will really love the adventure that this trail provides!
Day 6 – Ride and Rappel Slot Canyon Tour
This day was the best day! We booked the 2.5 hour ride, hike, and rappel adventure with Roam Outdoor. This was great for our boys ages 9 and 13. I recommend this option for families with younger kiddos or for anyone that has never rappelled before. We did four rappels that ranged from 10 feet to 45 feet, all while hiking through the stunning Ladder Canyon near Orderville, Utah.
We met up at the Roam Outdoor business at 10:00 am and were fitted with all of our rappelling gear. Then, we were driven on an ATV by our fantastic guide, Bryson, to Ladder Canyon. It was a short climb around to enter the slot canyon, which started with a rappel down into it! We all felt well prepared to make the first rappel and it started off small at only 10 feet. We gradually increased the distance of each rappel as we went, and finished with a 45 foot decent.
I also truly loved and appreciated how amazing Bryson was when it came to taking photos of our family to remember this special occasion! This was a family favorite and an unforgettable experience!
We followed up our time rappelling with a wonderful late lunch at Wild Thyme Café back in Kanab! The corn chowder soup and chicken pasta alfredo was to die for!
Day 7 – Peek-A-Boo Slot Canyon
Our final day of the trip was a fun one! We really enjoyed the tour the day before and wanted to find another slot canyon to hike. I had noticed signs for Peek-A-Boo Slot Canyon so I began looking up information on that trail. A high clearance four wheel drive vehicle is extremely necessary. I drive a 4WD Expedition and it would not have made the drive to the canyon. Luckily we had borrowed my mom’s Jeep for this trip and had no trouble off-roading the 3+ miles to the slot canyon. The trail is easy and fun, the sand is just very deep!
To find Peek-A-Boo Slot Canyon from Kanab, follow Highway 89 North out of Kanab for about nine miles. You will see a sign for Peek-A-Boo and a parking lot area on the right hand side of the road. Turn into the parking lot and then immediately turn left. This will take you onto BLM Route 102. Follow this until you reach the wash (almost like a dry riverbed). Here, turn left and follow the wash, this will be on BLM Route 106H and it will lead you straight to the slot canyon.
If you’re planning a trip to Utah, I hope you find this Kanab, Bryce Canyon, and Zion National Park itinerary helpful! Don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions. Be sure to follow all Leave No Trace Principals so we can continue to enjoy this beautiful country of ours!
The Leave No Trace principles are a set of guidelines designed to minimize the environmental impact of outdoor activities. These principles promote responsible outdoor recreation and stewardship of natural areas. Here are the seven Leave No Trace principles:
Plan ahead and prepare: Proper planning helps minimize potential impacts on the environment. This includes researching the area you’ll be visiting, understanding regulations and special concerns, and being adequately prepared with the right gear and skills.
Travel and camp on durable surfaces: Stick to established trails, campsites, and designated recreation areas to minimize damage to vegetation and soil. Avoid trampling fragile ecosystems by walking on durable surfaces like rocks, gravel, or dry grass.
Dispose of waste properly: Pack out all trash, garbage, and leftover food. Leave natural areas cleaner than you found them by properly disposing of waste and packing out all items, including biodegradable materials like fruit peels and food scraps.
Leave what you find: Minimize your impact on natural landscapes by leaving rocks, plants, and other natural objects as you found them. Avoid disturbing wildlife or removing cultural or historical artifacts.
Minimize campfire impacts: If fires are permitted and necessary for warmth or cooking, use existing fire rings or designated fire pits whenever possible. Keep fires small, use only local firewood, and fully extinguish fires before leaving. In sensitive areas, consider using a portable stove instead of building a fire.
Respect wildlife: Observe wildlife from a distance and avoid approaching or feeding them. Keep pets under control and prevent them from harassing wildlife or damaging vegetation. Store food securely to prevent wildlife from accessing it.
Be considerate of other visitors: Respect other visitors’ experiences by minimizing noise, yielding to others on the trail, and respecting privacy in campsites. Follow rules and regulations, and be courteous to others to ensure everyone can enjoy the outdoors responsibly.
By following these principles, outdoor enthusiasts can help protect natural environments and ensure that future generations can continue to enjoy outdoor recreation opportunities.
Road Trip Queen 