2 Days in Zion National Park with Kids

Utah's First National Park and one of the Top 5 National Parks; Zion National Park is an amazing place with a long rich history and breathtaking views. The landscape of Zion shaped over millions of years by water, wind, and ice is gorgeous. Zion is where everyone can have a unique experience whether you enjoy the wilderness, walking or hiking; this place will captivate your heart.

We have just visited Yellowstone National Park, Grand Teton National Park, Arches National Park our most recent stop Bryce Canyon National Park as part of out 5 National Park visit. Upon our arrival at Zion NP, our first stop was the visitor center to pick up a free map of the park, discuss our plans with the park rangers, pick up junior ranger books and shop for souvenirs.

We discussed our plans with the park ranger and based on the length of our visit; children's age and current park conditions, we come up with a plan. Below are the places we explored and the hikes we went on. There are other notable hikes and activities that we were not able to tackle but they should be considered.

When we arrived at Zion National Park visitor center during lunch hours, we decided to take it easy one the first day and avoided hiking and strenuous activities. We took the lazy route explored the park via Zion Canyon Shuttle. We took our sweet time on the shuttle and by the time we finished the shuttle tour, it was time to eat, get back to our glamping site (Read below).

This is when the real fun began. We got up early and started with breakfast. We arrived at Zion National Park and parked at the visitor center. Our plan was to take the park shuttle to he end of the park and then make stops while hiking and walking towards the visitor center. This plan worked out perfect for us. When the day ended, we wrapped up our last hike and took the shuttle back to the visitor center.

2.2 miles roundtrip (1 hour and a half) Easy Walk

Our first stop, The Riverside Walk starts at the final bus stop and you need to do this walk to get up to the river to start The Narrows. It’s a nice easy walk for families with young children and people of all abilities. This end of this walk is also the start of the canyon for hiking The Narrows. I would recommend putting this hike on your list.

Tip: It is highly recommended to get some swim clothes, waterproof boots or water shoes. There's plenty of opportunity to dip in the water, take a swim or get wet when you start the hike towards The Narrows.  

Up to 16 miles (full day or multiple days) Difficult Hike

One of the most famous hikes in Zion is to hike the Narrows. Depending on your group's goals and ability; You can hike the The Narrows in a day from the bottom-up or you simply hike up the river as far as you want to go and and simply turn around when tired. If you have an iron-will, you can hike the entire length of the Narrows from the top-down one-day hike or go on a multi day backpacking trip. We continued our Riverside Walk that led us to The Narrows and we went as far as we could until both the kids started asking us questions about the length. That was our warning signal to turn back.

Whatever you end up doing, we would highly recommend doing at least part of this hike because it is beautiful yet challenging but when you are doing, it will be one of the most rewarding and memorable experience.

1 mile (30 minutes) Easy Hike

We did this short hike / walk in the middle of the park from the Grotto to Zion Lodge and it is only 30 minutes walk. If you are in the shuttle and notice people hiking along the side of the road between the two shuttle stops, it's The Grotto Trail. It would not be a big deal if you miss this but if you have young children or older company, this is a great stop.

This was one of the easy hikes that we enjoyed. The trail system climbs to three sets of pools, with panoramic views up and down the canyon. Year-round seeps and springs continually recharge the pools.

Lower Emerald Pools Trail - 1.2 miles (1 hours), depending on how far you hike - Easy

Lower Emerald Pools is the start of the trail system that includes the Upper Emerald Pool and Kayenta trails. The trail to the Emerald Pools is one of the most popular hikes in Zion. This is a trail that starts off easy and gets more strenuous. You can get to Lower Emerald Pools trail from Zion Lodge.

We hiked lower Emerald Pool trail towards the evening and it was the perfect time as the sun was setting and crowd was also getting smaller. We would recommend hiking this trail with kids.

Upper Emerald Pools Trail - 2.1 miles (1 hours) - Moderate

The Upper Emerald Pools sits directly below a 300ft. cliff face. The final climb to Upper Emerald Pool is more challenging but it leads you to a large pool surrounded on three sides by tall cliffs. When we visited the park, there was a rockfall incident and the damage has caused some long term damage or changes to the trails. Upper Emerald Pools Trail was unfortunately not open during our visit.

Kayenta Trail - 2.0 miles (1.5 hours) - Moderate

This trail is narrow and steep with numerous rolling hills and unprotected drop-offs. This trail is accessed via Lower Emerald Pools Trail. You can also get to the pools via the Kayenta Trail from The Grotto. When we visited the park, there was a rockfall incident and the damage has caused some long term damage or changes to the trails. Upper Emerald Pools Trail was unfortunately not open during our visit.

Tip: We were recommended to also try the Canyon Overlook Trail

5.4 miles roundtrip (3-5 hours) Difficult hike

One of the most popular and highly sought after, Angels Landing is on every adventure seeker's bucket list and those who come off this hike have claimed this hike to be one of their favorites.

We had originally planned to give it a try with kids however when we learned specifics about the final climb that involves scaling a narrow ridge high above the valley floor. The chain-assisted rock scrambling sections and the last half mile hiking along a sandstone ridge in conjunction with steep switchbacks and sheer drops added to the anxiety. We decided not to risk our entire visit and save this adventure for next time. For the moment, we were able to simply imagine the stunning views based on the descriptions provided to us by other hikers.

Note:  If you are traveling with the right crowd, this hike is a MUST. If you don't believe me, read on Trip Advisor and all the blogs.

Another Note: We noticed huge crowds on the trail to Angels Landing up to 3 hours wait in line before starting our hike. Observation Point (from Weeping Rock), Hidden Canyon, and Weeping Rock are closed due to a rock fall incident and the hikers have limited options in Zion National Park.

2.5 miles roundtrip (2 and a half hours) Moderate hike

This hike starts at the car park on the right just after the tunnel if you are driving from Zion Canyon. The hike ends at a viewpoint, overlooking Zion Canyon with amazing views. We drove through the Zion tunnel and the views were amazing but unfortunately we did not stop for the hike due to the craziness around parking situation during our visit. In our view, driving through the Canyon and stopping at the overlooks were just as majestic. If you are traveling with kids, this hike is perfect for all ages and it is a lot of fun. I would recommend putting this hike on your list.

The Weeping Rock is one of the shortest but steep hikes and it starts at the weeping rock shuttle stop. There is an option for longer hikes, the Hidden Canyon Trail or to the observation point.

Weeping Rock trail was on out list however 3 days prior to our visit, there was a rockfall incident and the damage had caused some long term damage to the trails. Weeping Rock along with some other trails were unfortunately not open during our visit so we were left with some disappointment. If this trail is open, I would recommend putting this hike on your list.

2.5 miles roundtrip (2 and a half hours) Difficult Hike

We read about this trail quite a bit as an alternative to Angels Landing and were looking forward to it however there was a rockfall incident few days prior to our visit which has caused some long term damage to the trails and the Zion National Park. Hidden Canyon trail which starts at the Weeping Rock was unfortunately not open during our visit.

We were disappointed to arrive at Zion National Park 3 days late but grateful that this incident didn't happen while we were hiking.

8 miles roundtrip (4 - 6 hours) Difficult Hike

For amazing views over Zion National Park, Observation Point is one of the park favorites. Hike is supposed (yes) to be challenging yet beautiful. If you are looking for a serene walk with beautiful views, this hike should be on top of you list.

This is a long hike and though we have done a long hike in Yellowstone National Park, we had to mentally and physically prepare ourselves. We were however disappointed to arrive at Zion National Park 3 days late due to rock fall incident and the trail closure.

3.3 miles return trip (2 hours) Moderate hike

This hike starts behind the Zion Visitors Centre. There are a few steep climbs in this and leads to a loop you can do with great views of the canyon. This hike was not on top of our list so we skipped it but this is another option for Days 2 or 3.

• Riverside Walk
• Weeping Rock (Currently Closed)
• Emerald Pools (Lower)
• Canyon Overlook Trail

By Car

This is one of the easiest ways to get to visit Zion National Park. Zion is located a 2 and a half hour drive from Las Vegas or 4 and a half hours from Salt Lake City. As part of our itinerary visiting 5-National Parks, We drove to Zion from Bryce Canyon National Park. If you are visiting only Zion National Park then Las Vegas is the easiest airport to arrive at.

Getting to Zion by public transport is possible from Las Vegas and Salt Lake City.  The Salt Lake Express is a bus service that runs frequently during the day.  It takes 4 and a half hours from Las Vegas to Zion National Park and 7 hours from Salt Lake City to Zion National Park. 

Note:  If you are taking public transport, please check Zion Canyon Shuttle schedule to ensure they are running or be prepared to walk, hike or bike.

Zion is a very busy national park and in order to manage the flow of people, park has a robust shuttle system and it is very efficient and highly recommended. We drove from Bryce Canyon National Park that helped us in two ways:

• We were able to drive through Zion-MT. Carmel Highway
• We were able to avoid the long lines and traffic at Springdale entrance.

When we arrived at the park, we parked at the visitor center and used the Zion Canyon Shuttle all day. In fact we decided to come early the following day, park at the visitor center early morning and use the shuttle system again. Visit Zion National Park shuttle system page to learn about the system and their schedule.

Zion Canyon Shuttle

During much of the year, The Zion Canyon Scenic Drive is only accessible by shuttle bus.  Plan on arriving real early to find parking at the visitor center and just use the shuttle system.  Alternative idea is to arrive around lunch time when people are leaving their parking spots at the visitor center and then use the shuttle system.

Tip:  Park at the visitor center and use the Zion shuttle all day.  Do not be turned off by the lines for the Zion Canyon shuttle.  They are very efficient.

Note:  To the best of our knowledge, Zion Shuttle runs from March till the end of November but it is recommended that you check before visiting the park.

Springdale Shuttle

In coordination with the Zion Canyon Shuttle, the Springdale Shuttle will pick up and drop off passengers in the town of Springdale right outside the park.  To avoid parking hassle, park rangers highly recommend that you park outside the park and take the shuttle through.  

Junior Ranger is a great program that helps children (and adults) engage and learn about the National Park by completing five or more exercises and three adventures. As a result, participants earn a junior ranger badge from Zion National Park. Becoming a Zion Junior Ranger is a fun way to explore and enjoy Zion National Park and the natural world. These activities are designed for all ages and the books reveal the wonders of Zion to kids and parents alike.

Hotels and lodges are great and generally my preference is to stay inside the park to enjoy exclusive access to amenities. Zion National Park is part of our 5 National Park visit and this is the last stop on the way and so we decided to be a little more adventurous and decided to try out glamping with Under Canvas Zion. We will discuss our glamping experience in another post but for now we will focus on Zion and its best lodging options.

Lodging in the park:

The beautiful Zion Lodge lies in the middle of Zion National Park and is the lodge open year-round.  If you're looking for a place inside the park, this is our recommendation.

Lodging outside the park:

If lodging at Zion Lodge is not an option for you, Holiday Inn Express Springdale is right outside the Zion National Park and has views of the park.  I believe you should be able to walk to the main park entrance and get to the visitor center without even moving your from from the Holiday Inn parking lot.

Camping:

Zion National Park has three campgrounds. South and Watchman Campgrounds are in Zion Canyon. The Lava Point Campground is about a 1-hour drive from Zion Canyon. Reservations at South Campground and Watchman Campground(see below) are recommended if you would like to guarantee a camping spot. 

There are couple of food options in Zion National Park:  

• A great place for lunch, we visited Castle Dome Cafe. A great location, if you want to eat outside on the patio and see the mountains at the same time. The Mural Room brings elegance to every meal and you must be prepared to dress accordingly if you want to dine there.
• The Red Rock Grill in the main lodge building is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. 

Most of the parks we visited in California, Wyoming and Utah had fees that ranged from $25 to $35 per vehicle however we ended up getting an annual pass for $80 which is good one for vehicle for an entire year. This is a great deal if you plan on visiting more than one national park within a year. You can read about individual park entrance fees by visiting www.explore.usparkpass.com or you can buy them it in advance at https://www.usparkpass.com.