Riverside Walk in Zion National Park: Easy Family Hike

The Riverside Walk is an excellent family-friendly hike in Zion National Park with tons of epic scenery. While walking along the easy Riverside Walk, it really feels like Zion National Park is just showing off… the scenery is really incredible.

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The Riverside Walk (also known as the Zion Narrows Riverside Walk) is on a paved trail which runs parallel to the Virgin River. It’s the feeder hike to the famous Narrows hike. But, this easy Zion hike is much more than simply a way to get to the Narrows.

It’s called a ‘walk’ because it’s not really a hike…. it’s a paved walking trail which runs parallel to the Virgin River.

The red rock canyon surrounding the trail gets quite narrow on the Riverside Walk. With massive cliff walls looming overhead it’s a pretty dramatic kid-friendly hike in Zion National Park.

Add to this the chance to see hanging gardens, rock climbers and towering waterfalls and you have the makings of an amazing family hike in Zion National Park.

Riverside Walk Stats

How Long is the Riverside Walk?

The round trip distance of this easy Zion walk is 2.2 miles / 3.5 km.

How Steep is the Zion Narrows Riverside Walk?

The Zion Riverside Walk is very flat and has very little noticeable elevation gain. Over the course of 2.2 miles, we only gained 57 feet / 17m in elevation.

How Difficult is the Zion Riverside Walk?

The Riverside Walk is short and flat enough that we confidently rank it as an easy Zion National Park hike. Our 3 & 5 year old kids walked the entire length of this kid-friendly hike themselves.

How Long Does the Riverside Walk Take?

It took us 1 hour and 50 minutes to complete the Riverside Walk with our kids. Without the kids, Celine and I could have done this short Zion hike in around 35 minutes.

Riverside Walk Location

To find a parking spot in the Zion Visitor Center parking lot, you’ll need to arrive quite early in the day, especially during peak times. We drove to Zion at 8 a.m. on a Sunday in April and the lot was nearly full.

If you aren’t an early riser, you can take a free shuttle bus from many spots in the town of Springdale to the park gates. There are plenty of paid parking spaces in Springdale, but these also fill up early during peak times.

Between spring and fall, there are no private cars allowed on Scenic Drive within Zion National Park. In lieu of cars, Zion operates a free shuttle bus service instead, which takes you to all the major spots within Zion Canyon.

The Riverside Walk trailhead is located very close to Shuttle Stop 9 (Temple of Sinawava). It’s a 40 minute drive on the shuttle from the Visitor Center to the trailhead.

Zion Riverside Walk Highlights

There are several special viewpoints on the Riverside Walk:

Shortly after the Riverside Walk begins, you can leave the main trail and walk on a dirt path to the side of the Virgin River. Above this point is a towering waterfall which starts near the top of one of the towering cliffs overhead.

This waterfall is so high that the water dissipates on the way down; only to reform into a waterfall again as it hits the rocks close to the bottom. I’ve seen a similar effect at Angel Falls in Venezuela.

The furthest point of this walk is where the Riverside Walk meets the famous Zion Narrows hike. You’ll notice that the on-land trail ends here. That’s because the brave people doing the Zion Narrows hike need to get in the river and stay there for the duration of their hike!

Hiking Riverside Walk with Kids

There are bathrooms and a water filling station for your water bladders at the trailhead.

The Riverside Walk trail is paved, but it’s covered with a thin layer of dirt & sand, which can get a bit slippery at times. You may want closed toed walking shoes if you plan to leave the main trail for the dirt path side trails along the riverside.

Given the Riverside Walk is in a narrow canyon, be prepared for cooler weather than the forecast calls for. It takes much longer for the sun to find you on this hike, so it can be quite chilly. A light fleece jacket will help keep you warm.

The Riverside Walk is stroller accessible, but the vast majority of hikers with small kids had their kids in a carrier for this hike.

No dogs are allowed on Riverside Walk.

Keep your eyes open for Zion wildlife. We saw a wild turkey on the shuttle bus ride and we saw a deer in the trees during this hike.

There are lots of very friendly squirrels along the Riverside trail, which will delight your kids. As cute as they are, please don’t feed the wildlife, it’s bad for the animals and can result in a fine.

Before you head out, read our best tips for hiking with kids and see what we actually pack in our guide to hiking gear for kids.

Where to Stop for Lunch or a Break

There are lots of benches along the way on this walk which make an ideal spot to stop for lunch. Alternately, there is a rest area with a stone wall to sit on at the end of this hike (where the Narrows hike begins).

Zion Canyon Hiking Safety

The sun can get intense in southern Utah, so bring more water than you think you will need.

A small section of bushes near the beginning of this hike had a poison ivy warning sign.

Where to Stay in Zion National Park with Kids

After a long day of exploring Zion’s incredible trails, you’ll want a comfortable place to rest. Check out our guide to the family hotels in Zion National Park to find the perfect stay for your adventure!

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