Zion National Park with Kids

We spent 5 days in Zion National Park with kids (who were 3 & 5 years old at the time) in mid-April. We love to go on family hikes to enjoy the beauty of nature, so a visit to Zion Canyon with kids was ideal for us. A lot of people visit Zion in a single day, but Zion Canyon is one of the best national parks for families in the USA, so if you have time, we encourage you to stay longer and enjoy the many great things to do in Zion with kids.  

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Shuttle Buses: Getting Around Zion National Park

If you visit Zion National Park between March and November, you will not be allowed to bring your car into the park due to congestion issues. There is a small parking lot near the Zion National Park Visitor Center, but it typically fills up prior to 8 am.

If you are not an early enough riser to get a coveted Zion parking spot, there are two free Zion shuttle services which will get you around during your stay:

Springdale Shuttle

The first shuttle service to be aware of is the one which moves visitors from the gateway town of Springdale to/from the gates of the Zion National Park. There are nine stops on the Springdale to Zion shuttle route, starting at the Majestic View Lodge (stop 9).

You may be tempted to stay as close to the Zion National Park gates as possible, but we were there in mid-April and we stayed at the Zion Canyon Campground and RV Resort near stop 3. We found that more often than not the Springdale shuttle buses were already completely full when they reached our stop and we couldn’t get on.

Luckily, it was only a 15 minute walk from our Springdale campground to Zion National Park, so most mornings we skipped the Springdale shuttle and just walked to Zion.

If you plan on staying in Springdale and taking the shuttle to Zion, we recommend staying in the south-half of town, to give you a better chance of getting a seat on the shuttle. See our family-friendly Springdale hotel recommendations below.

Zion National Park Shuttle

Once you have paid to get into Zion National Park, your next step is to hop on the Zion shuttle bus. There are 9 stops on the Zion shuttle bus route, beginning at the Zion Visitor Center and ending at the Temple of Sinawava (stop 9). It takes approximately 45 minutes to take the Zion National Park shuttle from the Visitor Centre all the way to the end.

Keep your eyes peeled while on the Zion shuttle bus as it’s a great opportunity to see some of Zion’s wildlife, such as deer and wild turkeys.

We visited Zion with kids in mid-April and the wait for the shuttle was never more than 10 minutes. During spring break and the summer months, the wait for the Zion National Park shuttle bus can exceed an hour, so do yourself a favor and get to the park as early as possible, or enjoy one of the kid-friendly hikes which depart from the Visitor Center.

8 Things to do in Zion National Park with Kids

One of the best national parks for kids, we came to Zion National Park with kids to do what we love most: family hiking. We spent most of our days exploring all the corners of the park while enjoying the best of the kid-friendly Zion hikes.

1. Watchman Trail

Are you tired of the huge Zion shuttle bus lines? Enjoy a good laugh as you walk right on past the Zion shuttle lineup on your way to the Watchman Trail, one of our favorite kid-friendly Zion National Park hikes.

The Watchman Trail conveniently begins at the Visitor Center, follows the Virgin River for a while, before ascending one of the canyon walls to a plateau where you will enjoy outstanding views of the Zion Canyon below.

The plateau on the Watchman Trail is one of the best spots in Zion to see a majestic California Condor, the largest flying land bird in North America.

It’s a bit of work, but anyone in decent shape ought to be able to hike the Watchman Trail.

2. Lower Emerald Pool Trail

Looking for a place to escape the heat in Zion National Park? Hiking the Lower Emerald Pool Trail with your kids is a great choice.

This slightly uphill, paved path runs through a dense patch of forest, providing a decent amount of shade throughout your walk.

But the best part of the Lower Emerald Pool hike is the chance to walk behind a waterfall! Kids of all ages will love this unique family hike in Zion; walking through the mist of the waterfall is so fun and refreshing on a hot Utah day.

Once behind the Lower Emerald Pool waterfall, you can stop and enjoy the cooler temperatures and take in the beautiful scenery, which includes some of Zion’s famous hanging gardens.

3. Pa’rus Trail

The Pa’rus trail is a super easy, kid-friendly Zion hike which also departs from the Zion National Park Visitor Center. This gives you an alternate choice if you’d prefer not to wait in line for the Zion shuttle bus.

The easy, paved Pa’rus trail runs north/south along the center of the canyon floor offering up some of the best views of Zion Canyon you’ll see during your visit. Keep an eye on the sky and you may be rewarded with a glimpse of a majestic California Condor riding thermals high above the canyon.

This is a multi-use Zion National Park trail, which means bikes and dogs are also allowed. The Pa’rus trail is a fun and easy bike trail in Zion for kids.

4. Riverside Walk

The scenery within the Riverside Walk is worth the long ride to the last Zion shuttle stop within the park.

The Riverside Walk is an easy kid-friendly hike through a narrow canyon with towering walls rising overhead. The walk through the canyon would be worth it by itself, but the Riverside Walk also features waterfalls and hanging gardens.

The end of this easy Zion hike is where the famous The Narrows Zion hike begins. Most people turn around here. but those hiking the Narrows will walk into the water and continue upstream for their aquatic adventure.

5. Grotto Trail

The Grotto Trail is one of Zion Canyon’s easiest hikes and offers some of the best chances to see wildlife during your visit. This kid-friendly Zion hike is along a flat gravel trail which runs between the Zion Lodge at shuttle stop 5 and shuttle stop 6.

The Grotto Trail follows a wide, open forest while following the Virgin River. With this calm natural setting, it’s easy to see why your chances of seeing wildlife are so good on the Grotto Trail (although we didn’t see any).

We recommend starting the Grotto Trail with kids at Zion shuttle stop 6, then walk to the Zion Lodge and have a picnic or snack under a large tree on the large grass lawn at the Zion Lodge.

6. Weeping Rock Trail

The Weeping Rock trail is a short, yet reasonably steep Zion hiking trail which offers another great chance to cool off on a hot Utah day. The Weeping Rock trail follows the side of the canyon to a spot in the canyon wall where water seeps out (“weeps”) and drips down onto the trail below.

Walking through the weeping water is incredibly refreshing and brings you to an alcove in the canyon wall where you can turn around and enjoy beautiful views of the canyon valley you just walked up.

The abundance of water on the Weeping Rock provides a source of life for many plants clinging to the canyon walls, creating one of Zion’s hanging gardens.

7. Northgate Peaks Trail

The Northgate Peaks trail is a good family hike in Zion if you are looking to avoid the crowds and the heat. Located outside of the main area of the Zion national park in the Kolob Canyon area, this enjoyable Zion hike is quite a bit higher in altitude, thus proving cooler temperatures than those down below in the valley.

The Northgate Peaks trail is a flat, gravel trail which runs through a forest of Ponderosa Pines (smell their bark for a pleasant surprise!). This kid-friendly Zion hike terminates at an opening in the forest providing great views of the Northgate Peaks and of the greater Zion Canyon in the distance.

8. Angels Landing Hike

The most popular hike in Zion National Park is the world-famous Angels Landing. Though it’s not a kid friendly Zion hike, if you can get someone to watch the kids or take turns doing it solo, this is a must-do hike in Zion!

Angels Landing is an incredible hike which will test your mental and physical strength as you climb up the narrow trail of the Hogsback to the Angels Landing summit, at 1,488 ft above.

On our family vacation to Zion, one parent hiked up Angels Landing, while the other took the kids on a series of easier kid-friendly Zion hikes.

Zion Junior Ranger Program

Without question, one of the best things to do in Zion for kids is the fun and educational Junior Ranger program. Kids must complete a number of exercises within the Zion Junior Ranger Handbook (available at the Information Desk at the Visitor Center) and must also attend a Ranger-led talk at the Zion Museum.

The Zion Junior Ranger program is educational, but is designed to be a ton of fun for the kids. When our kids completed their assigned tasks, a Zion National Park Ranger checked their work, led them in saying the Junior Ranger Oath,

“I am proud to be a Zion Junior Ranger. I promise to help take care of and protect Zion National Park and all national parks. I also promise to continue to explore, learn about, and respect the natural world wherever I go.”

After completing the oath, our kids were given their Zion Junior Ranger badges – they were beaming with pride!

Where to Stay in Zion National Park

Zion National Park Camping

Camping near Zion National Park is one of the most fun ways to stay near Zion with kids. We camped at the Zion Canyon Campground and RV Resort near Springdale Shuttle Stop 3. We chose to stay at the Zion Canyon Campground as it was close to the national park entrance and camping near Zion is an affordable way to stay in Springdale (hotels can get quite expensive).

We were lucky enough to get a campsite right next to the Virgin River, which provided a calming white noise at night. Although we found the Springdale to Zion shuttle was almost always full when it got to Stop 3, the campground was only a short 10-15 minute walk to the Zion National Park entrance.

Zion National Park Vacation Rentals

When we travel, we typically prefer to find a great kid-friendly Airbnb or VRBO. As a family, we enjoy having our own bedrooms, along with a full kitchen and laundry facilities. There are many Airbnb and VRBO rentals in Springdale, but if you are traveling to Zion on a budget, you will find more affordable vacation rental options in Hurricane (about 30 minutes outside of Springdale).

Family Hotels in Zion National Park

For kid-friendly Zion National Park lodging, a fun option would be to stay at the historic Zion Lodge, the only hotel inside Zion National Park (at shuttle stop 5).

Guests of the Zion Lodge can stay in a historic cabin or within the lodge in a room with 2 queen beds. As a fun way to get around Zion National Park from the central location of Zion Lodge, bikes are available for rent.

Kid-Friendly Hotels near Zion National Park

As described above in the shuttle section, if you wish to stay at a family-friendly hotel in Springdale, try to stay within walking distance of the Zion National Park Visitor Center or stay in the southern half in order to give yourself a chance of getting on a Springdale to Zion shuttle without much delay.

What to Bring to Zion National Park with Kids

Zion National Park offers some of the world’s best adventure activities. We found most of them to be beyond the capability of our young kids, so we focused our time on kid-friendly things to do in Zion National Park, which were mostly hiking.

We’re minimalists when it comes to hiking gear, but here is what we would recommend you bring for visiting Zion National Park with kids each day:

The most important consideration when visiting Zion National Park with kids is to protect them against the sun. For sun protection we recommend kids wear hiking hats and sunscreen, while carrying hydration packs for the adults and kids will help keep everyone hydrated.

The National Parks Service Junior Ranger program encourages kids to pick up 3 pieces of garbage on every hike. Wouldn’t it be great if everyone did that? At a minimum, bring a small garbage bag to carry out your own trash, and even better carry out someone else’s too.

If you plan on doing a lot of hiking in Zion with your kids, take a moment to check out our Tips for Hiking with Kids and the Best Hiking Gear for Kids. The miles will go faster and you’ll all have more fun with these hiking songs for kids.

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