Zion National Park: A Family Adventure

If you haven’t taken a trip to Zion National Park, you need to add it to your travel list now! This park is so guest friendly- it is very easy to get in and out of, thanks to the convenient Springdale and Zion shuttle bus system. It also doesn’t take too long to travel to any destination in the park. The bordering town of Springdale, Utah hosts plenty of hotels and restaurants if you don’t care to camp in the park!

Airport Options

There are quite a few airport options if you plan to arrive by airplane. The closest airports are in Cedar City (30 minutes away) and St. George, but are only serviced by regional airlines. McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas is about a three hour drive, and Salt Lake City is a 5 hour drive.

However you travel, be sure to stop at a grocery store in La Verkin to stock up on essentials. Shopping at a larger grocery store will save you money than having to buy food in the small shops of Springdale. Plus, you’ll at least need snacks for hiking! We bought things to make sandwiches for picnic lunches, and made sure to buy plenty of kid-friendly snacks.

The Shuttle System

It’s important to know the (free) shuttle system in advance so you are prepared. Zion National Park has limited parking at its main parking lot at the Visitor Center, which is why using the shuttle is ideal. The Springdale Shuttle has seven stops from the southern end of Springdale to the Zion Visitor Center. From there, you will get off the bus, cross the bridge and enter the park (after paying the entrance fee, of course) and then hop on the Zion Shuttle bus. Note: the line for the Zion Shuttle can get really long as the day goes on, so it’s best to go early! The Zion Shuttle has nine stops, starting at the visitor center all the way to the Temple of Sinawava, where guests go to hike the Narrows. From Spring through Fall, cars are NOT permitted in Zion past Canyon Junction unless you have a reservation to stay at the Zion Lodge, so you will have to plan to use the shuttle bus.

Where to stay in Zion National Park

We had the pleasure of staying at the Springhill Suites by Marriott in Springdale. Located near the southern end of Springdale, it’s actually the ideal location. The Springdale Shuttle stop is located right in front of the hotel, and the shuttle is always empty here. As the shuttle makes more stops closer to the entrance of Zion, the seats fill up and it becomes standing room only. If you stay at a hotel closer to the park entrance, you will always be battling this issue, and it’s something to really consider if you are traveling with children. The total bus time from this hotel to the Zion Visitor Center is approx. 12-15 minutes.

Besides being a great location, the hotel is BEAUTIFUL. Just the view from the lobby will make your jaw drop to the floor! In the main lobby area, you’ll find the dining area (where a hearty complimentary hot breakfast is served), an upscale game room, and a mini-market for convenience items and food. Step outside to the back patio and you’ll find a fire pit with a view of towering red rocks- a perfect area for relaxing. The heated outdoor pool is also incredible, with comfy lounge chairs, a splash pad, huge hot tub, and outdoor fireplace. You’ll love relaxing in the hot tub after a day of hiking in the park!

The room itself is perfect for families. The room is large, with a mini-fridge and microwave, plus a walk in closet and separate work space. We had a room with 2 queen beds, plus the sofa that pulled out to a single bed. Right next to our room was a very large community patio area with views of the red rocks of Zion. There are several of these patios around the hotel!

Okay, if all of that doesn’t convince you to stay at the Springhill, get this. The staff put out warm cookies in the lobby the afternoon! This was a perfect pick me up after coming back from a day of hiking! The kids will also love the endless supply of free Chupa Chups lollipops at the check in desk (tip: have the kids take one to go for the shuttle bus ride to Zion!)

For more information about and to book your stay at the Springhill Suites by Marriott in Springdale, visit their website here.

Our Itinerary

Day 1: First Full Day in Zion National Park

We didn’t “train” at all for this trip, so we decided to warm up our hiking legs by doing some very easy trails the first day. Once we filled up on a delicious breakfast at the hotel, we took the Springdale shuttle to the Zion Visitor Center.

Considering our little hikers, we opted for hiking Emerald Pools Trails for our first hike. Emerald Pools is an easy, 1 mile out and back trail. To get here, we took the Zion Shuttle to the Zion Lodge. The trail head is located across the street and just on the other side of the wooden bridge. We chose the hike to the Lower Pools, and that was just enough hiking for our kiddos.

If I’m being honest, Selah wasn’t feeling the whole hiking thing this day. I think she was still really tired from traveling the day before, and I don’t blame her! But, her and Eli both really loved climbing rocks and looking for wildlife (we saw a deer!) At the turnaround point, the kids got a kick out running underneath the small waterfall. That was honestly the most exciting part of the entire trail!

After our hike, we had a picnic lunch on the lawn of Zion Lodge, with the red rock surrounding us. I highly recommend packing a picnic lunch on all hikes and finding a place for the kids to run around. After we were all tired out, we headed back to the hotel for a midday nap (we ALL needed one!)

After naps, we set out for our next adventure. Our goal was to head to Canyon Overlook Trail to watch the sunset. This trail is located just past the Zion-Mount Caramel Tunnel, and you’ll need a car to drive there because the shuttle does not go to this part of the park. The drive is very scenic, so even if you don’t do the hike, you really should put this drive on your list of must-do things in Zion. Caution: this drive may make you a little sick if you are prone to carsickness, so be prepared for that!

The Canyon Overlook Trail is the perfect family friendly hike, with views comparable to the popular Angels Landing, but without risking your life. The one mile out and back trail is listed as “moderate” and provides just enough challenge to keep everyone interested. The landscapes along the trail were breathtaking! But the most amazing sights were at the Overlook, and we could’ve stayed for hours taking in the views. Unfortunately, we made it just after the sun went down behind the rocks.

Since we weren’t too sure of what the trail would be like, Chris tried out our Piggyback Rider to carry Selah, and I used my Lillebaby Carrier to carry Lily. Both are great options for hiking with kids, and I highly recommend them! They can be found on our Amazon Store under “Traveling with Kids” here.

We ended up staying at the Overlook until dusk, and then hiked back in the dark! Thank goodness for the flashlights on our phones, because we did not come prepared for this. The best memory was watching the stars and teaching our kids about the different star formations on our walk back to the car. Eli and Selah (ages 5 and 7) were able to hike this trail in the dark, so that is a good indicator that the Canyon Overlook Trail is family friendly!

After the drive back to Springdale, we picked up a pizza to-go from Noodles and Company (really good pizza by the way!) The restaurant was very family-friendly, but we opted to take our dinner back to the hotel. We ate quickly so we could spend some time at the pool before bed! These nightly pool sessions were some of our favorite times. We loved being able to meet new people and talk with them while we all relaxed in the hot tub. We’d chat about where we were all from, whatever hikes we each made that day, all while our children played with each other. Moments like these are some of the best times while traveling!

Day 2: Hiking the Narrows

For a detailed post about our best tips on hiking the Narrows with kids, read our blog post here.

When we first thought of coming to Zion, hiking the Narrows was at the top of our “must-do” list. To be honest though, I didn’t know how on earth our kids (or myself) could handle hiking for six straight hours. The Narrows hike presents some unique challenges, as 75% of the trail is in the Virgin River. The water level is usually only ankle or shin deep, but some areas will get hip deep or more depending on the time of year and rainfall. The river bed is made up entirely of various sized round rocks which are tricky to walk on, and therefore a hiking pole is highly recommended. The good news is that the trail is out and back, so if the trip isn’t going well, simply turn around and head back! Even hiking a little ways into the Narrows will give you an incredible experience.

We prepared for the hike as best as we could! It was important to pack light, but still be prepared. So, in our backpack we packed: sandwiches, granola bars, fruit snacks, diapers, wipes, a “poop” bag in case someone needed to go number two and we needed to carry it out, first aid kit, Ibuprofen, and our portable water filtration system with Platypus water bottle. For our seven year old, we bought a wetsuit ahead of time for him to wear so that he wouldn’t be miserable and cold while hiking in the river. We made sure he had a hiking pole as well. We used our Piggyback Rider to carry our five year old, and our Lillebaby carrier to carry Lily the entire trek. This way, our girls never touched the freezing cold water and were comfortable for our hike. There are plenty of places in Springdale that rent gear such as dry pants, neoprene socks, and hiking sticks and boots. We are cheap, and didn’t rent anything. We made sure to wear walking shoes with a good sole, and we brought hiking poles.

Everywhere I read about this hike recommended to go early in the day, so we tried our best to set out early in the morning. We got to the Riverside Walk Trail at 10:30am, walked a mile to the entrance of the Virgin River, and started the Narrows hike. What I read was true, the area seemed crowded with people at the River entrance but evened out some as we continued to hike.

Our goal was to hike to Wallstreet and turn around, depending on time and how the kids were feeling. Every part of this hike left us in awe, the beauty in the Narrows is unlike anything I’ve experienced. It was literally the most beautiful place my eyes have ever seen!

As expected, there were some hiccups on the hike. The first 2 minutes in the river my feet were so cold I thought I’d never make it! The water temp is NO JOKE. I don’t know if my feet went numb or I just got used to the water, but after awhile it didn’t bother me. Also, there were parts where I was pretty deep in the water- which meant that the water level was up to Eli’s chest! There were some parts where we would cross the river to get to a riverbed on the other side and the strong current made it difficult. There were a few times, especially near the end when Eli was tired, that he lost his balance and fell into the water.

We stopped about 2 hours into our hike to take a break on a sunlit, rocky riverbed that seemed like a popular rest stop. Chris filtered some river water for us to drink, we ate our sandwiches, and the girls were released from their carriers to walk around and play for awhile. After this break, we continued on our journey up the Virgin River towards Wallstreet.

And then…

Eli announced that he had to poop. My worst fear coming to life.

Fortunately there was a little hill with some trees and bushes nearby. I took Eli up the hill to help him do his business. If you remember, he was wearing a wetsuit, and it was indeed wet and stuck to his skin a little. I squatted him down in front of me, got our handy poop bag in ready position, and caught his poop. Literally, very least enjoyable experience of motherhood to date. We had to carry that bag the rest of our hike- which was three more hours! That bag was definitely not smell proof!

As we hiked further up the Narrows, the crowds thinned to just a handful of determined hikers. I only noticed one other family carrying their young kids on their backs that made it almost as far as we did. We made our way to Wallstreet sometime around 2pm. At this point, there were only a handful of hikers around. The canyon walls come closer together in this area and the rock walls are breathtakingly beautiful. Chris and Selah decided to turn down Orderville Junction and explore a little ways. Eli was pretty cold, tired and didn’t feel like going belly deep in water again, so I stayed back with him. There’s not much sunlight in Wallstreet, so the temperature drops a bit!

We decided to turn around and head back, which wasn’t an exciting thought because it meant many more hours of hiking for our tired legs! Lily wasn’t exactly happy for the last hour of the trek. I had to bounce her, sing to her, distract her by asking her to look at a bird (there was no bird), and wonder why I didn’t bring more fruit snacks. Overall, she did AWESOME on this hike, considering she was on my back for six hours! I don’t blame her for being over it by the end. Eli was also very tired in the last two hours of hiking, but unfortunately there was no option for him other than to continue to walk. We kept telling him that we’d have ice cream later, and that kept his feet going! We were SO PROUD of him for finishing the entire hike! And you know that poop bag that we were carrying? It stunk something fierce for the entire trip. Like seriously, it was awful to be downwind from that bag. Next time, we’ll be double or triple bagging that!

We made it back to the entrance of the Virgin River around 4pm, and to the bus stop around 4:30pm, which meant that we had hiked for 6 hours! Like I mentioned earlier, we did not train in advance for hiking this long. We are so proud of our kids for all being troopers for this adventure!

After the bus ride back to the hotel, we cleaned up a little and headed to Jack’s Sports Grill for dinner. We only went here because it was right next to our hotel and we didn’t feel like walking anywhere, ha! I was surprised that the food was actually really good. Plus, they had mac and cheese which made our girls VERY happy! All three kids enjoyed ice cream while us parents enjoyed an adult beverage: well earned after this day! We made a quick trip to the pool and hot tub before heading to bed!

Day 3: Kolob Canyons

This day was actually a travel day back up to Salt Lake City, but we decided that we would break up the 5 hour drive by getting in one last hike. Kolob Canyons is located on the west side of Zion, about an hour drive from Springdale. Many people overlook this beautiful place and opt for going straight to Zion. Trust me, you need to add Kolob to your list!

Kolob Canyons is an easy in and out park. The road only reaches 5 miles in, and Timber Creek Overlook Trail is at the turnaround point. The scenic drive through Kolob Canyon is worth a trip just on it’s own! There are quite a few options for hiking in Kolob, but we chose the kid friendly Timber Creek Trail. Spoiler alert, there is no creek on this trail. There is also very little shade and I could imagine it gets quite hot along this trail in warmer months, definitely wear sunscreen and pack lots of water!

Tip: There are no drinking water facilities inside Kolob Canyons. Make sure to fill up before you enter the park!

The trail is an easy 1.1 mile out and back trail, with a little bit of an elevation gain. I probably only felt this because I was carrying Lily on my back. Our kids enjoyed chasing lizards along the trail. At one point, while the kids were looking for lizards, Lily shouted “SPY-EE!” And I looked down at the ground and I kid you not, there was a real life tarantula crawling on the ground! I may have screamed a little out of shock (I’ve never seen one in the wild!) But we had a ton of fun observing it for a few minutes.

At the end of the trail, there is a beautiful lookout point with unbelievably beautiful views of Kolob Canyons. Our kiddos had fun climbing rocks and playing in the dirt while we took in the views! And of course, we had to have a Lion King moment when we saw a big rock overlooking a valley. There isn’t a great place for a picnic lunch along the trail (not much shade and no tables along trail), but there is a picnic table in the parking lot next to the trail head.

After our hike, we made our way back to Salt Lake City and arrived just before sunset. We were dirty, tired, and didn’t have clean clothes left. That’s how you know it’s a good trip! We hope to explore at least one or two National Parks every year while our kids are growing up. Being outside, exploring, and hiking in nature is our idea of a fun adventure. Utah is a gem, and we can’t wait to return and explore more!