Are you an adventurous parent looking to explore Utah’s Mighty Five National Parks with your young kids?
As a Holistic Physical Therapist and mom of three (at the time of this trip: ages 9 months, almost 3 years, and 5 years), I cannot recommend this trip enough. From thrilling hikes to relaxing valleys, I’m excited to share our experience as a family of five in Utah’s Mighty Five.
When planning this adventurous trip, I scoured so many blogs looking for recommendations. It seemed nothing was quite what we were looking for. In this Blog Post, I am handing over MANY hours of research to you!
From toddler-friendly hikes to managing travel transitions, this Ultimate Guide to Exploring Utah’s Mighty Five National Parks will help you plan a healthy, active, and enjoyable vacation through Zion, Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef, Canyonlands, and Arches National Parks with young kids.
Day 1: Arrival in Las Vegas for Utah’s Mighty Five National Parks
After a long flight from Cincinnati, Ohio to Las Vegas, Nevada, we grabbed a rental car and headed straight to a family-friendly lunch at PopStroke. If you have young kids with you, this is perfect after a long flight. There is a shaded playground enclosed by fences next to the restaurant. We got some wiggles out while waiting for our food. They have putt-putt golf as well which looked fun, but at our kid’s ages we didn’t feel the time / cost was worth it and wanted to continue on to Zion.
It was just over a 2 hour drive from Las Vegas to Springdale, the small town nearest to the Zion National Park entrance. If you plan your trip far enough ahead, we highly recommend staying in Springdale. We chose Bumbleberry Inn and LOVED it. Great for families, couples, friends… we saw each type of group there.
^ Just outside of our hotel room! These grazing deer were a common site in the morning and evenings.
Perks of Bumbleberry Inn:
- Free Breakfast at Porter’s
- Heated pool and hot tub with stunning views of the mountains
- Shuttle bus stop on the main drag just outside the Inn, this is what you take to Zion’s park entrance
- Free parking with your stay
- Goats, chickens, and other small animals behind the Inn (our kids loved checking these out!!)
- Wildlife grazing on the grass around the Inn, fun to see (saw deer grazing both morning and evening)
Can you tell we enjoyed our stay here? Okay, back to the itinerary!
After checking in, we took the shuttle bus to the entrance of Zion. Talked to the Park Ranger to map out our plan for the next day, and grabbed dinner at Zion Brewpub.
Pro Tip: Get a Junior Ranger book and a find the stamp within the Visitor’s Center at each of the National Parks. A fun activity for our five year old especially!
Day 2: Exploring Zion National Park with Young Kids
We started the day with breakfast at Porters. The kids fueled up on waffles and French toast with fresh berries. We had loaded omelettes, lots of protein to fuel a big day ahead. Coffee and breakfast with a view!
After taking a shuttle to the park entrance, you walk across a bridge to enter Zion National Park. From there, another shuttle will take you into the park where you can access the hikes.
Morning Hike, Lower Emerald Pool: A 3-mile round trip hike with waterfalls and scenic views. Our 5-year-old walked the entire way! I wore our 9 month and my husband wore our 2 year old. This was the perfect level of challenge for us, a moderate intensity hike without deathly drop offs so we could actually enjoy walking along with our daughter. She held my hand 90% of the hike and stayed on the inner-most aspect of the path, while I took the edge side. While not a wide path, it was wide enough to pass others along the trail in most parts. Since we went early, there was not much traffic our way out, but was much busier on the loop back to the start.
After hiking Lower Emerald Falls, we chose to shuttle back to our hotel room for lunch and gear change. Our afternoon plans revolved around The Narrows! We rented gear from Zion Guru earlier in the morning and had it ready in our hotel room to change into. Our trip was in mid October and the weather in the 70’s. We elected not to get the overalls / wet suits, but did rent hiking poles and water grip shoes plus neoprene socks. Super easy to rent and were glad we did!
Day 2: Iconic Narrows Afternoon Hike with a Baby, Toddler and Preschooler
The Narrows: With water shoes and walking sticks, we tackled this iconic river hike! Our 3-year-old enjoyed wading in the shallower areas, while our youngest stayed snug in the carrier the entire time (obviously!!!). Our 5-year-old repeatedly exclaimed “BEST DAY EVER!”, making this iconic river hike truly unforgettable.
There is nothing like hiking The Narrows in Zion National Park. You are literally going upstream on the way out, hiking over huge rocks that feel like bowling balls beneath your feet. The canyon walls narrow in on either side as your trek further upstream, thus its name. We hiked through one area that was chest deep on me (I am 5’4). My husband carried both big kids while our baby stayed in my carrier, his little feet dipping into the water.
You’ll move faster on the route back as the current pushes you gently along! Be sure to check the weather, as flash floods are incredibly dangerous here if they were to get any rain. Thankfully, there was no rain the days prior to our hike and completely clear skies the day of. We truly lucked out with great weather here!
^ This is why it’s SO IMPORTANT to consult the Visitor’s Center the day prior to and day of your hike. They rate the water flow, temperature and risk of flash flood so you can feel extra confident (or not!) in your choice to hike The Narrows that day.
After over 6 miles of hiking, we were exhausted! I could not have been more proud of our young children on this first big day of hiking in the Utah Mighty Five. Kids are truly resilient when we give them the chance!
Ended the day with dinner and ice cream while viewing grazing deer just outside of our hotel room.
Day 3: Morning in Zion National Park
Started the day with breakfast and took our coffee to-go for a casual morning hike in Zion. Started on the Pa’rus trail, where many bikes were zooming past. If our youngest had been a bit older, electric bikes would have been a great way to get into the park aside from the second shuttle.
While the Pa’rus trail is busy, stay on it until you find a River Access off-shoot. We took one and the result was STUNNING. Our family of five were the only people in site. The soft sand and small stream were perfect for our kids to explore safely about, with the most incredible scenery around us.
We then took the shuttle back into town. I grabbed some healthy snacks and lunch items from Sol Foods Supermarket, as there is not much in the next stop of Bryce Canyon in terms of healthier food options. Highly recommend a quick visit to the Bumbleberry Inn’s sweet animals (peep below!) before leaving Springdale. These animals are just behind the hotel!
The drive out of Zion is stunning, winding you up mountain passes. This brought us to our final Zion hike, the Canyon Overlook Trail.
To be honest, this is one hike we could have done without. Extremely steep cliff drop-offs and a very narrow trail. While short, it is not for the faint of heart. Both boys were in our hiking carriers with our five year old on her own two feet. She held my hand the entire time and had to walk in front of me while we both kept one hand along the inner mountain wall, staying away from the edge.
If you have young kids like us, we suggest avoiding this trail. Our five year old wasn’t spooked, but our stomachs were in knots the whole time as parents! This was the only hike out of everything we did that we would NOT recommend.
^ View from the top! Railed off because it is a straight drop off. Her little pose and rosy cheeks show how hard she worked! Also, zero shade on this hike. We could feel we were in the desert here!
Day 3: Afternoon in Bryce Canyon National Park
Picnic lunch along the drive to Bryce Canyon, with the boys getting their afternoon naps in along the drive.
With tired kiddos from two morning hikes, we elected to do the scenic drive of Bryce Canyon. Bryce Canyon is known for the “Hoodoos” or “Fairy Chimneys”, and our kids were so excited about this!
Pro Tip: Listen the the Guide Along app throughout the Utah Mighty Five National Parks! This is perfect when in the car to learn more about where you are traveling through. We have used this app for many of our family adventures, and it is so helpful.
There are a lot of pull-off scenic viewpoints, which will give you a great appreciation of the park from above prior to hiking down into the rock formations the next morning.
^ Taking these views in with young kids is EXACTLY why we love traveling with our littles. Their remarks and perspective makes everything that much more exciting! Yes, you will move slower. But you will also pause to take it all in SO MUCH MORE.
Ate at Valhalla Pizza on our way back to the hotel, perfect sport for a quaint, casual dinner!
Of note, we stayed at the Historic Ruby’s Inn (just okay accommodations, but free breakfast and super quick 5 minute drive into the park). Would stay here again simply out of convenience, as there really are no better options in the small town just outside of Bryce Canyon.
Day 4: Bryce Canyon National Park with Young Kids
Perhaps our children’s favorite of the Utah Mighty Five National Parks was Bryce Canyon! It is literally a real-world playground, with stunning rock formations called “Hoodoos” or “Fairy Chimneys” throughout. We played up the Fairyland aspect of this, telling our littles we were about to embark on a journey into Fairy Village. This is how you make hiking fun for young kids 😉
We began our day with a 5 a.m. alarm to cuddle up the kids, pile into our rental car and view stars from just inside the park entrance. Bryce Canyon is part of a “Black Sky Preserve”, making it free of light pollution and incredible for star gazing. Highly suggest the early wake-up call for this, it was like nothing I’ve seen before. They offer a number of Astronomy programs if this is your thing, but we pulled up some apps to assist with locating planets, constellations and the Milky Way!
After free breakfast at the hotel, we geared up for our first big hike of the day! Make sure to wear layers, as the desert air is cool, but you will warm up quickly with exertion and from the blazing desert sun!
Queen’s Garden and Navajo Loop Trail: A 3-mile hike into Bryce’s stunning fairyland. The kids loved spotting “Fairy Doors” within the Hoodoos, and our 5-year-old amazed us by leading the hike up Wall Street’s switchbacks!
^ Our 2 year old even got out of his carrier for the valley portion of the hike, and began the ascent back up until the drop offs became too steep for our comfort. A “healthy sucker” for motivation and he happily got back in the carrier to rest his tired legs!
Pro Tip: Keep a a stash of Beekeeper’s Naturals suckers on hand every hike! These make for the perfect hiking snack, and even offer immune support with honey and bee propolis. With the dry desert air, my husband and I even had a few of these throughout our time in the Utah Mighty Five! (Use discount code DRKAYLA for 10% off Beekeeper’s Naturals, our favorite immune support for active families!).
Day 4: Afternoon Drive to Capitol Reef in Utah’s Mighty Five National Parks
This drive was shockingly STUNNNING. We had heard so many good things about the drive from Zion to Bryce. But this? This was even more impressive. Many do not make the drive to Capitol Reef National Park as it is extremely remote. However, if you have the time to do all five of Utah’s Mighty Five National Parks in one trip, we highly suggest it.
Tired from three straight days of big hikes, we were ready for a relaxing afternoon. Red Sands Hotel & Spa in Torrey, Utah, was the perfect stay for this. Nestled in the valley just outside Captiol Reef National Park, this hotel was such a fun surprise. We threw out our afternoon hike plans and instead put our swimsuits on, opened the garage door to the outside, grabbed complimentary coffees and hot coco, and had ourselves some fun! Sometimes, changing plans and letting unstructured fun unfold is exactly what kids need when traveling. As a parent, this is so important to keep in mind to help everyone’s energy levels stay high!
There is a restaurant at the hotel serving healthy, fresh food options. We ate here after swimming and explored the grounds, petting the horse and building rock towers while letting our little one craw around complimentary wool blankets we laid in the grass. As the sun set, this was the nervous system relaxation we all needed to take in after some busy days.
We even grabbed a glass of wine and listened to locals play folk music around a campfire after the sun set. Truly, the perfect day. I say this to offer the reminder that sometimes your plans will change, and to lean in when you feel like slowing down. We left our plans unstructured for this reason, with buffer time to allow for moments such as this to unfold.
Day 5: Capitol Reef National Park and Arrival in Moab, Utah
While no free breakfast, Red Sands offered fresh fruit and freshly brewed coffee. I had packed a stash of protein bars we pulled from and took breakfast with us to-go into Capitol Reef National Park. Unfortunately, the scenic drive was closed when we went in October of 2024. If you are able, we suggest starting the day with listening to the Guide Along app. You’ll head along a 12 mile drive while nibbling on breakfast and sipping on your coffee to start the day!
Instead, we saw some petroglyphs and then embarked on the Hickman Bridge Trail. This 2-mile hike was perfect for our kids, with plenty of rocks to climb. Our 2 year old did the ENTIRE hike by himself and had a blast. We were so proud of him! Likely the most family-friendly hike of all our Utah Mighty Five hikes! We love adventure, and this was a perfect one for young kids or adults alike.
Post-hike treats at Gifford Homestead (think cinnamon rolls and pie!) were a huge hit. A must-stop while you are in the park!
Filled our water bottles at the Visitor Center and began the drive to Moab, Utah. Our final destination, where we would explore the final two of Utah’s Mighty Five National Parks.
Day 5: Canyonland’s Island in the Sky District of Utah’s Mighty Five National Parks
We went straight to Canyonlands’ Island in the Sky District. There was impending rainy weather in the days to come, so we wanted to stuff as much in while we had beautiful weather!
The kids climbed boulders at Whale Rock and played in sand while we all marveled at the views from Mesa Arch. These hikes were each short and offered stunning views of the park.
While far less-known than its neighbor in Moab, Arches National Park, Canyonlands is well worth an afternoon stop. We loved that we could stay in one location and explore two of Utah’s Mighty Five from this one location.
^ Mesa Arch: far less known than Delicate Arch in Arches National Park, this beauty was far less crowded and just as beautiful!
After a veryyy full day of exploring, we checked into Bestwestern Plus Canyonlands Inn. We loved the location in Downtown Moab and the hotel breakfast, rooftop bar and heated pool all worked out very well for our family of five!
Dinner at Gloria’s was one of the best on our trip. Live music on a heated patio, kids dancing, fresh food and the friendliest staff. Highly, highly recommend!
Day 6: Arches National Park with Young Kids
Our fifth and final of Utah’s Mighty Five National Parks was the famous Arches National Park. We planned a full day here, knowing the next day was calling for rain. If you do not have this issue, you may choose to spread Arches out into two separate days. There is a lot to see here!
Some must-stop views and short hikes we loved throughout our day:
- View Balancing Rock Trail – 0.3 miles to base of rock formation
- Hike Windows Loop – 1 mile (kid friendly, lots of young families, mostly flat with option to ascend boulders and view the arches from beneath)
- Hike Double Arch – 0.6 mile (similar as Window’s Loop, we also enjoyed exploring this one! No steep drop off, with our kids running along the flat portions of the trail and exploring over boulders)
- Delicate Arch Trail – 3.2 miles (longer, crowded, one narrow section near top, zero shade – we sat this one out given our young children and instead elected for the next option below!)
- Upper Delicate Arch Viewpoint – 0.5 miles (kid-friendly, we could view the arch and the LONG line of people waiting to take their picture under it. If just my husband and I, we would have done the full Delicate Arch Trail. But this was absolutely the best option with young children in tow.)
- Sand Dune Arch – 0.4 miles (a natural sand pit! This made for the ultimate natural playground nestled between rock crevices. An absolute MUST with young kids. Some families even brought sand toys!)
Day 7: Rainy Day Adventures in Moab, Utah
If you don’t have a rainy day like us, head to Arches again to take your time exploring some more! Utah’s Mighty Five National Parks have truly endless trails to adventure through, you will never fall shy of ways to fill your time!
Instead, we drove to the more remote Needles District of Canyonlands National Park. This gave us car time out of the rain, where we took our coffee and some breakfast to-go.
The Needles District brought us to petroglyphs at Newspaper Rock and a rainy Pothole Point Trail hike. The Visitor Center offered Junior Ranger challenges, which our 5-year-old enjoyed while we let the younger two boys play in the movie theater room with another young family. Again, sometimes you create your own fun in the unstructured moments and this was certainly another example of that!
Back in Moab, our we got lunch from a local Food Truck and ate at our hotel’s rooftop patio. The younger boys took a nap in the hotel while my daughter and I did some shopping amongst the many boutiques. After naps, my husband brought our 2-year-old to the Moab Giants Dinosaur Park. He is obsessed with dinosaurs at this age and love it! A great option if you have a dinosaur-loving little like we do!
Day 7: Exploring Salt Lake City with Young Kids
Having explored all we intended to from Moab, we hit the road the next morning to our flight departure city of Salt Lake.
On our way, we stopped for lunch at Redmond’s Heritage Farms just outside of Salt Lake City. The food was amazing. As a health-conscious Holistic Physical Therapist, I love eliminating seed oils and finding the healthiest quality food to nourish our bodies – even on vacation. This was an incredible option!
If you like to prep sourdough like I do, stopping at The Food Nanny’s store is also a must. I picked up a few gifts to save for family members. The younger boys were napping in the car with my husband while my daughter and I stopped in!
When the boys awoke, we headed to a local park to burn some energy. How beautiful is this! To have this view everyday from your local park, wow. We had such a fun time here!
Next we dove to Natural History Museum in Salt Lake City. We had about 3 hours to explore before they closed, which was a perfect amount of time for our family of five.
Checked into The Little America Hotel, which was lovely. Decided on take-out Indian Food for dinner, as the kids were loving the “fancy hotel” atmosphere! We certainly made the most of our stay here and loved putting on the bathrobes, eating dinner in bed and watching College Football.
This was a fun city ending to a very active trip through the more remote portions of Utah on our adventure through Utah’s Mighty Five National Parks with our littles!
Day 8: Iconic Lunch and Travel Day Home from Utah’s Mighty Five National Parks
Our flight back was not until later in the afternoon, so we had the day to explore more of Salt Lake!
Since it was Sunday, our first stop was Cathedral of the Madeleine for Catholic mass. This was a beautiful, historic church not far from our hotel.
Next, we packed up at The Little America Hotel and walked across the street to The Great America Hotel for coffee and pastries to-go from Bonne Vie. In french, “The Good Life”. A very cute cafe and hotel worth stopping at if you stay here like we did!
We took our coffee and pastries to Utah’s State Capitol, which was a very impressive building to walk around. Temple Square was the next stop on our morning exploring around the city. We then found a playground to burn off some energy before having lunch at the original Red Iguana.
The Red Iguana was a stop on Guy Fieri’s Diners, Drive-ins and Drives – it was really, really good! Very friendly to young kids, famous for its mole sauce and family recipes. My husband and I shared a mole meal while the kids shared a chicken quesadilla. The portions were quite generous!
Finally, it was time to fly home! After five hotels in 9 days (we stayed at an airport hotel before flying out, so our trip started a day before this itinerary!) we were ready for our own home.
That said, this really was the perfect amount of time to explore Utah’s Mighty Five National Parks with young kids.
Closing Thoughts for Utah’s Mighty Five with Young Kids
Traveling Utah’s Mighty Five National Parks with young kids was an unforgettable experience. As a Holistic Physical Therapist, I love when my husband and I can blend our love for adventure and traveling to new places with our young children. This trip brought the most incredible landscapes, breath-taking hikes (literally), uninterrupted connection with our three children and so much screen-free exploration.
With thoughtful preparation, you can create cherished family memories while keeping everyone happy, healthy, and engaged – just as we did!
We hope you find this Blog Post helpful as you plan your own family’s travels to Utah’s Mighty Five National Parks: Zion, Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef, Canyonlands and Arches.
Preparing Your Body for Hiking Utah’s Mighty Five National Parks
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Having hiked Banff National Park at 20 weeks pregnant and Utah’s Mighty Five at 8 months postpartum with a baby on her back, Dr. Kayla is no stranger to preparing the body for hiking at altitude throughout the various stages of Women’s Health.
That’s why Dr. Kayla designed her comprehensive Preconception, Pregnancy and Postpartum Holistically Well Programs. Designed to keep you healthy and active into and through motherhood, Dr. Kayla’s done-for-you exercise programming will take the guess-work out of preparing your body for strenuous hikes such as those outlined above!
