HOW TO SPEND three DAYS IN ZION NATIONAL PARK WITH KIDS
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Zion National Park is one of my favorite places in the United States. When people ask me for ideas on where to go on vacation, my first answer is “Zion!”. Zion is located in the southwestern corner of Utah and is one of Utah’s five National Parks. We visited the first time in 2017 as part of a two week national parks road trip and only spent one day here. I knew I wanted to return and stay longer, so we came back a few years later as part of a Utah/Colorado road trip and stayed for three days.
As much as I love visiting Europe and learning about history, visiting national parks, and especially Zion are my favorite kinds of trips to take with my kids. We’re not campers at all (I’m old and need a bed and shower) and we’re not super fit, but we like to hike. My kids are unplugged and spending quality time talking on hikes. It’s just my favorite trip. If you’re putting it off because you don’t think you’re an outdoorsy person, I urge you to give this park a try. You won’t be disappointed!
The Zion Canyon Scenic drive is just breathtaking!
GETTING HERE
If you don’t have time for a long road trip, fly into Vegas and drive under 3 hours to Zion NP
Zion was our third stop on our “National Parks Road Trip”. We started in Fort Worth, Texas and stopped here after visiting Mesa Verde NP, Monument Valley and Page, Arizona. If you don’t have the luxury of taking a lot of time off, I suggest flying into Las Vegas, Nevada and renting a car. Zion is a little over 2.5 hours drive from Vegas which makes it a perfect spot for a long week-end trip.
WHERE TO STAY
The closest town to Zion NP is Springdale, Utah. A small mountain community with tons of lodging options, grocery stores and restaurants. This is my number one choice in where to stay. If you find that you booked too late and lodging is sold out in Springdale, look at Virgin, Utah, just 30 minutes away, then your other options will be to stay in St. George or Kanab, Utah which are both about an hours drive from Zion. As a side note, hotels will be almost half the price in St. George and Kanab vs. staying in Springdale. Sometimes it’s worth it to stay further away if you stay just one night to save money.
You can spend as much or as little as you want on lodging in Zion. From primitive campgrounds to luxury hotels. The key is to book early (6-9 months early if visiting in the summer) for the widest availability and pricing.
Is this not the most beautiful SpringsHill Suites you’ve ever seen?
We used Marriott points to stay free at the Springhill Suites Springdale Zion National Park. This resort was a dream. There are fantastic views from every room. The lobby has floor to ceiling windows that overlook the high canyon walls. Free breakfast, back patio with fire pit, large heated pool and hot tub. This property sells out in January for summer time. So plan ahead!
You can book three nights for FREE at the SpringHill Suites Springdale with the sign up bonus from this card!
Other points hotels in Springdale include:
Hampton Inn & Suites Springdale/Zion NP: 68k Hilton points a night or $243 a night
Holiday Inn Express Springdale: 61K IHG points a night or $313 a night. One perk of the IHG program is that you can use a combination of points plus cash. This is helpful to help bring down the amount of points you need. You can stay three nights FREE here with the sign up bonus from this card.
GETTING IN ZION NATIONAL PARK
To enter Zion National Park you must have an America the Beautiful Parks Pass. The pass is $80 and is valid for 12 months from the date that you first use it. If you plan to visit at least three parks in twelve months, the parks pass is worth it! The Pass will get you and your family (one pass per vehicle, not to exceed four adults) into every U.S. National Park as well as over 1200 Federal Recreation sites including National Monuments, Historical Sites, Battlefields, Seashores, etc. You can purchase the pass at the first national park that you enter or you can pre-order the pass and have it shipped to you before your trip. Pro Tip: You must sign the back of your parks pass when you first get it and will present it with your ID every time you enter a park. There are two signature lines, which means you can share the cost of the card with a friend or family member, and they can sign the second line.
FREE AND/OR REDUCED ANNUAL PARK PASSES
The Parks Pass is provided at no cost for the following groups. You can pick up the card at any National Park entrance:
Active duty military, Veterans and Gold Star Families - see this link for more info.
Free Lifetime Pass for individuals with permanent disability (does not have to be 100% disabled) - learn about requirements and how to apply here.
Fourth Grade Students can get a FREE parks pass through the “Every Kid Outdoors” program. Apply for your paper pass here.
Seniors age 62 and older have two options for a reduced Parks Pass purchase:
Hop on the free Zion Shuttle in front of the Visitor’s Center. It will take you into the park.
GETTING AROUND ZION NATIONAL PARK
To mitigate the extremely large amount of visitors it gets every year and to reduce congestion on the roads, access to Zion NP from Spring to Fall is by shuttle bus only. This means that you cannot drive into Zion NP if you’re visiting during peak season. It was very confusing for us on our first visit pre-pandemic. The park shuttle pick up spot is in front of the visitors center. It is free and is first come, first served. No reservations required. There is a large parking lot at the visitors center, but be warned that it fills up by 0900. There are several paid parking lots around the entrance and along the main street in Springdale. Again, arrive early if you plan to park and ride.
Please note that if you have reservations at the in-park Zion National Park Lodge, you will receive a red permit for your car that gives you access to drive into the park and to the lodge.
The Town of Springdale has a free Shuttle bus that has nine stops in town and drops you off at the pedestrian/bike entrance for the park. From here, you walk a short distance and get on the Zion park shuttle to enter the park. We used the shuttle on our trip and it was very low stress and efficient and just steps from our hotel.
The Springdale Shuttle has two routes:
The first route has nine stops in the town of Springdale. You can see the map here.
The second route is in Zion National Park, it starts at the Zion Visitors Center and runs up to destinations like the Lodge, Emerald Pool, etc. you can find the route map here.
*A quick note about the Springdale Shuttle. The shuttle begins pick-ups at stop nine and gets busier and busier the closer to the park that it gets. If you are on Stop 3, 2 or 1, you may find the bus completely full when it gets to you. Keep this in mind when booking your hotel. It may pay to stay a little further away from the Park entrance if you plan to take the Springdale Shuttle to the park every day.
OUR FAVORITE FAMILY FRIENDLY HIKES IN ZION NP
Every time I post about visiting national parks, I’ll inevitably get a message that says ‘that looks beautiful, but I’m not a hiker’. If this post does anything, I hope it convinces you that you do not have to be a superfit hiker to enjoy national parks. For us, visiting national parks means we get to spend time outdoors, taking in all of nature’s beauty and spending unplugged, quality time with our kids. We can do this on easy to moderate hikes and so can you!
We like to get up early and start our first hike right when the park opens. It gets very hot in the summer and there is little shade on many of these hikes. We kinda do the ‘Disney Touring Plan’ here. Get up early and hike, return to the hotel for pool time and lunch, then return to the park in the late afternoon to hike when it’s cooler and less crowded in the evenings. This gives kids a break and time to refuel.
Lower Emerald Pools
Distance: 1.4 miles round trip
This easy, family friendly walk starts at the Zion Lodge, trail is paved and uneven in spots. You can stop at the waterfalls, or if you want more of a challenge, continue to the Upper Emerald Pools which is a moderate-difficult hike based on elevation gain. This is a popular hike, so go early to avoid the crowds.
Canyon Overlook Trail
Distance: 1 mile round trip
This is rated as an easy hike, and I agree for the most part. There are some exposed areas with drop offs and a small section of rock scrambling. The overlook is the view that you get when you come out of the tunnel. Stunning!
Trailhead begins on Hwy 9, so you must have a car to do this one. Parking can be difficult to find in the small adjacent lot or on the side of the road, so, head out early for this one.
The Watchman Trail
Distance: 3 miles round trip
Difficulty: moderate-difficult; trail is sandy, rocky and uneven. Elevation gain is over 300 feet. Trail begins at the Visitor’s Center parking lot and is mostly exposed.
We did this hike with the kids. Although we started early, it was very hot in the morning. One trail guide called this hike easy-moderate. I would call it moderate-difficult. The kids did good, but I had to stop a few times. For over half of the hike, it’s exposed with no shade so bring plenty of water and wear hats.
The views at the top are worth it - we found a little shade under a tree to refuel and rehydrate before heading back down.
Riverside Walk
Distance: 2.2 miles roundtrip
Trail begins at the Temple of Sinawava which is the last shuttle stop
This is our favorite hike and one we feel everyone should do! The trail is easy and takes you along the river with steep cliffs on either side. The trail terminates at the mouth of The Narrows where you can get in and cool off before heading back. While the trail is mostly paved, it is sandy and there are some steep parts where we have seen people struggle with wheelchairs and strollers. Pro Tip: This may be the most popular hike in Zion NP. Try to be here first thing in the morning to avoid crowds.
Angel’s Landing - While not an easy hike by any means, most people come to Zion to climb Angel’s Landing. Its popularity has grown so much over the past couple of years that now you are required to apply for a permit in order to hike it. My son and husband climbed Angel’s Landing on our first trip. They headed up around 1pm in mid July with 90+ degree temps (probably not the best decision for an old guy from Texas) and it took them about four hours. My husband said it nearly killed him but he was glad to have experienced it with our son.
Distance: 2.4 miles one way
Elevation gain: 1500 feet
Please do your research on this hike. The spine ridge, chained portion is very exposed and dangerous.
For permit information, click here
The Narrows - Like Angel’s Landing, this is one of the most iconic hikes in Zion NP. We have not hiked The Narrows on either of our trips, so I can’t offer personal advice, but we have entered The Narrows from the Riverside Walk and it’s absolutely gorgeous. It’s on our list for our next visit.
Distance: 3-10 miles roundtrip - you can turn around at any point
I recommend renting river specific shoes from Zion Outfitters that help you navigate the rocky waters.
Plan to spend about 3-4 hours.
GOOD TO KNOW
Pre-Planning: My favorite guide to researching trails and hikes comes from Joe’s Guide to Zion National Park. All-Trails is good too, but Joe’s Guide is my favorite.
Be weather aware: It gets hot in Zion. Very hot. We recommend hiking early in the morning and early in the evening to avoid the heat of the day. Make sure you wear sun protection and always hike with plenty of water.
Crowds: Zion is one of the most popular national parks in the nation. If you are visiting in the summertime, prepare for crowds. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, be at the park before it opens to get a seat on the shuttle and hit that popular trail before the others do!
Clothing: If you are a casual hiker, you don’t need to spend $300 on hiking boots, you just don’t. I have worn my Brooks tennis shoes on every hike we’ve taken to over twenty national parks. Don’t make traveling more expensive than it already is. Now, if you plan to do full, rugged day hikes, obviously this requires more sturdy shoes. Also, we like to wear hiking shorts like this. They are lightweight, wicking and quick dry. They have pockets and they are inexpensive.
Food: When we road trip, we pack a huge cooler in the back full of food and a tub full of dry food. Groceries are very expensive in Springdale. I highly suggest picking up groceries before you arrive.
Have fun! We try not to fill the entire day with hikes in the hot sun. Hiking in the morning, then returning to the hotel to swim or just relax means the kids will be less stressed and everyone has a better time.
We visited Zion NP as part of a two week road trip. If you have more time, consider visiting Bryce Canyon National Park, just 1.5 hours northwest, or circle back to Las Vegas via Page, Arizona where you can visit Horseshoe Bend and Antelope Canyon. Read my guide here.
Happy Travels!
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