I know you are not going to believe me–but, this trip was even better than I was expecting. I am opening with this simple fact, because as overwhelming as it can be to just GO with kids, it is always, always worth it. So, grab your map of Utah, a few highlighters and a notebook.
Let’s camp Bryce and Zion.
Where to Stay 101:
We chose Bryce and Zion only about 4 months before the trip, and by that time, all of the camping within the park was already full. After a bit of research we were able to score a spot at Zion Canyon Campground, located in Springdale, Utah and literal steps from the South Entrance. And this was our first lesson–just because we weren’t in the park, doesn’t mean we didn’t get park perks. We were walkable from the park entrance- which meant we could pop back to the campground if needed, and we didn’t have to battle for parking (which does fill up!) and we zipped right into the park with no traffic when we drove in.
I have nothing but good things to say about this campground. Clean, convenient, and FULL HOOK UPS- which was so nice–we didn’t have to worry about water and power for the week! Initially we were a bit bummed that we didn’t get a site along the river, because the setting is beautiful, but once we got there, we thanked our lucky stars that we didn’t! Water and young children do NOT mix, unless you are prepared to be hyper vigilant the ENTIRE time. Our spot was nice enough- our girls loved playing with their monster trucks and cars in the red dirt and getting completely filthy (hence the gratitude for unlimited water!!) The campground is a breezy 10 minutes walking from the South gate and sits along the Virgin River.
I highly recommend staying in Springdale, and if you can grab a spot at Watchman or South campground within the park- even better. Springdale has a couple of small markets, a few places to eat and some shops. We ate at Whiptail Grill- a service station turned restaurant and enjoyed their outdoor dining (and goat cheese chili relleno). There are not a ton of options for grocery stores here we ended up popping over to a little market across from the campground but prices were extreme so highly recommend bringing your food into the town of Springdale.
With young kids in tow the best advice I can give is this–keep things as convenient as possible.This will change based on the needs of each family, but in short: be close to camp entrances, have access to the necessary amenities (for us that was water and bathrooms), restaurants and cafes, and choose a spot that allows kids to safely explore during down time.
Now on to the good stuff–the hikes, trails and explorations in Bryce and Zion.
Kid Friendly Hikes in the Zion Canyon:
To access Zion canyon, you must take the shuttle bus that picks up at the visitor center. Once in the canyon, there are MANY hikes to enjoy (both long and short!) but here are the ones I can recommend with small children.
Upper Emerald Pools– This hike was somewhat strenuous for our 4 year old, but she LOVED walking behind the waterfall (Lower Emerald Pools) and continuing on to Middle Emerald Pools and Upper Emerald Pools. On our way back down, instead of retracing the trail to Lower Emerald Pools and Zion Canyon Lodge, we took the Kayena trail back down to The Grotto shuttle stop. (Quick Tip: the beauty of the shuttle means you don’t have to end where you started!)
Kayena Trail– This stunning trail runs along the “cliffside” above the Virgin River and boasts jaw dropping views of the canyon. We actually hiked this trail twice because we loved it so much. Later in the afternoon around 4 it was practically empty, and the light in the canyon was magical.
Riverwalk Trail– If you are looking for an easy, mellow hike, this a paved, relatively flat walk along the river. It is also the beginning of the Narrows hike, so if the water level allows you will see many hikers in their waders! You could bring a stroller on this if you wanted.
Hike to Scout Lookout– My glutes still hurt just thinking about this one. 1000 vertical feet in 2 miles, and I carried my 2 year old in the kid carrier (leg day!). Scouts Lookout is as far as you can go before you need a permit (and rock solid nerves) to scale the last bit of the Angels Landing hike. This trail is NO JOKE and was challenging for all of us. We were so impressed that our 4 year old was able to do it- shout out to the 864 Skittles she ate on the way up. The view from the top is breathtaking, and worth the ass kicking on the way up. (Quick Tip–Best way to motivate a young hiker? Bribes. Lots of bribes. Our favorites are skittles, mms, and small fruit snacks dispensed one at a time.)
Outside the Canyon
Checkerboard Mesa:This isn’t much of a trail persay, but our kids did enjoy getting out of the car and playing on this interesting rock formation. We used this as a lunch spot, and enjoyed relaxing, taking in the views and letting the girls play in the sand.
Canyon Overlook Trail: This is an iconic Zion trail. I’d say this trail was moderate, with some steep sections, but overall not too strenuous. The view is insane, which means the parking is scarce- get there early. For kids under 3, bring a backpack carrier or be prepared to carry them for a few sections.
Bryce Canyon
We chose to only do one day in Bryce, and that felt like that was enough. It was about a 2 hour drive from our campground in Springdale. It is a different climate, and we needed long pants and jackets. We did the Navajo Loop and Queens Garden Trail that provided some killer views of the Hoodoos. We drove to a few of the other look outs and HAD to stop at Ruby’s General Store.
Everyone will do Zion and Bryce a little differently, but here are a few of our takeaways…
Golden nuggets of wisdom:
Ebikes: If your kids have outgrown a kid carrier then I recommend renting ebikes and riding into the park. There is a nice trail from the visitor center called the Parnus trail that takes you into the canyon. From there you will have to ride on the road (and they have a rule that when the shuttles come by you must pull over and put your foot down to pass) to the trail heads. If we didn’t have the giant kid carrier for Marlow, we for SURE would have done this. When we come back next time, you will find us on bikes!
Earlier is better: This is the third most visited National Park in the country, so plan accordingly. We went during busy season (April) and it was crowded. We got going early every day save one, and we had about a 25 min wait to get on the shuttle. Shuttles come often, and the employees are efficient, so things ran smoothly, but we still heard nightmare stories of people waiting 90 min+.
Check the weather: We were SPOILED and the weather was extremely nice when we were there, with most days being in the mid 60s to 70s, and the mornings around 45-50s.
Later can be better too: One of the days, we headed into the park around 3:30 and practically had the place to ourselves! Since many people day trip to the park from farther flung areas, there seems to be a mass exodus from the park around 4-4:30. We had the trails to ourselves and the light in the canyon was spectacular. *Be sure to check the time for the last shuttle.
There will be crowds: Adjust your expectations. You’re going to the third most visited National Park. There are going to be people- lots of them. Be kind to all and try to keep a good attitude. I always try to keep the mentality that all of these people are out enjoying the outdoors and perhaps by seeing these stunning places they will be motivated to protect the environment.
Bring your own water bottles and refill regularly: Most of the stops have refill stations–save some weight (and the environment) by bringing refillable bottles, and load up at each stop. People often don’t realize they are getting dehydrated in the desert, so stay on top of that water!
Naps on the go: When we are on vacation, we let go of the naptime schedule a bit. Our 2 year old mostly napped in the backpack. We also tend to relax some on the bedtime too. I know this can be tricky, but we have found the more you can just “roll” with things, the better.
Finally, the low down dirty details on how each day rolled out…
Our Itinerary:
Day one: Drive from Bay Area to Barstow. We had a great pit stop at Murray Family Farms outside of Bakersfield. They have animals, slides, pick your own fruit, and a fun bouncey feature- it was a PERFECT stop for anyone traveling with kids. We stayed at the Calico Ghost Town Campground (not our first time staying here and TBH it is not our fave). Full hookups and does the job.
Day Two: Drive from Barstow to Zion. Arrived in Zion late afternoon, set up camp and prepped for the next day.
Day Three: Got up and going early and walked to the visitor center where we picked up the Junior Ranger booklet for Ruby and hopped on the shuttle. We hiked to Upper Emerald Pools, and ate lunch up there. On the way down we took the Kayenta Trail to the Grotto Stop. Then we hopped on the shuttle and took it to the last stop (the Temple of Sinawava) and did the Riverwalk. It was a full day and we were WIPED out. We got back to camp around dinner time.
Day Four: Drove into the park to the Canyon Overlook Trail. Scored a parking place in the tiny lot (our lucky day!). After the hike we went out to Checkerboard Mesa, ate lunch and played around. Headed back to camp to regroup, and then Ruby wanted to go back to Lower Emerald Pools because you get to walk behind a little waterfall (which she loved the first day.) We took the Kayenta Trail again down to the Grotto stop. It was seriously one of our best memories because there was practically NO ONE there- a stark contrast to our first day that was a bit of a mob scene. Took the shuttle and got back to camp around 6:45.
Day Five: We drove 2 hours to Bryce Canyon National Park. It was MUCH colder there (40 degrees compared to the 70 we had in Zion!) and we hiked the Queens Garden/Navajo Loop through Hoodoo land. It is the most popular hike in the park and was crowded for sure. It was strenuous for all, as I had Marlow on my back, and Casey had Ruby on his shoulders on the way back up the canyon. We enjoyed the change in landscape and felt like the Hoodoos made the park feel otherworldly! Ruby completed another Junior Ranger booklet and Marlow even got a pin here! On our way out we stopped at Ruby’s General Store for a poke around. Got back to camp and decided to go out to eat at The Whip Tail- the restaurant right next to our campground.
Day Six: We had a slow roll morning- slept in a bit and made a full breakfast and geared up for our big hike. We didn’t get to the Visitor Center around 11:00 and there was a bit of a wait to get on the shuttle (20 minutes). We started on the Angels Landing trail around noon (after eating lunch at the trailhead.) We hiked (and got our butts kicked) up to Scout Lookout. Snacked at the top and headed back down. We took the shuttle to Zion Canyon Lodge and relaxed on lawn for an hour and ate ice cream. Got back to camp around 7…longggg but full day.
Day 7: Drive from Zion to Tehachapi. We hopped on the road and stopped in Vegas and had an extended pitstop at Meow Wolf- an interactive art installation made by a Santa Fe based artist collective. SUCH A FUN STOP! After a couple of hours exploring the experience, we hopped back on the road and drove to Tehachapi RV and spent the night.
Day 8: Tehachapi to the Bay Area.
I hope you found this helpful. I have another camping post in the works, so be sure to subscribe to my newsletter to never miss an update.
