Family-Friendly Activities In and Around Utah’s National Parks
Utah is famously family-friendly, and the national parks all have programs for children (generally Memorial Day-Labor Day). Junior Ranger programs are essentially workbooks designed to keep kids occupied.
- Zion National Park: The Zion Nature Center offers daily programs on geology, animals, and ecosystems. Short hikes on weekdays may include lessons on using a global positioning system (GPS) unit. Horseback riding is a hit with kids ages seven and older; trail rides start at the corrals near Zion Lodge.
- Bryce Canyon National Park: Fantastically sculpted rocks ignite the imagination of adults and kids alike. Wander down Queen’s Garden Trail and make up your own names for the hoodoos.
- Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument: Let your kids discover how Indigenous people lived in Utah a millennium ago with the re-created dwellings and artifacts on display at the Anasazi State Park Museum in Boulder.
- Canyonlands National Park: The short Cave Spring Trail in the Needles District gives hikers a chance to scamper across slickrock, scale ladders up cliffs, examine pictographs, and visit an old cowboy line camp. Stop by the visitor center for an Explorer Pack loaded with binoculars, a hand lens, a notebook, and other naturalist tools.
- Arches National Park: A ranger-led hike in the Fiery Furnace requires a bit of hiking experience and agility. Children under age five are not permitted, but older kids will enjoy the scenery and scrambling. Advanced reservations required.
- Moab: Cap a visit to canyon country with a raft trip down the Colorado River. Rent rafts and life jackets for the put-in at Fisher Towers, 23 miles north of town. With quiet stretches punctuated by white water, it’s a good choice for families.
Related Travel Guides
Spark your sense of wonder and immerse yourself in the awe-inspiring landscape of Utah’s five national parks.
Calling all Junior Rangers! This fun-filled guide explores the wonders and weirdness of more than 75 U.S. parks, monuments, and landmarks, from Acadia to Zion.
From Yellowstone to the Statue of Liberty, from Gettysburg National Battlefield to Mount Rushmore, National Parks is the only kid-friendly, family-oriented book that covers all of the 60 U.S. national parks, plus other famous monuments and landmarks. With a lively text and hundreds of color illustrations and photographs throughout, this updated edition offers fascinating, memorable information on every aspect of the parks, such as the history, geography, natural wonders, native wildlife and birds, and unique features that make each park special.
Organized alphabetically by state, National Parks takes readers on a whirlwind trip to 75 locations, including Denali National Park, Hot Springs National Park, Everglades National Park, Fort McHenry, White Mountain National Forest, Ellis Island, the Blue Ridge Parkway, Zion National Park, Block Island National Wildlife Refuge, Mt. Hood National Forest, and many more.
From Yellowstone to the Statue of Liberty, from Gettysburg National Battlefield to Mount Rushmore, National Parks is the only kid-friendly, family-oriented book that covers all of the 60 U.S. national parks, plus other famous monuments and landmarks. With a lively text and hundreds of color illustrations and photographs throughout, this updated edition offers fascinating, memorable information on every aspect of the parks, such as the history, geography, natural wonders, native wildlife and birds, and unique features that make each park special.
Organized alphabetically by state, National Parks takes readers on a whirlwind trip to 75 locations, including Denali National Park, Hot Springs National Park, Everglades National Park, Fort McHenry, White Mountain National Forest, Ellis Island, the Blue Ridge Parkway, Zion National Park, Block Island National Wildlife Refuge, Mt. Hood National Forest, and many more.
Newsletter Signup
By clicking ‘Sign Up,’ I acknowledge that I have read and agree to Hachette Book Group’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Use
Pin It for Later
