Home Base For Learning: Zion National Park with Kids

Zion National Park is the 3rd most visited park in the entire nation. From March-November, and part of December, they have a shuttle system to help with the crowds. We didn't like the idea of taking four kids on a shuttle with all their hiking gear and hoping nothing got left behind. I mean, we have a kid who tends to leave his shoes in the car, in the middle of winter, after we told everyone to make sure they were wearing them. To avoid lost shoes on a public shuttle, and the heat, and the thickest crowds, we chose to go in the winter. This however, presented another problem.

No shuttles running during the winter months means, when the crowds pick up, parking can be difficult. I really wanted to take my kids on the Watchmen trail, but instead, we opted for what we thought would be a shorter trail- The Lower Emerald Pools. Parking was limited and we had to park at the Zion Lodge and walk to the trailhead. (A bridge was closed, too.)

Crossed some pretty water along the way

Because we could not go all the way under the waterfall (closed due to ice), we opted to continue hiking to both the middle and upper falls.

A1 enjoyed watching bugs skim across the water's surface.

A2 found a tiny red bug that she had fun watching.

I didn't get any picture to share of the upper falls, but the views hiking down were amazing.

Next, we went to the Riverside Walk and were fortunate enough to get a parking spot. Because of the popularity of The Narrows, parking can be hard to find.

Overall, the Riverside Walk is a very easy 2 mile walk on a paved trail that ends where the trailhead to the Narrows begins.

We saw more wildlife on this trail than any other.

This sign warns visitors to not feed the wildlife. They do bite and that can lead to the plague. That warning was enough for J to keep away from the furry critters.

The hike was easy enough for even our littlest hiker to do. (Even carrying a unicorn.)

That is until an urgent bathroom need had Dad come to the rescue and run her back to the trailhead. (Yes, there are bathrooms there, a very important thing to know when hiking with kids.)

The last hike we went on was Canyon Overlook. A moderate (although we thought easy) 1 mile out and back trail. Parking here is also extremely limited. We were very blessed to get a parking spot in the tiny parking area and not along the road. Although, you can do that, too.

In order to get here, we drove up a series of switch backs and through a tunnel. (That was K's favorite part.) It is important to note that the shuttle does not take visitors to this trailhead.

This is perhaps my favorite hike in all of Zion National Park. A1 said it perfectly, "This isn't a hike, this is a staircase of awesomeness!" Yes, there are A LOT of stairs.