Zion National Park with kids is an incredible adventure, with beautiful views and an abundance of easy, family-friendly trails.
We visited Zion in mid-November 2025. The yellow leaves against the orange and red canyon walls, the soft autumn light and cooler temperatures were truly magical.
We had the absolute best time. My oldest still considers it one of his favorite National Park trips ever.
Here are our favorite things we did at Zion National Park with kids.
What to do in Zion National Park with Kids
1. Favorite hikes in Zion with kids
Obviously, the best thing to do in Zion with kids is hike! The park is full of amazing, family-friendly trails that make for great adventures.
We followed Ash’s Zion itinerary from Dirt In My Shoes to know what time to arrive at each stop, and I highly recommend it!
Riverside Walk (2 miles, easy)
Our first morning, we caught the shuttle to the last stop on the line. The November sun wasn’t fully over the canyon walls and it was cold!
But we loved walking the easy path along the river to the start of the Narrows (see below). We chose not to hike the Narrows on this trip, but the kids loved watching people geared-up in waders venture into the cold river.
The kids skipped rocks into the river. My oldest danced along the trail. We had a lovely time.
Menu Falls (easy)
Just half a mile south is Menu Falls. Walk along the park road, watching for shuttles, to find this hidden spot. A mossy waterfall tucked along the trees trickles down the canyon walls.
Weeping Rock (0.4, steep but paved)
Even our 2-year-old hiked up this steep path by herself!
This popular area closed for nearly two years due to a rockfall and reopened just two months before we visited.
Weeping Rock is an overhang where water filters through the overhead sandstone and drips down like rain with a lovely view of the canyon.
Keep a close eye on littles at the top. It’s slippery, and the ledge is short and tempting.
Pa’rus Trail (3.3 miles), easy and paved
This paved path is flat and very popular with bike riders. It runs from the park gate along the river to the Visitor Center. It’s a great trail for the kids to just run and get some energy out, though keep an eye out for bikes, especially e-bikes. We constantly had to remind the kids to stay to the side so bikes could fly past.
Emerald Pools Trail (3 miles)
Right across from the lodge is the trail to the Lower and Upper Emerald Pools. It’s a very popular hike: family-friendly but interesting enough to hold kids’ attention.
This area is extremely popular, so expect crowds.
Canyon Overlook Trail (1 mile, moderate)
The Canyon Overlook Trail leads to a stunning overlook of Zion Canyon. It has some fun places that kids will enjoy like a small bridge and rocks to scramble over.
This was one of my favorite trails from the trip! It has a few steep drop-offs though, so keep a close eye on littles.
Many Pools Trail (2.1 miles, moderate)
Finding this start of this hike is tricky as the trail is unmaintained, but it was very fun! The hike is mostly scrambling up sandstone to various spots where water collects in pools carved by rain and wind.
Watch your step here. The Navajo Saandstone found in places like Zion and Moab is also known as “slickrock,” because it’s slippery, especially when wet. Bighorn sheep like to hang out here, though we didn’t see any.
2. Play on the front lawn
Zion Lodge has a lovely grass area out front that’s perfect for letting kids run and play Sometimes there will be ranger programs here.
3. Attend a ranger program or event
We visited Zion during the Art Invitational, when artists can share their Zion artwork on the lodge’s front lawn. Fall 2025 Artist-in-Residence, Lumi Barron, had a stop-motion station set up that the kids loved. And artist Teri McHale led a community “paint-by-numbers type experience, where we got to paint fabric hoops to create a community mosaic.
4. Ride bikes in Zion with kids
We didn’t bring bikes to Zion on this trip, but I will next time! We saw so many people riding e-bikes up and down the paved Pa’rus Trail. Because the park road is closed to cars, you can bike that too! Bikes would be a great way to get from one hike to another with older kids.
5. Become a Junior Ranger
Of course, you can’t visit Zion with kids without them being sworn in as Junior Rangers! Pick up an activity booklet at the Visitor Center. Turn in completed books there for them to earn their badges.
What to do in Zion with older kids
Another trail on our bucket list is the Narrows. An extremely popular (and frequently Instagrammed) hike, the Narrows is walking up the Virgin River to some of the tightest spots in Zion Canyon. The hike requires special equipment, depending on the season, as water levels can reach up to chest high.
We chose not to hike the Narrows on our 2025 visit for two reasons: Our kids were only 7, 5, and 2, and cyanobacteria.
Cyanobacteria is a toxic bacteria known as “blue-green algae” that can cause rashes, serious illness, or even death. Kids are especially at risk. Scientists have found cyanobacteria at the bottom of the Virgin River. Generally, hikers don’t have a problem with the cyanobacteria, as long as they avoid ingesting the water and rinse off after the hike.
But with two young hikers and a baby in a hiking backpack, we couldn’t guarantee they would keep their mouths out of the water. So we saved the Narrows for another trip.
What to do *without* kids in Zion
My mom and stepdad joined us on this trip, so we took turns crossing off a bucket list hike: Angels Landing!
My parents hiked to Angeles Landing the first full day we spent in Zion, while we explored. The next day, they came to our room at 5:30 a.m. to hang out with the kids while my husband and I hiked Angels Landing. Thanks, Mom and Brent!
The 5.4-mile Angels Landing trail is infamous in the National Park System for its chain section along a narrow ridge, with steep drop offs and a beautiful view at the top.
The chain section (from Scout Lookout to Angels Landing) requires a permit. There are bathrooms at Scout Lookout, as well as a ranger stationed there to check permits.
I was nervous about the chain section and wanted to get an early start. I had heard the worst part wasn’t so much the chains themselves as the backlog when trying to go down. The hike down returns the same way as you go up, so people either have to take turns going down and up, or they rush and pass each other.
I wanted to get there as early as possible. So rather than wait for the shuttle to start running from the lodge around 7 a.m, we decided to walk the 0.7 mile from our room to The Grotto, the start of the trail to Angels Landing.
Thanks to our early start, we ended up being the second and third people to the top that day! And we only had to pass a dozen or so people on the way down.
The chains were steep, but not nearly as scary as I expected. Walters Wiggles, an infamous section of switchbacks, was also steep.
But the hardest part of the hike in my opinion was going down. We sped down the trail and I messed up my knee. Next time, I’ll definitely bring hiking poles for the descent.
However, we probably won’t be hiking the trail again any time soon. I definitely wouldn’t take kids on the chain section until they were at least 16, maybe 18 years old. A hiker fell on the chain section five months after we visited and died.
That said, the first 1.7 miles of the trail (officially called the West Rim Trail) aren’t technical and don’t require a permit.
Where to stay in Zion National Park
There’s really only one answer to where to stay in Zion: the Zion National Park Lodge.
Zion doesn’t allow cars to enter the park during the majority of the year. Visitors have to take the park shuttle to enter and get from place to place. The one exception is for lodge guests.
The lodge is the only (front country) lodging within Zion National Park and the only way to enter the park without having to wait for the shuttle. Even the park campground is outside the gate.
Anyone staying outside the gate has to catch the shuttle at the Zion Canyon Visitor Center. And the lines get long here.
Once you’re in the park, the Zion shuttle is actually great. It’s efficient, quick, and frequent enough that you can get from one place to another relatively easily. That said, when we stopped by the Visitor Center to get the kids’ Junior Ranger badges, the one for the park shuttle was easily more than 100 people. We were so glad we didn’t have to wait in it, and could hop in our car, drive to the lodge, and park there before catching the shuttle to get around Zion.
The Lodge has a variety of rooms, suites, and cabins. Our youngest was still in the pack-N-play, so we booked a room with two queens. Unfortunately, the largest rooms only sleep four, so the next time we visit we’ll have to book two rooms. It’s worth it though to stay in the park.
The rooms themselves are pretty standard hotel rooms. But what is remarkable is the balcony! Our balcony had rocking chairs, and we lounged outside the first morning watching deer walk through the trees right outside our window!
Our favorite restaurants with kids near Zion
Springdale just outside of Zion is a great town with lots of cute shops and great restaurants. We ate dinner out in town each night.
Oscar’s Cafe — We ate here twice during our stay, we loved it so much. The fish tacos are great. It’s a happening place on the weekends, so get there early or be prepared to wait for a table to open. We especially loved sitting on the covered patio.
Zion Pizza & Noodle Co. — A great spot to stop after a big day of hiking, also with a great covered patio. The kids loved the butter noodles, and we loved the pizza and pasta.
Bumbleberry — Delicious ice cream and bumbleberry pie!
Castle Dome Cafe and The Beer Garden – Inside the park, is a quick cafe with grab-and-go sandwiches or fast fare like hot dogs. We were famished after hiking Angels Landing, so we grabbed food here and ate on the lovely Beer Garden patio with beautiful views of the canyon walls. The park also has an upstairs, sit-down restaurant that we didn’t visit.
I hope you have a great trip to Zion National Park with kids!