Hello 2021!! We started off the year with a bang with a road trip in our new RV. Destination #1 was Zion National Park which has been on my bucket list for years. It was pretty cold, however we got lucky with it not being too busy and a clear day. The scenery was absolutely gorgeous and definitely worth the trip! I was pleasantly surprised with how much the kids enjoyed it too. I will include some of our favorite trails, a few tips, and where we stayed below.
Zion National Park Shuttle Tickets
Since we visited here during the pandemic they had some new rules in place. The biggest one was limiting personal cars within the park (unless you have a lodge hotel reservation). This means you have to take the shuttle within the park, getting on and off at each trail head. In order to board the shuttle you need to have a ticket, which they are limiting to 25% capacity to help ensure there is room for social distancing, etc. They do release some tickets months in advance, but if you are a last minute trip planner like us, they have tickets available to day before at 9am MST. They do sell out in minutes though so make sure you are logged into their website to grab them quickly. They only cost $1 each.
If you are unable to get a ticket you can still access the park by either walking or riding bikes. However, keep in mind there are no sidewalks and large shuttle busses will be passing you on the narrow roads. I don’t recommend this with kids.
Also, this may only be a pandemic precaution so make sure you check ahead of time in case the rules change!
Zion National Park Trails
There were quite a few trails that were suitable for kids! When you arrive they will give you a map with the shuttle stops, which trails are located at each stop, and they are ranked from easy to more advanced. Here are some of our favorite trails with kids:
Riverside Walk – This was our favorite trail and where most of these photos were taken. The trail head is located on shuttle stop #9 that also had restrooms right there. The trail follows the Virgin River along the bottom of a narrow canyon. You can walk on the paved path or down by the river like we did. It is just over two miles round trip.
Lower Emerald Pool Trail – This one starts at the Zion Lodge, which is also located at stop #5. It is only about 1.5 miles so perfect distance for young kids. There is a short ascent in the beginning but then mostly flat. Trail will lead you to a few pools and a waterfall. You can continue past this trail to a more challenging trail that leads to the middle and upper pools.
Pa’rus Trail – This is a paved trail you can walk straight from the visitor center. It is wheelchair and stroller friendly, allows dogs on a leash, and for bicycles.
Camping In Zion National Park
Like I said above, this was our first trip in our new RV. Obviously we chose to stay in the RV over a hotel, but there were a ton of cute places to stay in Springdale, UT within walking distance to the park entrance. Since we planned this trip so last minute, there was no availability in the Zion National Park Campground (I believe it’s called Watchman Campground). We opted to “boondock”, which I just learned means to camp for free on federally owned land. We found an awesome spot off Sheep Bridge Rd. that even had designated campsites and fire pit rings. There was also spots on Laverkin Overlook Rd. Keep in mind these are first come, first serve!
This was such a fun trip and I highly recommend adding Zion National Park to your bucket list. We will be back!