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Day One: An Adventurous Start

We landed in Las Vegas, scooped up a rental car, and drove straight to Valley of Fire State Park. The fiery red rocks looked like something out of a movie and gave Tommy that “wow” moment right from the start. The drive is only about an hour from Vegas, so it’s an easy add-on en route.

From there, we took a quick pit stop in St. George, Utah, to poke around an old general store. We enjoyed the candy and knick-knacks and a shop that looked like it hadn’t changed in a hundred years.

Next we arrived arrived in Springdale, the town right at Zion’s doorstep. We checked into our hotel, wandered the shops, grabbed dinner, and settled in.

Where to stay for Zion National Park

We stayed at the Desert Pearl Inn. I can’t say enough good things about this hotel. The location can’t be beat. The views are spectacular and the rooms are clean and spacious. We loved that our room backed up to the river. We spent lots of time just relaxing on our back porch. We had a family of deer visiting daily too.

The pool and hot tub were a major added bonus and we spent time relaxing there between adventures. I’ll note it below too but if you are a guest at Desert Pearl Inn you get some added perks like discounts at the restaurant and e-bikes next door.

There is parking at the hotel and also a shuttle stop for the park. For all things Springdale: gem shops, adventure gear, coffee shops, restaurants, etc: everything is walkable.

Day Two: Slot Canyons, Hiking & Zion by E-Bike

We started by driving through Zion and out the other side to Kanab. I booked this tour and would highly recommend. The staff was awesome. The tour is all by UTV. They take you to a spot to do sand surfing and then a hike through to Peekaboo Canyon. It was dusty, bumpy, and a total blast—one of those experiences that Tommy and I will remember forever.

After the Peek A Book Slot Canyon Tour, we stopped at The Get Outpost, for some pizza, snacks and shopping.

Then, we drove back into Zion to check out some highlights. We drove through the historic tunnel (super cool) and hiked the Canyon Overlook Trail. This trail is not too long, not too strenuous, and the views were jaw-dropping. Bonus… we helped out in a wedding proposal at the look out point ha!

The best part of the day, though, came when we ditched the car for e-bikes. We rented from Utah E-Bike Adventures which was right next to our hotel. If you stay at Desert Pearl you get 20% off which is great. Tommy was not old enough to rent his own e-bike so he was on the back on mine.

We started at the Zion Visitor Center. We did the Pa’rus Trail (Visitor Center → Canyon Junction). The Pa’rus Trail is a paved trail along the Virgin River. There were lots of fun spots to stop along the river and the views of the canyon were beautiful. When we got back to the Visitor Center area we locked up the bikes to get some ice cream and visit the shops for a bit.

Before heading back to the hotel we picked up rental gear for The Narrows hike the next morning—water boots, socks and hiking sticks. Pro tip: don’t skip this step. The right gear is essential. We used Zion Guru for our gear. They were awesome. Not only did they help us with the gear, they sat us down in front of a giant, wall sized map of The Narrows to explain how to do the hike. If you prefer a guide for the hike, they can do that too.

We had dinner at Camp Outpost, which is next door to Desert Pearl Inn and offers a discount to hotel guests.

Day Three: The Narrows, Condors & a Ghost Town

Day 3 was all about hiking The Narrows. We were up early to catch one of the first park shuttles. I chose to drive to the park and park close to the shuttles to ensure we were on one of the first ones. You can go any time, but the earlier you go, the less crowded it will be. The Narrows, is a famous hike in Zion National Park that is literally a trail through the river. Towering canyon walls rise up on either side, and you’re splashing through water most of the way.

It was amazing and challenging. Please make sure to find out the approximate depth of the river the time of year you are going and compare that to your child’s height. Tommy is average height for 10 and there were spots over his head. Also note the water (even when we were there in August) is VERY cold. Bring extra clothes, rent the gear, etc.

The Narrows was one of the coolest things I have done on vacation with my kids but also one of the more challenging/ adventurous. It’s not easy!

After drying off, got back on the shuttle and we stopped at an overlook known for seeing the California condors, and sure enough, we spotted a few soaring overhead. Note: the Zion National Park Rangers were amazing. Each and every one was knowledgable, helpful and gave so much time and patience talking to Tommy.

Last stop was back to the Visitor Center so Tommy could hand in his workbook and pass his test to get the official Zion National Park badge.

We checked out of the hotel and started the drive back to Las Vegas. We stopped to visit a ghost town. The ghost town, Grafton Ghost Town, is about 20 minutes from Zion and a really cool/ creepy stop. The town was settled in 1859 and you feel like you have stepped back in time. It’s managed by the Grafton Heritage Project. 

After that, we started the drive to Las Vegas. We checked into the hotel and hit the pools!

Where to Stay in Las Vegas with Kids

We stayed at Four Seasons Las Vegas. This was my first time taking kids to Las Vegas and I wanted to make sure we had a kid friendly, great spot to stay. The location is at the south end of the strip in the Mandalay Bay complex. I loved that we could do the Mandalay Bay Beach Pool for the lazy river, wave pool, etc but also enjoy the, very very quiet, Four Seasons pool. We loved the breakfast and our pool side dinner at FS Las Vegas too. The most important reason I picked this spot for a trip to Vegas with kids: the Four Seasons wing is casino-free and non-smoking which is a rare find on the Strip.

Day Four: Las Vegas

Las Vegas isn’t just casinos and late nights—it can actually be a fun family stop when you know where to go. We made time for a hotel pool day, went inside a pyramid and loved the arcade at New York New York. We also visited Hershey’s Chocolate World and a few of the sports stores. Other things on our list that we didn’t get to: watch the Bellagio fountains, see a family-friendly show and visit The Sphere.

Then it was time to fly home. Four Seasons Las Vegas is close to the airport, so a quick Uber ride and we were there.

Our trip to Zion National Park (and all the other little add ons along the way) was one of my favorite trips. I can’t wait to visit again some day. Something to note: because Tommy was a 4th grader, he could bring his whole family (just me for this trip) into Zion for FREE as many times as we wanted. The 4th Grade National Park Program is awesome and something to look into if you have a child this age.