Tips for Visiting Bryce Canyon National Park With Kids

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Heading to Bryce Canyon National Park with kids and wondering what to do with kids in Bryce Canyon National Park? You’ve come to the right place! From kid-friendly hikes in Bryce Canyon to the Junior Ranger program, we will give you tips to make your family trip to Bryce Canyon National Park a success.

How to get to Bryce Caynon National Park

The closest major airports are Las Vegas and SLC, 4 hours away. Most people start their trip at one of these and visit The Mighty 5 in one trip since all the Utah parks are so close together.

If you live in Southern California like we do, the drive from Huntington Beach is 8 hours. Phoenix is just under 7 hours and Denver 8.5 hours. We flew into Vegas and started our road trip there.

If you are visiting Bryce Canyon National Park as part of a Mighty 5 road trip, the driving distance between Bryce Canyon and Zion National Park is around 1.5 hours.

Best time to visit Bryce Canyon National Park

The best time to visit Bryce Canyon National Park is in the spring (April-May) and fall (September-October). Summer months are the most popular months to visit, however the temperatures are in the 90s, so keep that in mind when planning your trip. We visited in early June and it was in the low 70s during our stay, windy and quite chilly so really it depends on the year. We did not experience hot temperatures during our stay at all! It was 39 in the mornings and 50s by 10 am, quite comfortable for hiking.

Where to stay when visiting Bryce Canyon National Park

Camping in Bryce Canyon National Park

There are two campgrounds in Bryce Canyon National Park, North and Sunset. North Campground is first come, first serve but you can make reservations for the Sunset campground.

Best family-friendly hotels near Bryce Canyon National Park

Wondering where to stay when visiting Bryce Canyon National Park? One of the best family-friendly hotel near Bryce Canyon National Park is the Best Western Plus Bryce Canyon Grand Hotel . It fills up quickly so be sure to book in advance.

Another kid-friendly hotel near Bryce Canyon National is the Best Western Plus Ruby’s Inn. These two hotels are conveniently located just a couple of miles from the entrance to the park and the shuttle to the park picks you up here, making it a great family friendly hotel in Bryce Canyon.

There is one hotel inside of the National Park, the Lodge at Bryce Canyon. They have several room types to choose from but know that you will be limited with food options if you stay here and it’s also much more expensive than staying in town since it’s right inside of the park.

Even though I booked our trip months in advance, both of the Best Western properties were already booked so we ended up staying at the Bryce Canyon Log Cabins. These are located in the town of Tropic, about 20 minutes outside of the park. The cabins are super cute, clean and actually quite comfortable. We had 2 queen beds and a cute little front porch.

Things to bring when visiting Bryce Canyon National Park with kids

• Hydration Pack: Milana carries this little hydration backpack. It’s great for kids and just enough to fit in a few snacks without having them pack like a mule.
• Hiking backpack: I love the Osprey Daylite backpack and it comes on every hiking trip.
• Sunscreen: This is especially crucial in those hot, summer months!
• National Parks Journal: This is what we use, it’s simple and to the point and helps Milana remember all of our National Park trips.

Books and games about Bryce Canyon National Park

• Zion & Bryce Canyon National Park with Kids
• Bryce Canyon
• Good Night Utah
• National Parks Opoly
• In My National Park Backyard
• Vivian and the Legend of the Hoodoos

Things to do in Bryce Canyon National Park with kids

Best kid-friendly hiking trails in Bryce Canyon National Park

• Navajo Loop: This was our favorite trail here! It begins and ends at Sunset point and is only 1.5 miles long, however half of it is uphill so be sure your kids can walk uphill before attempting this.
• Wall Street: If you’re hiking the Navajo Loop, you will notice that one arrow points towards Wall Street and the other to Wall Street. We did Wall Street first. While it’s not long, it’s downhill with switchbacks the entire way down. So you know what that means…you have to climb back up all the way to the top to do the Navajo Loop! This trail is absolutely stunning and worth the trek to the bottom.
• Rim Trail: You can do as much or as little of this trail as you’d like, the total length is 10.7 miles but we only did a couple of miles before turning back.
• Inspiration Point: While technically an overlook and not a trail, definitely stop here to see the largest collection of hoodoos in the park. It’s quite the sight to see!
• Bryce Point: Another overlook, this one with amazing views of the Bryce Canyon amphitheater.
• Sunset Point to Sunrise Point: This is the easiest hike in the park at just 1.1 miles long and perfect for little ones.

Junior Ranger Program in Bryce Canyon National Park

Just like all the other National Parks, Bryce Canyon has a Junior Ranger program. Be sure to pick up the booklet before you start exploring and come back so your kids can earn their Junior Ranger badge.

Go to a rodeo

If you are traveling between Memorial Day and mid-August, Ruby’s Inn puts on a rodeo that is super fun for kids to watch. A lot of the performers were kids between 4 and 7, so it’s really fun for kids to see other kids out there. It’s super cheap ($15 for adults, $9 for kids) and a great way to spend a summer evening.

Getting around Bryce Canyon National Park

During peak travel season, your best bet will be to park your car and use the Bryce Canyon shuttle. Parking is very limited at the popular spots and you will spend a very long time trying to find a spot. When driving to the park, you’ll notice a shuttle parking area on your left. Don’t park there, keep on going to the park. After you enter the park, there is a parking lot on your immediate left. Park your car there, walk across the street to the shuttle stop and start your journey there.

We had no issues finding a spot at 10 am and there were many more spots available. The shuttle runs frequently and drops you off at all the popular locations. It’s definitely the way to get around during peak season!

Where to eat near Bryce Canyon National Park with kids

There are lots of kid-friendly restaurants in the Bryce Canyon area, here are some to try.

I.D.K Barbecue

One of the best kid-friendly restaurants near Bryce Canyon was this barbecue place. This restaurant was across the street from our log cabin and it was really good! The line here is huge most of the day, so be prepared for a wait. Who knew that a random bbq place in the middle of nowhere could be so good? We shared the 3 meat plate (brisket, pork, chicken) with mac and cheese and coleslaw and everything was amazing. Definitely a hit and one to try if you’re in the area!

Old Bryce Town

You’ll see this cute little old-fashioned style town as you drive to Bryce Canyon, right across from Ruby’s Inn. There are several stores, you can go horseback riding here and there’s a cute ice cream and candy shop. We stopped for ice cream on the way back from Bryce Canyon, be sure to try the huckleberry!

That Pizza Place

Another restaurant in Tropic and also a very popular one! This place gets super busy so if you want a table, get here early or be prepared to wait. It’s not the best pizza, but we enjoyed our meal here and the restaurant is very family friendly.

We hope that this guide to visiting Bryce Canyon National Park with kids was helpful in helping plan your trip. Be sure to check out our other National Parks with kids guides as well to help plan your trips to National Parks. Want to read this later? Pin one of the images below!