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Arches and Canyonlands National Parks 3-Day Itinerary

Wednesday Afternoon

Leave Salt Lake City

Drive to Arches National Park, Delicate Arch Trailhead. (236 miles- 4 hours)

Evening hike to Delicate Arch

Meet at the trailhead at 5:00. (If you stop in Moab first, plan for 40 minute drive to trailhead.) Early evening hiking is magical! This famous hike is 3 miles across red rock and takes 2-3 hours. It’s listed as “more difficult” but our little kids have done it without any problems. Bring a head lamp for the hike back.

Late dinner in Moab (8:00)

Thursday

Departure 9:00 AM

Drive to Arches National Park

Start at Landscape Arch.

This arch is more than a football field in length. It’s super cool! The trail is 2 miles and relatively flat- probably one hour of hiking.

Hike to Sand Dune Arch.

This is a super short (15 minute, ½ mile hike) We’ll spend some time here playing in the sand. You might want to bring a little towel to wipe down sandy bare feet. Get ready for an epic long jump contest.

Lunch- Head to the picnic area near Balanced Rock

We’ll eat sack lunches and have a game of Ultimate Frisbee

Afternoon hike to Windows and Turret Arch– 1 mile loop.

The rest of the afternoon can be spent wherever you want. You can go back to Moab, conquer another hike, explore the Visitors Center, or take a scenic drive.
Dinner in Moab

Friday

Departure 9:00 AM

Drive to Canyonlands National Park (Island in the Sky Entrance is 21 miles from Moab)

Hike Grand View Point Overlook

This is 2 miles along the canyon edge. Hold on to your hat and your small children! You’ll be humming the song “I’m On Top of the World.”

Drive to Whale Rock Picnic Area and eat sack lunches.

Hike to Whale Rock

About 1 mile walk to the tail of the whale. The kids will love climbing all over the whale.

Drive to Mesa Arch for final hike. Less than a mile.

Check it out- http://backcountrygallery.com/mesa-arch-sunrise/

Saturday

Drive to Corona Arch Trailhead 20 minutes from Moab via US-191 and UT-279 in Bootlegger Canyon. This will be our grand finale. It’s a 2.5 mile hike with a few cables, a ladder, and some natural stairs through steep parts. We’ve never done this one, but it sure looks fun and should be less crowded than the national parks- especially on a Saturday.

Lunch: You can bring sack lunches again or pick up something on your way home.

Arches National Park entrance fee $25

Canyonlands National Park entrance fee $25

If you have a 4^th grader, make sure you get your free NP pass!

Cooler full of food for 2-3 lunches.

If we get to have tin foil dinners in Canyonlands, we’ll join forces to pull that together.

2-3 dinner meals at restaurants and possibly lunch on the drive home

5-Year-Old Backpacking Trip

Let’s go on an adventure!

I think it’s time I posted one of our favorite annual traditions: The 5-Year-Old Backpacking Trip. When our first child turned five, my husband took him on a backpacking trip. The next year, he invited our 5-year old niece.

Every year since, we’ve organized a family overnight backpacking trip for anyone who wants to go. However, only the kids who are five years old or older are invited. This has become a kind of “coming of age” event for children in our family. They can hardly wait to turn five and be included in the adventure. After 17 years, our trip includes nearly thirty people!

Destinations

My husband chooses destinations that can be reached by an easy 1-2 mile hike. We live in Utah, so we have lots of hiking options nearby. Most of our trips have been in the Uintah Mountains, but we’ve also backpacked canyons closer to Salt Lake City. You can find lots of trails that are family friendly on websites and hiking apps like All Trails.

Food

The menu for the trip is always the same. (This adds to the feeling of tradition.) The group eats the fish they catch, Uncle Ben’s rice, steamed broccoli, and either s’mores or berry cobbler. For breakfast, we eat oatmeal hot chocolate, and bagels. It’s the same every year and the kids all love it. In fact, they all love to eat fish and we think it’s because of this annual trip. (No self-respecting five-year-old is going to let the older kids mock them for not eating fish.)

As our group has grown, we haven’t been able to catch enough fish to feed everyone. No problem! We pack in seasoned frozen salmon fillets wrapped in tin foil and cook them in the fire to supplement our meal.

Packing List

Here’s a packing list if you need a little help planning your own 1-night backpacking trip: Backpacking List for Overnight Camp

We live near many mountains so this trip is very inexpensive and a highlight of the year. There’s a lot of power (and a whole lot of fun) in family traditions!

Return to our website menu for more fun family adventures!

Grand Staircase-Escalante and Bryce Canyon 3-Day Itinerary

One of our favorite places in Utah is Grand Staircase-Escalante. This national monument is full of surprises. The colors are amazing… blue, purple, and pink layers of rock, orange cliffs with hidden waterfalls, and some of the best slot canyons in the world. Combine two days in Grand Staircase with a day in Bryce Canyon and you’re sure to have an amazing adventure!

Our hometown is Salt Lake City. After work, we head down to Panguitch or the Ruby’s Inn area of Bryce Canyon to spend the night. Then we’re close to the action for an early start in the morning!

Day 1: Bryce Canyon

Hike Navajo Loop, Queen’s Garden and Peek-a-Boo Loop

Begin at Sunrise Point. Depending on the weather, mud, and the athleticism of your group, you can hike the Queen’s Garden or Navajo Loop. Our vote is for the Navajo Loop. It’s only 1.5 miles, but steep. It takes 1-2 hours based on the length of your legs and the depth of the mud (only a problem in the springtime). This is a really cool hike and the best way to see the canyon. You’ll see Thor’s Hammer, Two Bridges, the Hat Shop, and Wall Street. There are many other longer options for those who desire a more strenuous hike. The Navajo/Peekaboo Combination Loop is 5 miles. It’s just an extension of the first hike and you’ll get to see the Wall of Windows. If you have the time, do it!

Sometimes in the spring they will close the Navajo Loop because of slippery, muddy conditions. If this happens, slap a smile on your face and enjoy the Queen’s Garden. It’s the easiest trail in and out of the canyon. You’ll hike less than two miles, and you’ll see beautiful scenery all the way. Don’t turn around and go back up the switchbacks you just came down. Hike the canyon floor, see the Queen’s Garden, and go back up the easier way to Sunset Point. Then walk along the rim back to Sunrise.

Be sure to take food and water with you on your hike. There are not services once your leave the rim. In the summer, it can be extremely hot. Be careful to stay hydrated.

Spend some time in the afternoon checking out some of the amazing observation points from various places along the rim of the canyon. Then drive one hour to Escalante. We recommend the pizza at Escalante Outfitters Café for dinner and lodging at the Circle D Motel on Main Street.

Moms in the slot canyons — Moms in Peekaboo & Spooky slot canyon

Day 2: Slot Canyons

Peekaboo and Spooky Gulch

Get ready for another full day of adventure and a bumpy drive! Drive 26 miles on the Hole-in-the-Rock Road to Peek-a-Boo Gulch. Check out driving directions to the trailhead HERE.

Entrance to Peekaboo Gulch– You’ll need adults to help kids get up through the opening. Save your strongest person to go in last.

If you’ve never been in a slot canyon, you are in for a treat! You’ll love the challenge of getting through tight spots and shimmying down sand walls with your back and feet. It’s really cool!

This slot canyon has some very tight places, about 16” at its narrowest. This means you need to be less than 16” thick from front to back. You’ll turn sideways to get through these areas. It’s also physically challenging. We think you need to be at least 5 years old to do it. Some groups say 8 years old. It will depend on the fitness level and mental toughness of your child.

These slots can also be quite dark in places because of the narrow canyon walls. The entire Peek-a-Boo and Spooky loop is 3.5 miles. It’s really fun! You’ll need a sack lunch for the day or you can snare and roast a chipmunk.

Spooky Narrows — Peekaboo and Spooky Gulch

You can find a very detailed description of this hike with photos at Utah’s Adventure Family.

Devil’s Garden

On the way back to Escalante, stop to play hide-and-seek in Devil’s Garden. It’s a mini–Goblin Valley with tons of hoodoos and crazy rock formations. In the past, our friends have brought climbing gear to repel off some of the big boulders. It’s a fun place for kids to learn to repel. There are picnic tables at Devil’s Garden if you’re looking for a good lunch stop.

Drive back to Escalante for dinner and sleep.

Day 3 Waterfall

Lower Calf Creek Falls

Pack up and get ready for the grand finale! Take Hwy 12 to the Lower Calf Creek Falls trailhead. There’s a $5 permit fee. This hike is about 6 miles round trip. I know this sounds long but it’s very flat. The only hard part is that the trail is very sandy so your shoes get heavier as you walk. Consider your shoe choice before you begin. It takes about 3 hours round trip, plus the time you spend at the falls. We suggest starting early as the trail gets really busy starting at 10:00 AM. Assuming it’s not winter or early spring, you can swim in the pool below the falls. Get specific driving directions and information HERE.

Say goodbye to this beautiful place and start the long drive home. If you’re headed to Salt Lake City, it will take about five hours (311 miles).