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 4th 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
Capitol Reef is one of our favorite places. In fact, we’re hesitant to share it with the world. We feel like it’s a bit of a secret… and we like it that way. Our favorite time to visit is in the fall when the orchards are full of ripe fruit. We love camping in Fruita Campground, picking apples, and exploring the park. It’s a special place and we’ve visited many times over the years.
Hanging out in Capitol Reef
This 3-Day itinerary is a great vacation plan for families with young children. In addition to Capitol Reef, you’ll head over to Goblin Valley, which is a great place to let your imagination go wild. We took eight families from our neighborhood on this trip. Our little ones loved climbing in all the holes, caves, and cracks in the rocks at Capitol Reef. We let them stand up in the car with their heads popping out of the sunroof to bask in the glory of Capitol Gorge Road. They played hide and seek among the trolls and monsters of Goblin Valley and ran up and down the elephant skin mountains near Caineville. This is a magical place!
Capitol Reef & Goblin Valley 3-Day Itinerary
Find your way to Torrey, Utah. It’s a little town 206 miles south of Salt Lake City. We suggest rolling into town in the evening and grabbing some pizza at Red Cliff or burgers at Slackers. There are lots of lodging options in Torrey. For campers, we love Capitol Reef’s Fruita Campground.
Day 1: Capitol Reef
Capitol Gorge
Start your morning with an incredible drive down the Capitol Gorge Road to the Capitol Gorge trailhead. This drive is like a slot canyon for your car. We hope you have a sunroof. If not, stick your head out the window as far as you dare. It’s AMAZING!
Capitol Gorge Road- A slot canyon for your car!
At the end of the scenic drive, you’ll find yourself at the Capitol Gorge trailhead. Jump out and start walking. There are holes in the rocks everywhere. Little and big climbers rejoice!
You’ll see petroglyphs 0.2 miles in, followed by the pioneer registry at 0.6 miles. Early pioneers in the area carved or shot their names into the sandstone. The trail has eroded over time, so the names are high up on the walls. It’s pretty cool to think of early settlers and rotten outlaws coming through this trail hundreds of years ago. Go a little further and you’ll find some small pools of water known as the Tanks. Then, make your way back to the parking lot where there are covered picnic tables. Pull your cooler out of your car and bust out the sandwiches for lunch!
Hickman Bridge
After lunch, make your way back through the gorge and head to Hickman Bridge. This is an easy 2-mile hike to a large beautiful arch. You’ll find some shade below the arch and the kids will enjoy bouldering around the area. This is climbing kid paradise.
Hickman Bridge
Head back to Torrey or your campsite for the evening.
Day 2: More Capitol Reef
Start your day with a 3.4 moderately difficult hike to Cassidy Arch. If you go in summer, start by 8AM and take lots of water. It’s uphill much of the way to the arch. Make sure you watch for cairn markers to find your way. The trail is hard to spot once you’re on the slickrock.
Cassidy Arch
Cassidy Arch is one of the few arches you can walk on. Mom almost had a heart attack watching the kids walk across it. The arch is very thick and the kids felt completely safe, but moms have a hard time with danger sometimes. Is your mom like that? Even so, this is an amazing hike through the Grand Wash and ending with an incredible arch. We found this post from Earth Trekkers helpful: Cassidy Arch
Cassidy Arch in Capitol Reef
After your hike, stop by the Gifford House to buy some pie and eat your lunch at nearby picnic tables. When you’re rested and ready to go again, head out for Sulphur Creek.
Sulphur Creek
If you have two vehicles, shuttle one car to the visitor center and take your group in the second car to the Sulphur Creek trailhead 3.3 miles west of the visitor center. If you don’t have two vehicles, you can adapt your adventure accordingly. Make sure everyone has good shoes that can be immersed in water as they hike.
Sulphur Creek
Sulphur Creek is an incredible hike with waterfalls, a 600-feet deep gorge, cool rocks, and lots of opportunities for wading and swimming. It’s a child-friendly hike that’s fun for everyone. The route is six miles long from the Chimney Rock area to the visitor center. This is a fun afternoon hike when the the weather is warm/hot.
Work your way down the streambed until you run into Sulphur Creek. Splash your way downstream all the way to the Visitor Center. If you don’t have a car at the Visitor Center, go as far as you want, then walk back. Water levels vary greatly based on the time of year and rain. Check with the park rangers before you go, especially if you have little kids. MORE INFO
Day 3: Goblins and Slots
Pack up and drive an hour to Goblin Valley State Park. Make sure you look around at the other-worldy landscape as you drive through. It really does look like you’re on another planet. The area around Caineville looks like the hills are covered in elephant skin!
Walking on Elephant Skin near Caineville Utah
Goblin Valley
There’s a $15 entrance fee at Goblin Valley. Spend a few hours playing hide-and-seek and exploring the valley. Take time to soak in the magic. Try naming as many hoodoos as you can. When you’re done exploring, find the pavilion with picnic tables and eat lunch.
Hide and Seek in Goblin ValleyHoodoos in Goblin Valley
Little Wild Horse Canyon
Next, head over to Little Wild Horse Canyon, six miles down the road. This is a family favorite. It’s a kid-friendly slot canyon that will add to the delightful experience you just had in Goblin Valley.
Little Wild Horse Canyon
The slots are narrow, twisty and very colorful. There’s a little bit of bouldering in one section. Make sure to check the weather. Stay out of the slot canyon if there’s any chance of rain. We hope you’re there on a sunny day to enjoy this incredible canyon. It’s a perfect grand finale!
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!
Bryce Canyon in the Spring
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!
Bryce Canyon
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 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.
Teamwork in Peekaboo & Spooky GulchPeekaboo and Spooky Gulch
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.
Repelling in Devil’s Garden
Drive back to Escalante for dinner and sleep.
Lower Calf Creek Falls
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.
Drinking up the beauty of Lower Calf Creek Falls
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).
