Zion National Park
Tosha Tingey • June 10, 2019
Ways we explored Zion National Park with a toddler!
Growing up in Utah, I had visited Zion National Park twice. I’ve hiked the infamous Angel’s Landing and trekked through the Narrows. I’ve had such great experiences at this park and was excited to take my family.
We met up with my sister and her family on their Spring Break vacation where they were visiting 4 national parks with their fourth grader. Since we had their kids and Addie we stuck to the smaller hikes. Unlike the Grand Canyon there are loads of hikes for all schedules and all experience.
Lower Emerald Pools
The first hike we did was to the Lower Emerald Pools. The upper pools were closed at the time but were also more difficult so we stuck with the Lower Pools. The hike was super easy and took us to a beautiful waterfall where the trail takes you behind the waterfall. The hike is very short and easy. Addie was 16 months at the time and walked most of it.
Weeping Rock
We decided to do Weeping Rock last minute. The shuttle bus dropped us off right at the trail head and this hike was maybe a half mile. You can see the waterfall and the weeping rocks almost the entire way, but the trail head takes you behind the water. Also a beautiful little hike.
Shuttle Buses
The shuttle buses at Zion National Park were great! There is very little wait time between buses and they are super easy to navigate. It’s a very convenient way to get to the trails, and in a lot of cases the only way to get to some trails. The bus driver will point out different landmarks and share stories and history. They also would point out wildlife and rock climbers. We enjoyed the shuttle so much that we rode the bus the entire route just to see and hear more about Zion National Park.
Next Time
We are already planning a trip back to Zion National Park to hike through the Narrows. We are hoping to invite cousins and friends to join us and get a babysitter for Addie. The Narrows was my favorite hike when I came as a teenager and have been wanting to do it again ever since. Maybe one day I can convince Jon to go to Angel’s landing too. We’ll see. ;)
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