Going to Zion National Park with Kids?

The shuttle in Zion National Park is once again a first come, first serve mode of transportation offered by Zion National Park.  With the drop in Covid cases, the ever-difficult shuttle ticket system is no longer a thing (which is great in a lot of ways), but when it comes to kids, this can cause some difficulties of its own.  The Shuttle, put in place in 2000, is a must-use to get to many popular hikes like Angels Landing, the Grotto, Court of the Patriarchs, The Narrows, Temple of Sinewava, Emerald Pools, and more.  Shuttles are often crowded and require long lines to get your seat, so here’s what you need to know.

Zion is crowded… like, REALLY crowded

The Zion Canyon gets extremely full extremely fast!  Parking itself can be tricky, even if you get there early (though early birds do usually get a better spot).  The most popular Zion hikes are accessible through just the main canyon, and this canyon is closed to private vehicles for the majority of the year.  So unless you are traveling in the winter (which is not a bad way to go) you will likely need to ride the shuttle to see the sites.

• TIP: The best way to beat the crowds and keep your kids from a meltdown, is to avoid peak times at the first shuttle stop.  Peak hours are between 9am and 12pm.
• TIP: If you arrive before or after this peak time, you will spend less time in lines and more time exploring!
• TIP: You don’t need to book ahead, just make sure you plan ahead and bring lots of snack, water and a few activities with you to keep the kids entertained for any wait times and travel into the canyon.