things to do in southern utah with kids
To hike Kanarra Falls you have to purchase permits online. You can find them here. It’s definitely worth the wait and money. Three and under are free. It’s probably a better hike for older children! It’s about four miles long. The hardest part is walking from the parking lot to the trailhead. We were a little nervous to take our 3 and 5 year olds, but we figured we would go for it and see how it went! They loved it and my three-year-old only wanted to be carried by her dad as we were walking back. Mind you, she is not your average three-year-old! She is so full of energy and loves to climb, so we knew of all kids she’d be fine! One tip that I would give is walk in the water as much as you can! It makes the hike much easier and cooler. When you first get to the water it is pretty flippin’ cold, but your body acclimates! Make sure you bring plenty of water! I ran out half way through, yikes! We also brought snacks and ate all of them, so that is pretty important. A waterproof backpack and water shoes that cover your entire feet and have good grip are pretty essential. Here are some items I would suggest to take with you:
hydration backpack 2. unisex water shoe 3. Nike hat 4. biker shorts 5. back pack 6. water bottle
We will do an entire post on Zion, but one of our favorite family activities is water tubing in Zion. Kids four and older are able to go. They provide tubes and give you rides to and from the river. It’s a BLAST. Check them out here. Honestly, some of my favorite memories. My favorite restaurant is the Spotted Dog. You can make a reservation here.
How to get there: take the Leeds exit and turn North. Take a right on Babylon Road. Keep going for awhile. If you think you’ve gone too far you haven’t! The dirt roads are definitely bumpy, so you’ll want 4-wheel drive vehicle to get there! To see a video of the entire drive/trail click here . I wish we would have had this video! It would have made things a lot easier! We had SO much fun here. We brought tubes, water squirters, buckets to catch little frogs and a big shade tent. It was seriously such a fun day.
water tubes 2. puddle jumper 3. water squirters 4. canopy shade tent 5. beach toys
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My kids specifically love Jenny’s Canyon (short and sweet) and the Petrified Sand Dunes!
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Visit their site here
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This blog post will tell you everything you need to know about this place including how to get there! My kids still talk about this place. Kinda magical! If you have rzr’s this would be fun to access that way! This is privately owned and the owner has asked that you no longer chip at the rocks, but are welcome to take a few for the road. They are everywhere!