Utah and Arizona Family Vacation Itinerary- Zion, Bryce Canyon, Grand Canyon, Sedona

Family Hiking Vacations

Utah and Arizona

kim goletz, founder of Refine YOU — The refine YOU program

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When it comes to family vacations, our destinations have changed dramatically over the years. When our children were younger, our vacations revolved around going to somewhere warm like the beach. These destinations were easier get to with kids and all the baby gear in tow. It was also drivable for us or a direct flight away with no change in timezone. As the children have gotten older, we have switched gears to more active family vacations. Our family had several trips planned that had to be cancelled in 2020 due to the pandemic. One of these trips was a trip out west to Arizona for spring break. We decided, at the last minute, to go for it right after Christmas 2020 and I am so glad that we did.

I am happy to share some tips with you and details about our trip.

Our Planning:

Keep in mind, as I stated, this was a last minute pivot so there was not much planning. Our original vacation (spring break) was to go Arizona and we changed it to hit southern Utah and Arizona for this trip. This trip was also the last week of December 2020. This time of year is the "low season" for most of these destinations, temps are colder and there was a lot of snow and ice. Also, this trip was in 2020, the year of the COVID pandemic, with mask mandates and closures still in place. I will be detailing out trip and tips from our experience visiting in the winter. As you can imagine, during the summer, the weather, attire, and the gear needed is much different when visiting Arizona and Utah. I will also not be detailing places to eat. It was off season, and the pandemic so many restaurants were closed or had limited hours. We also avoided going to restaurants whenever possible due to the pandemic.

Hiking Vacation and Park Tips

My family has been on many hiking trips and I put together a list of things that we use regularly on our hiking vacations. I have also included some crucial tips on how to navigate the parks and other tips on how to have a safe and enjoyable hiking vacation. These are things that we have learned along the way that might make things easier for you on your next trip no matter where your next hiking destination will be. This information is just as important as figuring out your itinerary. Be sure to read this article (click the button below) that I put together with all of these tips!

hiking tips and park tips

The Trip

Indianapolis to Las Vegas

We flew from Indianapolis to Las Vegas Nevada and rented a large SUV one way. We drove into Las Vegas on the main strip and drove by all of the major hotels showing the kids all of the different sights on the main strip. We left Las Vegas and headed out to Springdale, Utah which is the town just outside of Zion National Park.

Zion National Park

We stayed at the Springhill Suites in Springdale, Utah which was really nice. We had a room with two queen beds, a living room area, and a kitchenette. We visited the Walmart on the way, to pick up snacks, drinks (plenty of gallon water bottles), microwavable items, and items to pack lunches. We also purchased a small cooler to transport these items place to place. We arrived in Springdale after dark, so we settled in for the night and we got everything pre-packed and ready for our first day in the park.

Getting around Zion National Park

NO vehicles allowed in the main area of the park, you have to take the park shuttle or a shuttle service. Some park shuttle tickets are released a few months in advance. If you cannot secure tickets at this time, you will need to get them the day before. You need to download the recreation.gov app and tickets are released at 9am the day before to get tickets. The shuttle tickets are $1 per person. You should get on right at 9am for a better chance to get tickets. This shuttle is a hop on/hop off shuttle. You will choose a one hour time period upon purchasing your tickets. This time is when you can board your first shuttle. You will not be able to board more than 15 minutes before your designated time period. As an alternative, you can also get an independent shuttle service in town that will drop you off at a certain place, at a certain time, and then pick you up at a certain location at a certain time in the park. These are more expensive and more restrictive since you have a certain drop off and pick up time. The parking lot at the visitors center fills up very quickly (it was full by 8:30am). There are a few paid parking lots just outside of the park where you can park and walk in.

Zion National Park

Zion, Day 1

We arrived at the park early and we were parked in the main lot by 8am. Our shuttle time was 9am, so we took the time looking around the visitor center, talking with the park rangers and hit the visitors center and gift shop first. We headed to the Scouts Lookout Trail which is the same trail that splits off and goes to Angel's landing. This trail is rated as strenuous. Angel's landing which is the last half-mile follows a steep and narrow ridge using anchored chains to hold onto some areas of the cliff. We did not feel that was appropriate for our kids so we hiked up to Scouts Landing to overlook Angel's landing. We were the only ones up there for a while and we had a nice picnic lunch before heading down. We then hiked another trial... The Emerald Pools trail which takes you to multiple pools with waterfalls. There are upper, middle, and lower pools to visit and we just hiked the middle and lower pools. This was pretty much a day in the park. We finished off the day by hitting a few gift shops in Springdale.

Scouts Lookout Trail, Zion National Park

Lower Emerald Pools Trail, Zion National Park

Scouts Lookout, Angel’s Landing in the Background, Zion National Park

Zion, Day 2

We headed to a trail outside Zion National Park that actually ends up in the park at a huge overlook (East Mesa Trail to Observation Point). We did not really allow ourselves enough time to complete the hike (we had a booked tour) and a snowstorm rolled in which obliterated any views so we turned around before we got to the end. On the way, we were able to see some views before the snow came in but once it started snowing, there were no views so this trail was kind of a bust. However, we heard from people the day before that this overlook is amazing… just not so great in a snow storm.

We then headed to meet up with a guide and tour a slot canyon near Kanab.

Backstory to this tour... Antelope Canyon (in Arizona) is probably the most popular slot canyon in the US. This canyonwhich is one that I have always wanted to visit. However, it is operated by the Navajo Nation and closed due to the pandemic. The only way into the canyon is by renting a kayak and boating into the canyon. This might be possible in the summer, but too dangerous in the winter with kids and with temps in the forties. I did a lot of research on the next best slot canyon to visit nearby. There are a lot of slot canyons in the Zion, Bryce Canyon area, but a lot of them are wet and would require walking or wading through water (again... cold plus wet… is no good). I found a canyon called the Red Canyon Slot aka Peek-A-Boo Canyon near Kanab, Utah that is a dry canyon but requires a 4wd, high clearance vehicle with off road tires to even get to the canyon. I booked a tour with a tour company to get to the canyon in a Jeep. They also had 4x4 ATV rentals and tours but in the middle of winter with temps in the 30's, an open air vehicle didn’t sound like fun. Thank goodness we didn't end up doing the ATV's because we would have had to do it in a snowstorm. If we were to visit in the Spring or Summer, we would do the ATV tour for sure.

The tour company we used was Kanab Tour Company. We booked an enclosed, heated Jeep to take us to the slot canyon. Again, thank goodness! It was cold and would have been difficult to drive in a snowstorm with no windshield and windshield wipers. Our guide, Nick, met us at the head of the trail. Since it was snowing pretty hard and mostly white out conditions, we shortened the tour and changed the destinations. We were supposed to visit the white wave and possibly a few other spots but since there was snow covering the ground, those spots didn't make sense. It was nice they accommodated us due to the weather conditions. We headed out in the Jeep (masks on) and did some off roading to the canyon. The snow made the sand and the trails more difficult to traverse than usual. We were thankful we didn't attempt it on our own considering we saw others getting towed out of there in rental SUV's.

View looking out of the underground lake cave

The Red Canyon Slot (aka Peek a Boo Canyon) was amazing! The snow was falling so peacefully and coming through the slot canyon in what looked like snow waterfalls. The canyon itself isn't that long but Nick, our guide, was very knowledgeable and it was a lot of fun hearing what he had to say. He even taught the kids how to do a bit of climbing by chimneying in between the canyon walls. Our guide was also great at taking photos which makes this mommy happy. This company also does guided canyoneering which would have been great, but they do not do it in the winter. If we return, I would like to do that. We had some snowball fights and did some sledding down some rocks which was an added benefit of having snow. We hopped back into the Jeep and headed to a site of Indian ruins then to another site of a cave with an underground lake. All of the traveling between these sites was off-roading in the Jeep which was very bumpy and sitting in the back, you get jostled around a lot but it was fun. I would note that if you get motion sickness easily, you might want to take something prior to this (we were all fine).

After our excursion, we were off to Bryce Canyon... in the snowstorm. It was slow going, but we ended up getting there safely.

Bryce Canyon

Since we planned this trip last minute, there were not many options for lodging in this area. We ended up staying at Ruby's Inn Best Western Plus. It's location is great, right at the entrance of the park. It is like a big complex. They have a couple restaurants, a general store, an activity center, and a bunch of shops (which were all closed in the off season). Most of the rooms have doors to the outside which I am not a fan of. It's COLD there in the winter with negative wind chills and we ended up getting about a foot of snow. It wasn't my favorite place to stay, because of the door to the outside, the walls are thin, and our room smelled old and musty... but on a positive note, it was clean.

Bryce Canyon National Park, Day 1

The Ruby's complex has a winter activity center where they rent snowshoes, and cross country skis (also ice skating which was closed). Since there was about a foot of snow, we rented cross country skis first thing in the morning. There are a few places within Bryce Canyon National park to ski and there are groomed ski trails outside of the park. We had brought all of our ski gear including ski goggles, and we needed it! Temps were in the single digits with negative wind chills that morning. The main road through the park was closed past a certain point due to all of the snow, so we were only able to navigate the front third of the park.

We first hit up the visitors center and registered for the full moon hike that night. This is a ranger led hike that they do every full moon. You have to enter the lottery the day of the hike (at the visitors center) to have a chance to go on this hike. You also must show, upon registering for the lottery, that you have the appropriate shoes for this hike (hiking boots with good tread). Unfortunately, we got a call that afternoon that the hike was cancelled due to the severe cold temperatures.

We headed to a spot to ski which was a closed road (to allow for skiing) that heads up to Paria Point. We were the first people there! It was a sheet of untouched snow heading up the hill. We got all of our gear on, and I led the way, blazing the path for the kids to follow. It was a little over a half of a mile uphill to get to the point. I was the first to get up to Paria Point, and I can honestly say it was one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. I was speechless. Mike and the kids came up behind me and we were able to enjoy all of this beauty all to ourselves for about 20 minutes. It was breathtaking and pictures do not do it justice. I had brought a tripod so we took some photos then headed back downhill to the car.

Sunrise Point, Bryce Canyon National Park

Hiking the Rim Trail, Bryce Canyon National Park

Bryce Point Overlook, Bryce Canyon National Park

Inspiraiton Point, Bryce Canyon National Park

We ate our packed lunches in the heat of the car then headed out to explore other areas of Bryce Canyon National Park. Due to the snow (and most of the park being closed) it ended up being pretty crowded in all of the parking lots in the park. It was very icy on the trails so we definitely had to use our additioal traction cleates on the bottoms of our hiking shoes. We visited Inspiration Point, Bryce Point, Sunrise Point, Sunset Point, and hiked the rim trail. We also did a bit of Queen's Garden Trail but it was steep, icy, and getting late in the day. We returned our skis and grabbed some dinner (takeout eaten in the car) and watched the sunset and the full moon come up. We headed back into the park with the full moon overhead. We drove back to Bryce Point and were able to see all the glory of the snow in the canyon under the full moon. No flashlights needed, it was beautiful.

Panoramic of Bryce Point Overlook, Bryce Canyon National Park

Bryce Canyon National Park, Day 2

The next morning we planned to head back into the park to do another hike in the morning before leaving. We checked the weather and the wind chill was -27F. We decided that it was a bit too cold to do a hike so we visited Sunset Point, one more time before heading out. I hope we return to Bryce Canyon. I would like to do the Fairyland Hike, the Queens Garden Trail to the Navajo Loop Trail hike, as well as see the rest of the park. No matter where you are in this park, the view is completly different.

Sunset Point, Thor’s Hammer, Bryce Canyon National Park

Glen Canyon Dam and Horseshoe Canyon

Next up, was the drive to Flagstaff to visit the Grand Canyon. We stopped, on the way to Flagstaff, at the Glen Canyon Dam and Horseshoe Canyon which is in Page, Arizona. Glen Canyon Dam is right on the way and there is a pull off on the side of the road where you can safely park and walk on a sidewalk over the canyon to view the canyon on one side and the dam on the other side. To visit Horseshoe Canyon, you pay to enter the parking lot and that is your fee to view the canyon. It is a very easy hike on Horseshoe Bend Trail down to the canyon. We spent a bit of time walking around the rim to stretch our legs and take some photos. It is worth a stop if you can make it. This canyon is in the area of Antelope Canyon which is the slot canyon I really wanted to visit but it was closed due to the pandemic.

Flagstaff

We headed into Flagstaff and checked into the Springhill Suites. I had some issues with cleanliness in the hotel room. This was resolved by a vacuum and my usual wipe down and sheets over the fabric couch. We headed out to drive a bit on Old Route 66 and headed into old downtown Flagstaff. There are a lot of cute stores and restaurants in this area of town.

Grand Canyon

Early the next day, New Years Eve Day, We headed to The Grand Canyon. From Flagstaff, this drive is about 1 hour 30 minutes or so. We arrived in time to get a parking spot and we took the shuttle to The South Kabib Trailhead. We planned to hike down into the canyon a bit and then back up. We forgot our traction cleats and it as icy. Due to the icy conditions, we could not safely do this hike. We hiked the rim trail back to the visitors center, which was still icy, but we were able to navigate around it most of the time. As we were hiking the rim trail, a snow storm started to roll in. We went to the visitors center to pick up a few things and ate lunch in the car. We drove to The Village, another area in the park, and walked around to kill time. The Grand Canyon was in a complete white out out due to the snow and you could not see a thing for about 2.5 hours. We visited the Hopi House and did some shopping in The Village. Once the weather started to clear in the canyon, we drove up The Desert View Road. We stopped at the Grandview Trailhead, Moran Point, Navajo Point, The Desert View Watch Tower, then back to Lipan Point where we watched the sunset over the canyon. (There are a few spots that the rangers recommended watching the sunset and Lipan Point was one of them. Before we headed out of the park, we stopped in the middle of nowhere to get out of the car and look up at the sky before the full moon came up. The Grand Canyon, and Bryce Canyon, are “certified dark sky areas”. There are only 150 certified dark sky places in 21 countries around the world. This basically means that these places have been proactive and taken steps to reduce light polution and these are the best places to stargaze. This was no joke. I have never seen this many stars, it was unbelievable! We even saw the Milky Way, clear as day! That night we celebrated New Years Eve with the east coast, and went to bed.

There is a town closer to the Grand Canyon called Tusayan where there are some nice looking hotels and there is a nice lodge in Grand Canyon National Park. I would check these areas for availability since these are much more convenient as far as proximity to the park. Flagstaff (1.5-2 hours away depending on how fast you drive and traffic) was a bit of a trek early in the morning and after a long day.

Sedona

Sedona, Day 1

The drive from Flagstaff to Sedona was beautful driving through Cococino National Forrest. Our first item on our Sedona to do list was a tour with The Pink Jeep Tour Company on the Broken Arrow Trail. Yes, these are pink jeeps, and there is a story behind it (brilliant marketing). Randy, our tour guide was hilarious, and kept the kids entertained. We are Jeep owners ourselves and this (unfortunatly) lit a fire under my husband to want to go off roading in our Jeep. We did some decent bourldering on the red rocks in the Jeep. We stopped a few destinations and points to look around and take photos. Randy was also a great photographer! We didn’t want the tour to end. If I did it again, I would probably book the Broken Arrow/Scenic Rim Combo. After the tour be sure to hit the Pink Jeep Gift Shop. There are some fun items in there.

The Pink Jeep Tour, Broken Arrow, Sedona

After the Pink Jeep Tour and visiting the shop, We lunch at The Vault, a restaurant in Sedona. It was nice to finally eat at a restaurant. The was the only restaurant we ate in, our whole trip. After lunch we walked around Sedona and visted a few cute shops. We stayed at The Courtyard Marriott Hotel in Sedona which was a nice Hotel very close to the park.

For first hike in Sedona, we hiked to The Birthing cave. This is a beautiful short trail up to a cave with amazing views! You start on the Long Canyon Trail and then turn off to head up to the Birthing Cave. This hike was a bit of a scramble up the rocks at the end and is difficult but worth it! The cave itself is very steep as you can see in one of the pictures below. You climb up into this cave and there is a small space to stand but then you hand and knees it up the side to have a seat. Yes, the cave is appropriatly named for sure.

We then hiked the Sugarloaf Loop Trail and to the summit of Sugar Loaf which apparently is a great place to watch the sunset. We saw a some people with blankets camped out at the top so we decided to do it too. From here we watched the sunset over Sedona.

Just a heads up, parking for these trails in Sedona can be very limited. Most of these trails do not have parking lots so you might have to drive by to scope out where the trailhead begins and then find a parking spot on the road.

Sedona, Day 2

Up early again and we headed straight to Bell Rock. We got there early, and there were only a two parking spots left when we arrived at 8:30. The great thing about Bell Rock is that you can go as high as you feel comfortable doing. We went as far up as we could before it got to the expert level of climbing. This was a fun hike with amazing views all the way up. We came back down and hiked the Rector Connector, which is a newer trail that goes between Bell Rock and Courthouse Butte.

Bell rock overlooking Courthouse Butte, Sedona

We were told by many to go to Devil's Bridge, but many tourists and locals say it gets too busy to actually enjoy. There can be lines of 20 or more people waiting for the photo op on the "bridge" so we decided to see another bridge. We did the Fay Canyon Trail and also hiked up to Fay Canyon Arch, which is basically a bridge. This was a really great hike to see a big variety of what Sedona has to offer. Mike and Andrew hiked up to the top of the arch which is basically a bridge. The Arch is the best part but the trail that leads to the arch is hard to find so be sure to get instructions and pay attention because you can easily miss it. When you get to the end of the Fay Canyon Trail, I highly suggest to continue up the rocks for an amazing view of Sedona through the Canyon.

The amazing thing about Sedona is that no matter what hike we were on, it was completely different scenery. There are so many hikes to enjoy in this area and I look forward to returning and doing many more!

Montezuma’s Castle

On the way to Phoenix, we stopped on the way at Montezuma's Castle which was a neat place to stop and stretch our legs. This is part of the national parks service so we did not have to pay an entrance fee. I wouldn’t necessarily go out of the way to visit Montezuma’s Castle but it was right off the interstate on the way.

Phoenix

We enjoyed the different landscape on the way to Phoenix and the surrouding area. We learned all about the different kinds of catuses and tried to find them on the way. We arrived in Phoenix and had dinner at In-N-Out Burger which was our first experience. In my opinion, I don't know what all the fuss is about, but it was nice to try it out. We stayed at the JW Marriott in Phoneix. We were upgraed to the suite in the hotel and it was amazing. The kids were in awe of how big the room was. It had a huge private balcony with sofas overlooking the amazing grounds and pool. The pools were spectacular... a lazy river, and a few other pools and many water features. The water in the pools was warm enough to swim, the hot tubs were closed. Temps at night were in the 40's and the high the next day got up to 67F. I went for a run (my only official workout on vacation) and enjoyed seeing all the cactuses. The kids did a little bit of swimming, but not much, since it was not very warm. The kids got a kick out of the chaise lounges in a river so we hung out there, ate lunch, watched football and read books until it was time to leave and head to the airport.

We were all sad that this trip had to come to an end. I would have loved to spend more time exploring Scottsdale and the Phoenix area but that just means we will have to go back sometime! Just a heads up, I was NOT a fan of the Phoenix airport, it was a zoo! Once you got past security, the concourse was packed, and on top of that....there were no places to buy water, gatorade, or even most sodas! Nowhere you could purchase drinks after you got through security. All of the shops were completly out of beverages, even the vending machines did not work. The only thing that we could find was red bull and booze. We tried to stay away from the crowds which was almost impossible, and basically found a spot that was far enough (6 foot buffer) from everyone and waited until the last minute to go to our gate.

Overall, I feel our timeline was pretty good for our trip to hit the highlights. I would love to return to Bryce Canyon, and Sedona and do some more hiking. Also more time to see what Phoenix/Scottsdale has to offer. If we had more days, I would spend more time in these locations. If you want to hike down into the Grand Canyon, then you would probably need an additional day to do that. With more time to plan and more availability, I would most likely change some of our lodging, but we did what we could for the trip being planned at the last minute. Again, keep in mind that this trip was in the winter. There are more activities and things to do in the warmer months (example: rafting, camping, etc.) If you are planning to visit these areas, be sure to check out the activites to do within season.