Discover Zion National Park: Things to do With Kids {Free Resources}

The United States of America has some breathtaking natural sites to visit and explore with your family. Have you ever considered taking a trip to visit a national park? A great park to visit with your family, Zion National Park for kids is a beauty located on the west coast of the United States. Learn more about Zion National Park and explore some free resources below. 

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Where is Zion National Park located?

This beautiful park is located on the west coast of the United States in Southern Utah.

We have been discovering some really cool national parks in this series. I am blown away by the beauty that can be found in some of these wilderness and desert places in the middle of nowhere.

If your children enjoy nature and wildlife they will have the best time discovering Zion National Park. 

Zion National Park Location and History

Zion National Park is located in South Western Utah, near the city of Springdale, not far from Las Vegas, Nevada. It was established in 1909 as Mukuntuweap National Monument by President William Taft in order to protect the canyon.

It became Zion National Park ten years later on November 19, 1919 signed by President Woodrow Wilson. The name “Zion” means “place of peace or place of refuge,” it was named by the early pioneers to the canyon. 

The park was enlarged in 1956 by adding the adjacent land that is called Kolob Canyons today and is now 229 square miles long. It is home to spectacular cliffs and a canyon landscape of beautiful desert colors of pink, red, and tan.

Natural Beauty of Zion National Park

The main feature of the park is Zion Canyon and the sites along the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive and the Zion Mount Carmel Highway.

The canyon walls are the color of a sunset and were created from Navajo sandstone that eroded from the North Fork and the Virgin River.

This park is a favorite for adventurers, rock climbers and those who love hiking. This park is full of geological wonders such as the Kolob Arch, one of the largest rock arches in the world.

Zion National Park for Kids

This is a great place to visit with kids as it is one of the smaller national parks. There are so many things to see and do here that will keep your kids engaged and learning. If your family enjoys the great outdoors and hiking you can rest assured that there are plenty of trails that are perfect for all ages here.

Hiking Trails at Zion National Park

There are many hiking trails that are family friendly. The Grotto trail is a short 1 mile riverside trail that connects Zion Lodge to the Grotto shuttle stop. The shuttle is free and is a lot of fun to ride throughout the park. You can even stop at the Zion lodge for a treat and some shopping when you are done.

The Riverside trail is another easy 1 mile hike that takes you to the beginning of the Narrows which is better to do with older kids as it is very long and strenuous.

If you prefer sight seeing from the car you can take a scenic 12 mile drive on the Mt. Carmel Highway stopping at the various view points and Canyon Overlook Trail.

The Zion Nature Center

The Zion nature center is a great way to keep young children busy on a hot day. There are many different hands-on activities, reading tents, coloring stations, wildlife exhibits and they can even dress up like park rangers at a dress up station.

The Zion Canyon Visitor Center is located inside the South Entrance of the park near Springdale. Teach your children about renewable energy when you visit because this center is a “green building” that uses solar panels and natural light as its design. 

You may enjoy a visit to the Human History Museum. This museum will teach you about the unique geological and human history of the park. There are permanent exhibits that show the different cultures of the area. There is even a 22 minute video that is a great lesson in history for your kids to learn about while they are visiting the park. 

10 Rock Formations to Check Out with Your Kids

The Court of the Patriarchs – These grand buttes that rise up from the canyon floor are named Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. You are able to see them almost everywhere in the valley.

The Pulpit – a rock that looks like a minister’s pulpit located right in front of the open area called the Temple of Sinawava. 

Beehives – This is a set of mounded mountain peaks that are shaped like large beehives.

Checkerboard Mesa – This is a worn mountain with cross hatching across the front of it that resembles a checkerboard. 

Mountain of the Sun – This mountain captures the sun light first thing in the morning and it stays on its face until night. 

The Spearhead – A giant sandstone cliff that looks like a spear head.

Bridge Mountain – A natural arch formed on the side of this mountain that looked exactly like a bridge and that is how it got its name. 

The Great White Throne – A very large white mountain located on the east side of the canyon.

Angel’s Landing – This thinly shaped mountain got its name in 1916 when Ethelbert Bingham exclaimed that only an angel could land on top of it. This is also considered to be one of Utah’s most dangerous hikes, so you definitely don’t want to hike here with kids, but you can see it from afar.

Lady Mountain – This mountain is shaped like the body of a lady.

Recommended Resource: National Parks Notebook – A Notebook Companion™ for National Parks of the U.S.A. Explore the national parks of the U.S.A with our publisher-approved Notebook Companion™. Using the notebook alongside the popular book book National Parks of the U.S.A. will help you squeeze all the amazing content out of it and use it for your homeschool.

The Emerald Pools

Another amazing attraction that is a must see are the Emerald Pools. The Emerald Pool Trails are a signature trail in the park. These are a mix of hiking trails, waterfalls and natural pools. These trails can be enjoyed by all ages with some kid-friendly hikes.

The lower emerald pool is less than a half a mile in distance and is a short easy hike to do with children. This easy trail leads you to a large alcove with waterfalls and their pools to swim in.

The middle emerald pool is next to the alcove and is more difficult as it leads to a cliff so you need to be careful with small children. The middle pools are the tributary from the waterfall and absolutely beautiful.

The upper emerald pool takes you to the final pool which is 300 feet high. It is actually a very good place to relax with some nice shady areas. 

The waterfalls are best viewed in the spring. During the summer months they are more forceful from the heavy rains and monsoon season.

Printables for Zion National Park

Zion National Park Coloring Page – Color the canyon walls and a bighorn sheep with this park coloring page.

Zion National Park, Utah Worksheet and Coloring Page – Learn about what it means to preserve and protect areas and color the walls of Zion National park in pink and sandstone colors.

Printable Maps – These updated maps from the national park service has many different maps to help you plan your visit.

Curriculum Materials – Printable activity guides and lesson plans designed for third, fourth and fifth grade students.

How to visit Zion National Park with a one day itinerary  – If you are only able to visit the park in one day, this itinerary will have you covered with the best places to see in a short time.

Animals of Zion National Park:

Zion National Park is home to over 78 species of mammals, 291 bird species and 37 species of reptiles and amphibians. Large predator cats like mountain lions and cougars reside here, though these are rarely seen in the park.

Other animals are the desert bighorn sheep, large mule deer and ringtail cats. The ringtail cats are in the racoon family, they are nocturnal and hard to spot on a visit there. Mule deer can be found grazing in grassy fields throughout the park.

The Mexican spotted owl is classified as a threatened species and has a safe home at Zion. Other bird species that have been on the protected list that you may see here are the peregrine falcon and the California Condor.

The desert bighorn sheep can be found between the east entrance and the Zion Mt-Carmel tunnel in the park. They move up and down the cliffs and their population is growing quite rapidly in Utah.

Printable Zion Mammal List – There are lots of information sheets on the mammals that can be found throughout the park. 

Animals of Zion National Park – Learn about the different types of animals and endangered bird species that you will want to keep your eye out on.

Wildlife in Zion – This post has some amazing photographs with links, to learn more about the wildlife that can be found at the park. 

Plants of  Zion National Park 

I was blown away by the diversity of plants that reside in this park. There are many different types of desert plants and lush, hanging gardens with springs of water flowing through them. There are even large pine trees in the mountains. 

If your kids enjoy learning about nature or botany in science they are going to love exploring the different flora and fauna found here. 

Printable Zion Plant List You can download this printable list of all of the different plants that can be found throughout the park. 

Trees and Shrubs – Learn about the different shrubs and trees that grow in the different areas of the park, plus fun facts and information and photographs of each one.

Grasses – This park is home to over 100 different grass species. Learn about the diversity of the desert and valley grasses that can be found within the park. 

Plant Library of Zion National Park – Online collection of plant specimens in Zion’s herbarium that has a collection of over 3,000 plant specimens. These specimens are used for research and are categorized as historical research.

Wildflowers of Zion – View photographs of the different wildflowers that can be found throughout the park.

Videos and Virtual Tours on Zion National Park

We love using videos and virtual tours to take us to places we normally would never have the opportunity to go to. It is a lot of fun to explore some amazing places from the safety and comfort of your own living room sometimes

You and your children will really enjoy these videos, virtual tours and webcams.

Virtual Tours – Pretend you are taking your very own scenic drive through the park with this virtual shuttle tour. There are also virtual tours of the different hikes the park has to offer. 

Tour of Zion App – Download this free interactive app and it will take you on a virtual history tour of the park. Learn about the history of the park with summaries and narratives as well as photographs. There are even road guides that will take you through the park while you learn about it.

Ranger Minutes – These are short video tours and educational information on the different things you can see inside the park.

Headquarters Webcam – This webcam is located at park headquarters and shows views of the Temples and Towers of the Virgin located inside of Zion Canyon.

Zion National Park Virtual Tour from Southeastern 360 – A beautiful 360 degree tour with 3 different views of the park.

Zion Canyon in Zion National Park Google Tour – Take a google tour through the different parts of the canyon with this Google photo tour. 

You may also enjoy these free resources to further study

50 State Series: Utah – These resources go great with a state study on Utah. There are free printables, links, videos, recipes and crafts for learning about the state of Utah.

U.S. Natural Landmarks Notebooking Journal – Your children will enjoy exploring 30 of the most famous natural landmarks of the United States including Zion National Park.

In their journal they can record the location of the landmark, size and description and any extra facts that they found interesting when they were doing their research. They will have a nice keepsake of landmarks when they are completed. This would be a great addition to any U.S. Geography study as well.