by Lisa Winters, Communications Associate
Ready to take your kids on a national park adventure? With trails for any level, interactive exhibits, and plentiful wildlife watching, Grand Canyon National Park is a crowd-pleaser no matter your age. You can visit the park in a day, but if you’re going to drive across the country or hop on an airplane with the crew in tow, you might as well stay awhile. Here are our top family activities at Grand Canyon National Park:
Photo by Grand Canyon NPS
The Bright Angel Trail is one of the most popular trails in the park, and for good reason. This kid-friendly trail is wide and a fairly reasonable grade — but still requires keeping an eye on children and the steep drop-offs. Remember that it takes about twice as long to hike back up to the rim as it does to hike down into the canyon. Turn around at the Mile-and-a-Half or Three-Mile rest houses (rest houses have seasonal water available and pit toilets).
Soak in the views on two wheels. The comparatively flat, paved Greenway Trail runs from the Grand Canyon Village east to the South Kaibab Trailhead. Or, head west on the Hermit Road, which is closed to private vehicles from March – November. The Greenway Trail merges with the Rim Trail for portions of this 15-mile winding traverse along the rim.
Make the free bus system your new best friend. When you get tired, catch a park shuttle at one of the many shuttle stops spread out along the rim to get back to your starting point. Clip your bike into the rack on the front of the bus and hop aboard. The Rim Trail and bus system are also stroller-friendly.
Photo by Grand Canyon NPS
Pick up a free junior ranger activity book (for ages 4 and up) at the main visitor center, Yavapai Geology Museum, or Kolb Studio. After you attend ranger programs, write observations, draw pictures, and more, take the “junior ranger pledge” administered by a park ranger and receive a certificate and badge!
Learn about rocks at the Yavapai Geology Museum, which features a large 3D map of the Grand Canyon, fossil displays, and an interactive exhibit that walks through the different layers that make up the Grand Canyon.
If you have time, drive east to the Desert View Watchtower, which boasts 360-degree views of the Little Colorado River, the San Francisco Peaks, the Vermilion Cliffs, and the Navajo and Hopi reservations from the top of the observation deck. This east entrance also highlights the Southwest’s earliest residents and today’s modern tribes, and regularly hosts Native artists demonstrating their work.
Whether it’s a bribe for the kids, or a much-needed treat for you, the entire family will appreciate ice cream cones at the Bright Angel Fountain. It’s located in Grand Canyon Village, next to the Bright Angel Lodge on the rim.
Stock up on marshmallows, graham crackers, and chocolate before heading to the Mather Campground. The park comes alive with wildlife in the early morning and late evening so be sure to look out for resident elk and mule deer browsing nearby grasses. As an International Dark Sky Park, the Grand Canyon promises excellent stargazing. If your trip coincides with the annual star party in June, make sure to visit the powerful telescopes set up for sneak peeks at planets, star clusters, and other galaxies after dark.
The travel, crowds, and steep drop-offs may be stressful, but we promise this outdoor classroom is worth it. Get ready for a GRAND family adventure!
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