NPS has a Visiting Zion with Kids page. Several Zion Canyon trails are rated Easy and are paved, but the park adds that some sections are steep or have minor drop-offs. Everything below comes from NPS pages. It is planning advice, not medical advice.

Stroller day

  • The shuttle takes strollers. You load the stroller on the front bike rack yourself. Large strollers may need to be folded.
  • Pa’rus Trail — paved, 3.5 miles round trip, starting at the Zion Canyon Visitor Center along the Virgin River. Walk part of it and turn around.
  • Court of the Patriarchs viewpoint — a paved path about 150 feet long from its shuttle stop.
  • Zion Nature Center — an interactive children’s museum near South Campground, reachable from the Pa’rus Trail. It is usually open late May through early September; the hours page currently lists its Junior Ranger station as closed for the season.

Carrier day

  • Riverside Walk — from the Temple of Sinawava (last shuttle stop). The shuttle narration calls it about two miles round trip, about an hour, easy, and mostly paved.
  • Lower Emerald Pool — from Zion Lodge. The narration lists about a mile round trip with 80 feet of gain. Do not go into the water.
  • Weeping Rock — the narration calls it a little bit steep, one-half mile round trip.
A shady sandy path beside the Virgin River with cottonwoods and red cliffs, Zion National Park.
On the bank of the Virgin River, Zion National Park. Photo: Nikater, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

Rest or pool afternoon

Summer daytime temperatures in Zion regularly exceed 100°F. Plan the hike for the morning and the afternoon for rest. The Zion Canyon Visitor Center and the Human History Museum are cooled in summer (the museum is closed in winter). If your lodging in Springdale or nearby has a pool, that is the afternoon. We do not book lodging, and NPS does not run a pool.

Food and drink rules that affect kids

  • No eating on the shuttle. Only capped bottles of water are allowed.
  • Inside the park, food is for sale only at Zion Lodge. Pack snacks from Springdale.
  • Picnic areas with tables, benches, or lawns: Zion Lodge and the Grotto, plus the visitor center picnic area.
  • Water is available at visitor centers, campgrounds, Zion Lodge, and some shuttle stops.

Related: no-hike heat plan, strollers and the shuttle, Junior Ranger, printable checklist.

Quick FAQ

Can I bring a stroller on the Zion shuttle?

Yes. NPS says you load it on the front bike rack yourself, and large strollers may need to be folded.

Which Zion trails are paved for small kids?

NPS lists the Pa’rus Trail, Lower Emerald Pools Trail, and Riverside Walk as short paved hikes, noting some steep sections and minor drop-offs.

Can kids eat on the shuttle?

No. Eating is not allowed on the buses; capped water bottles are.