I had this absolutely brilliant idea to go hiking somewhere over Labor Day weekend with the kids--somewhere they have never been. The problem was I didn't have the time or money to stay over night somewhere. The kids have been wanting to go out on an adventure and so we decided that we would go to Arches National Park.
We decided to make it a day trip, which is EASY to do. you can really get through the whole park in one day if you want. My now boyfriend (then friend) and I hiked it last year in one day doing close to 20 miles. We went on every trail and found the ones we thought that the kids would like the best.
Arches National Park with Kids
Morning:
Get there bright and early (depending on the time of the year) and head straight for Delicate Arch. It is the longest hike but the best hike. We also thought it was the best arch in all of the park. It will take about two hours+ to hike depending on your kids skills and abilities. We took a little over two hours with a 7 year old in tow. It would've taken under two hours with the teenagers alone.
Mid Morning
Grab a snack and then drive to some of the smaller hikes. We liked Balanced Rock, Double Arch and Windows Loop.
Balanced Rock:
Windows Loop:
Lunch:
Grab some lunch down by the visitors center. Explore the visitors center and eat a picnic lunch at some of the available picnic tables. Go inside and do a children's class with the rangers, or shop the gift shop.
Afternoon:
If the weather (and time) permits, head to Broken Arch. Kids will love the climb and they will have fun navigating the trails lined with rock markers.
Late Afternoon:
On your way out of town, hit Hole in the Rock. You can visit a real live house in the middle of a rock, and they even have a ZOO!
Hole in the rock:
Hole in the Rock Zoo:
While we were there, we found my oldest daughter speaks turkey:
So now that you know how talented our family is (she seriously just put on a job application that one of her skills is being able to do a perfect teradactyl scream) I highly suggest making sure you bring lot's of water, snacks, a lunch, and a camera. The kids (especially the teens) will have a great time snapping photos like this:
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