Advice: Two week Utah trek with kids

Hi all,

I'm looking for some advice on a upcoming Utah trip. I'll have my children with me (9, 7, & 3). I'm not too worried about the older ones, but I'm a little anxious about the 3 year old. He's as a tough little guy, but... well... he's 3.

I'm planning a two week loop starting/ending in Salt Lake City:

Days 1-3: Rockhounding (Topaz Mountain, Dugway Geodes, U-Dig Fossils)
Day 4: Zion (Temple of Sinawava, Weeping Rock, Lower Emerald Pool waterfall)
Day 5: Bryce (Bristlecone Pine Trail, Mossy Cave Trail) --> (Grosvenor Arch and/or Willis Creek)
Day 6-7: Escalante (Zebra Wash, Lower Calf Creek Falls)
Day 8: Capitol Reef (Sulfer Creek, Freemont River Water Fall)
Day 9: Capitol Reef (Cassidy Arch) --> Goblin Valley
Day 10: San Rafael Swell (Wild Horse Window) --> Moab (Corona & Bowtie Arches)
Day 11-12: Arches National park

For lodging, we'll be tent camping on BLM land and pay campsites, with a couple Hotel/Cabin stays mixed in so we can wash up.

My main concern is taking a 3 year old through Zebra Wash and Sulfer Creek (both ~6 miles round trip). Corona & Bowtie Arches has some increased difficulty (steep section with footholds and ladder), but I think we'll be fine. I plan to short rope the 3 year old on anything sketchy, and carry him on longer hikes if he wears out. That said, I don't want to bite of more then we can chew. Has anyone tried these with small children?

My other concern is the midday heat. I'm going to attempt to do the dry/exposed hikes in the early morning or later afternoon. I'm unsure how fast we'll be moving with the kids, so we could end up exposed to midday sun on some of these. Do any of the hikes above look miserably hot for late June?

All suggestions are welcome and appreciated.

- B

Sounds like a pretty close to epic vacation! (It's only epic when somebody dies).

A few additions- between rockhounding & Zion, I don't know what way you're driving, but if it's via Fillmore, be sure to stop at Meadow Hot Springs & the Tabernacle Hill Lava Tubes.

Bryce- the Mossy Cave trail is pretty pathetic in my opinion. Willis Creek is fun & kids would love it. Hopping over to Bull Valley Gorge might be fun too. You would have to help the kids down some obstacles there though.

Switch up your Capitol Reef hikes so you're not doing 2 long hikes on consecutive days. So day 8 would be Cassidy Arch & Fremont Waterfall. Day 9 for Sulphur Creek then over to Goblin Valley. If the kids need some time to play in the dirt, there's some fossilized wood north of Torrey and outside of the park you could go and get a few pieces. 20 miles or so west of CR there's some fossilized oysters too...

In the Goblin Valley area hike Little Wildhorse Canyon- the kids would like it. Lots more to do in the area too.

Sulphur Creek shouldn't be too bad with kids- the biggest obstacle being the distance involved. You're in a canyon so there's going to be shade and plenty of water to play in. I'm not sure about Zebra in late June though. Someone else will have to help you.

Love the Epic comment. I'm striving for just shy of epic, maybe some nice scares :)

We'll be driving from Delta to Cedar City on day 3. Fillmore's on the way, so it would help break up the trip. I'll look into the Hot Spring and Lava Tubes. Thanks for the tip.

I'm excited about Willis Creek, but I wasn't sure we'd have time. If I whack Mossy Cave from Bryce, it certainly seems more doable. We're staying in Kodachrome Basin that night, so we can roll in a little later in the evening, and there's no room for pathetic hikes in a pseudo-epic vacation. Hrmmm...

Good call on the Capitol Reef hikes, and I'm with you on Wildhorse Canyon. I was initially planning to do Little Wildhorse Canyon along with Wild Horse Window on day 10. I gave it the boot so we could make it to Moab in time to do Corona/Bowtie arches. I heard it can get crowded, but lots of folks say it's great for kids. I guess if we can get moving early enough I might as well head over and check it out.

Thanks for the help.

It really depends on your three year old.

At age 3 my son did a 22 mile hike in two days, so any of the above trips would be quite reasonable in spring if your kid is in shape.

If interested, here is my kid's climbing album from age 3 which covers many of those areas:

http://www.summitpost.org/kessler-s-climbing-album-age-3/286259

In late June though, IMHO you are choosing the wrong hikes.

Emerald Pools should be OK. Weeping Rock might be OK for the morning.

Bryce Canyon usually isn't too bad in late June. Personally I like the Mossy Cave walk, especially before late May/early June when the icicles are still hanging.

Calf Creek Falls should be OK in late June. I wouldn't recommend Zebra at all then. Substitute it for either Upper Calf Creek Falls (steep, hot walk out so get soaked) or the (easier) Escalante River (any of the section Escalante to Calf Creek).

Sulphur Creek should be OK in late June. Cassidy Arch and Goblin Valley would be miserable. Substitute the Fremont River hike (above the campground, perhaps even starting at Highway 12) and the Shingle Creek Waterfalls instead.

Wildhorse Window might be OK for early morning, but very hot otherwise. Personally, I would recommend substituting Mill Creek near Moab instead of Wildhorse Window and Corona Bowtie. Negro Bill is pretty good that time of year too. So is Professor Creek, but it might be slightly long for your three year old if he/she is not in good shape.

Since it will be hot, your children will have a much better time choosing the recommended substitutions above (all of which are great hikes).

Thanks Scott. I've been to most of these areas before, but always in the spring or fall (I'd stick to the Wasatch and Uintas in summer). There's a lot of unknowns for me on this trip, so I'm expecting to improvise a little once we're actually out in the elements. I'm keeping a list of alternatives handy so we can play things by ear. You listed some stuff I'm not familiar with (much appreciated btw). I'll do some digging and add them to list of options. Sticking to water hikes makes a lot of sense, but I remember the biting flies being a real nuisance in some places. Not sure how bad they'll be in June, but they can really put a damper on things.

I agree, Zebra is the most unappetizing on paper. My wife's not thrilled about slogging through 6 miles of sandy wash in 90+ degree heat. However, It's also the one hike I really want to try it while we're out. I'd like to see if my kids can handle the 10' dry fall at the end (I'll have a short climbing rope and harness for the kids on that one). I'm targeting a 2:00pm start for Zebra. I figure that way if it's too hot at least we'll know from the outset instead of getting surprised by it on the way out. Upper Calf Creek is a great alternative, but I remember some elevation gain on that one. It's not bad, but it's enough that if my 3 year old runs out of gas... I wont be looking forward to carrying him out.

Thanks again for the suggestions. Good stuff.

I have done most of those hikes with my boys who are now 4 and 7.

My kids could not of cared less about Weeping Rock or the Emerald Pools... and really neither could I. Both are just not that cool compared to everything else in the area. I suggest Kanarra Creek and The Narrows.
Lower Calf Creek Falls should be OK as long as it not too hot out. My kids loved peak-a-boo, spooky, and Devils Garden.
The Freemont River Falls are great for about 10min, you are looking for something a bit longer I suggest Pleasant creek. I have hiked the length of Sulphur Creek a few time but never with the kids but they have hiked from the bottom up a few times and love it. We do plan on doing the entire length of Sulphur creek in a little under two weeks so I can let you know how that goes.

We did Corona last week, the kids always like the cables and ladder more than the Arch. :haha: You should check out Onion Creek, great camping, nice stream in the narrows, and the Fisher Towers are right next door.

you may be interested in these.

http://summit42.com/wp/zion-8-2010
http://summit42.com/wp/capitol-reef-may-2010
http://summit42.com/wp/capitolreef52010
http://summit42.com/wp/moabfall2009

Awesome photographs. Kanarra Creek looks great. The Peak-a-boo, Spooky, Brimstone loop is one of my all time favorite hikes, but I want to put a few more years on the little guy before taking him through.

Here's the updated trip plan:

Day 1: Fly
Fly in, Camp at Silver Spring

Day 2: Rockhounding
Dugway Geode Beds, Topaz Mountain, Camp BLM land.

Day 3: Rockhounding
U-Dig Fossils Quarry, Meadow Hot Springs, Tabernacle Hill Lava Tubes, Hotel in Cedar City

Day 4: Zion
Hike Kanarra Creek, Hike up Zion Narrows(partial), Photograph Bryce Canyon (sunset), Camp in Bryce Canyon Campground

Day 5: Bryce
Photograph Bryce Canyon (sunrise), Hike Navajo Loop Trail, Hike Bristlecone Pine Trail, Hike Mossy Cave Trail, Cabin at Kodachrome basin

Day 6: Escalante
Photograph Grosvenor Arch (sunrise), Hike Willis Creek, Kiva Coffee House, Camp on BLM land off Hole in the Rock Road, Optional: Devils Garden

Day 7: Escalante
Hike Lower Calf Creek Falls, Hells Backbone Grill, Camp at Single Tree Campground

Day 8: Capitol Reef
Hike Sulfer Creek, Stay at Cowboy Homestead Cabins

Day 9: Capitol Reef & Goblin Valley
Photograph Cassidy Arch (sunrise), Swim at Fremont River Waterfall, Fruita Orchard, Goblin Valley State Park (sunset), Camp at Goblin Valley Campground, alt: Little Wildhorse

Day 10: San Rafael Swell & Moab
Hike Wild Horse Window, Hike: Corona & Bowtie Arches, Camp: BLM Campsite along the Colorado River, Moab, Alt: Onion Creek/Fisher Towers

Day 11: Arches
Breakfast at Moab Diner, Arches NP (Double Arch, Pine Tree Arch & Tunnel Arch), Hike Delicate Arch (Photograph at sunset), Camp: Devils Garden Campground, Optional: Broken Arch, Sand Dune Arch, Tapestry Arch

Day 12: Arches
Photograph Turret Arch (sunrise), Hike Ring Arch & The Tunnel, Drive to Salt Lake (5 hours), Hotel in SALT LAKE CITY

Day 13: Fly
Fly Home

Thanks for all the suggestions, I'm feeling a lot better about the trip.

I have done a couple not quite so epic trips down that way with with my three girls (older than your kids - mine are now 10, 17, and 21). It seems I always end up in S Utah in the heat of the summer, and we have dealt with it as you mentioned, hike early and late and avoid exposed hikes in the heat of the day. Devils Garden was much more fun at 9 am than it was at 3 pm! Your plan of having lots of alternatives and flexibility in your schedule is a good one, especially with young kids. I find that sometimes the unplanned simple scramble to the top of a steep sandstone knob ends up being more memorable to them than any of the other big adventures I planned for them.

In Zion, Shelf Canyon is a fun little scramble to a short slot. It may not be as spectacular as a lot of other hikes in the area, but it is readily accessible and something short enough to fill in a little gap in your schedule. We did it in the evening of a very hot July day, and the temps were perfect, as was the absolute solitude (http://pigburner.blogspot.com/2009/07/shelf-canyon.html).

At Bryce, we did the Navajo Loop when my youngest was 3 yr old, then a couple years ago we returned and did a little longer hike that I enjoyed much more. We started at Bryce Point, hiked down to the Peek-a-Boo loop trail, went to the left around half the loop to pass by the wall of windows, then joined the Navajo Loop trail at the bottom and hiked up and out Wall Street (a modification of the hike described here - http://climb-utah.com/Bryce/queens.htm). We left the hordes of people at Bryce Point, and once we were down the trail a short distance, we only saw perhaps a dozen people until we rejoined the crowd at the Navajo Loop. The trail goes around and through all the hoodoos that the crowds are gazing on from above. It has some ups and downs in the trail, so you'd have to judge what your kids could do, but I really enjoyed getting in and around the hoodoos and away from the crowds. We did this mid-July and it wasn't too hot.

In the Escalante, my youngest especially loved Devils Garden, and insisted we stop there on our last trip. It isn't a place you are going to spend hours, but I guess it is kind of like a giant big-toy at the playground, except made of sandstone. We did Spooky/Peekaboo on a hot day in July and just went up into the canyons until we felt like turning around, very doable by a three-year old (well, probably with a rope to help him up into Peekaboo). It was hot, but not unbearable, from mid-morning to early afternoon. Another really simple adventure is just to pull off the road east of Escalante when you come to the wide expanse of white slickrock, pick a nearby peak, and scramble your way to the top (http://www.flickr.com/photos/pigburner/5214566833/). Short enough hike that heat isn't an issue, challenging enough on some of the steep slopes to provide some adventure. You can do the same thing on the red sandstone knobs adjacent to the Escalante River overlook just off the highway a little ways south of the Escalante River (http://www.flickr.com/photos/pigburner/5215160038/).

It may be a little out of your way, but about 30 miles south of Hanksville I really like the hike into Leprechaun from the bottom. It is an easy hike that gets you into a pretty canyon ending in a very dark and narrow slot. It is right next to the highway, but both times I've been there we've been by ourselves.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/pigburner/5281923614/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/pigburner/5215162534/

I really liked Corona Arch, but I did it in April last year on a cool day. In summer I imagine it would be best early or late in the day.

Have a great trip!