Discover activities for the whole family
Quail Creek State Park east of St. George is a beautiful red-rock reservoir popular for swimming, boating, and kayaking. The warm water and calm coves make it ideal for young swimmers. The surrounding red sandstone cliffs glow orange at sunset. An affordable and scenic alternative to the busier Sand Hollow.
Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park south of Kanab preserves towering pink-hued sand dunes formed by windblown Navajo Sandstone. Families climb and tumble down 400-foot dunes in a designated pedestrian area. The color of the sand shifts from pale peach to deep coral depending on the time of day.
Sand Hollow Reservoir near St. George is a stunning red-rock reservoir popular for boating, wake sports, kayaking, and swimming. The brilliant red sandstone cliffs frame brilliant blue water. A sandy beach at Wahweap Cove has a roped swim area. Sand Mountain provides a backdrop for spectacular sunset views.
Snow Canyon State Park near St. George is a compact red-rock wonderland with lava tubes, towering sandstone walls, sand dunes, and prolific wildlife. Families walk through ancient lava tubes, scramble on sandstone formations, and spot Mojave desert tortoises in their natural habitat. Multiple short trails suit all ages.
Zion National Park's Junior Ranger Program is an outstanding structured way for kids to engage deeply with the park. Activity booklets cover geology, ecology, history, and wildlife. After completing assigned activities kids are sworn in by a ranger and receive an official Zion Junior Ranger badge. Books are free at the visitor center.
The Canyon Overlook Trail in Zion is a short 1-mile round-trip hike from the tunnel east entrance rewarding with panoramic views—the entire floor of Zion Canyon 1,000 feet below. The rocky trail has some exposure and is best for ages 6 and up. Typically much less crowded than the valley floor trails.
The Emerald Pools Trails in Zion National Park offer family-friendly hikes to three distinctive pools below cascading waterfalls. The lower pool is an easy 1.2 miles from the trailhead. The middle and upper pools add more elevation and reward hikers with hanging gardens of columbine and maidenhair fern.
The Riverside Walk in Zion National Park is the park's most accessible trail—a 2-mile paved path along the North Fork Virgin River into the narrows of Zion Canyon. The towering sandstone walls loom 2,000 feet overhead and the lush riparian vegetation provides cool shade. Appropriate for all ages including strollers.
Fort Buenaventura State Park in Ogden recreates the original 1846 mountain man trading post with replica log structures. Living-history events throughout the year feature mountain men demonstrating fur-trade era skills including primitive camping, canoe paddling on the pond, and black powder rifle demonstrations.
Snowbasin Resort northeast of Ogden was the 2002 Olympic downhill ski venue. In summer the gondola transports families to 8,000 feet for panoramic views of the Wasatch Range and Great Salt Lake. Easy hiking trails from the summit lead through subalpine meadows and the base lodge serves excellent lunches.
Ogden's historic Union Station houses four separate museums including a natural history museum, a railcar exhibit, a classic car collection, and a firearms museum—all in an elegant 1924 Beaux Arts building. The station was once the busiest rail hub between Denver and San Francisco. Admission covers all four museums.
Pineview Reservoir in Ogden Canyon is a beautiful mountain reservoir surrounded by oak and maple forest. Anderson Cove and Middle Inlet campgrounds provide sandy beaches, swim areas, and boat launches. Kayak and paddleboard rentals are available on summer weekends. Fall foliage drives around the reservoir are spectacular.
Ogden's Eccles Dinosaur Park features over 100 life-size dinosaur sculptures in outdoor settings along the Ogden River. An indoor museum houses real fossils, a working paleontology lab, and exhibits on dinosaur biology. One of Utah's most unusual family attractions—a dinosaur safari experience in a city park.
The Treehouse Museum in downtown Ogden is an imaginative children's museum for ages 0-12 with life-size play structures, a reading room, costume dress-up, a puppet theater, and a working artist studio. Themed exhibits change seasonally and the building's location in historic Union Station adds charm.
The Ogden Nature Center is a 152-acre wildlife sanctuary in the middle of the city with trails through wetlands, meadows, and woodland. The hands-on nature center building houses live snakes, turtles, and small mammals. Nature play areas for toddlers are integrated into the trail system throughout the sanctuary.
Sundance Mountain Resort in Provo Canyon offers summer hiking, fly fishing on the Provo River, arts programs, and zip line tours. The mountain tram provides scenic elevation gain with minimal effort. The Art Shack offers family art workshops on weekends and the resort's film festival spirit infuses a creative atmosphere.
Utah Lake State Park in Provo provides public access to Utah's largest freshwater lake with a boat launch, a 300-foot swim beach, a large picnic area, and marina. Pelicans, great blue herons, and white egrets are common sightings. Sunset sailboat tours of the lake run in summer from the marina.
Rock Canyon Trail just above Provo provides an easy to moderate hike up a limestone canyon with a seasonal creek, views of Utah Valley below, and access to more difficult terrain above. The lower canyon is shaded and pleasant in summer. Wildlife includes mule deer, red-tailed hawks, and canyon wrens.
Cascade Springs in the Wasatch Mountains above Heber Valley features natural springs emerging from the hillside through a series of limestone pools linked by boardwalks. The crystal-clear water supports aquatic life including brown trout visible from above. The spring wildflower display is spectacular from May through July.
The Provo River Parkway is an 18-mile paved trail from Utah Lake through Provo and into Provo Canyon. The family-friendly path passes wetlands, parks, a nature center, and wildlife habitat where river otters have been spotted. Multiple access points make it easy to join for a short or long ride.
Bridal Veil Falls in Provo Canyon is a spectacular 607-foot double cataract waterfall accessible via a short flat trail along the Provo River. The mist spray makes for a refreshing stop on hot days. The adjacent canyon road is popular for cycling and offers access to longer mountain hikes up the canyon walls.
Brigham Young University's Museum of Paleontology in Provo features an outstanding collection of Jurassic dinosaurs collected from Utah sites. Visitors can watch paleontologists prepare fossils through a window in the active preparation lab. The museum is free and open to the public on weekdays.
Farm Country at Thanksgiving Point is a working educational farm where kids can bottle-feed lambs, collect eggs, groom ponies, and ride horses. Tractor-pulled hayrides visit the crop fields and animal pastures. The farm experience is especially rich in spring during lambing season and fall during the harvest festival.
The Butterfly Biosphere at Thanksgiving Point immerses visitors in a tropical conservatory with over 1,000 live butterflies from around the world. Children can feed butterflies, observe chrysalis emergence, and learn about the butterfly life cycle through hands-on activities. The experience is magical for children of all ages.
The Museum of Ancient Life at Thanksgiving Point in Lehi is one of the largest natural history museums in the United States featuring 60 complete dinosaur skeletons. Immersive exhibits let kids dig for fossils in a sand pit and explore prehistoric ecosystems through life-sized recreations. One of Utah's premier family destinations.