Southern Utah Roadtrip with Kids: A 7 Day Adventure Guide

If you’re looking to plan an adventure with your family, a southern Utah roadtrip with kids is the way to go! This trip has something for everyone and is the perfect mix of outdoor adventure, unique experiences, and good food. Keep reading for my full guide to our adventure across southern Utah. Sponsored content – two of the places we stayed were hosted in exchange for content, but the opinions expressed are my own. This post contains affiliate links.

Why roadtrip with kids?

Roadtripping with kids is something I started with my own at a very young age. Was it hard? Absolutely. Messy? You betcha. You should have seen my car, my “magic school bus” minivan that we built out to be a camper van was never clean on those weeks were were galavanting around, practically living out of it, at times down by a river. It’s not always easy and to be honest, it’s not always fun. But I can promise that the memories you’ll make as you embark on a roadtrip adventure together will be the kind that you’ll talk about for years to come. The kind that we still talk about often and my kids (now 11 and 14) have fond memories of the wild shenanigans we chased from the time they were both under 6. Here are three reasons why you should roadtrip with your kids:

• Cost – roadtrips are usually significantly less costly than flying and you can often find good deals on short term rentals or hotels when you have a vehicle to get you to less known areas. Plus, you can pack a big cooler and bring most of your own food or refill at grocery stores along the way. For this trip we flew into Las Vegas, and rented a car.
• Off the beaten path – When you roadtrip, you can get off the popular path and find some unique hidden gems, beautiful views, and great local hotspots.
• You’re in charge – As much as I love flying, I like driving more. I get to plan our itinerary and I get to make changes when and if I need to. We can make adjustments on the go, and take along as much as we need.

Why a southern Utah roadtrip with kids?

Utah is magical. Every part of it. The state has some of the most iconic geography and night sky views in the entire United States. Taking a southern Utah roadtrip with kids is a perfect way to experience some of the amazing Utah landscape. There will be variety as you travel from southwest across to southeast and back again. When you take this roadtrip, you’ll check off some of the iconic Utah national and state parks. Additionally, you’ll have the chance to see some amazing places to stay and cute small towns.

A note about the weather. We took this trip at the beginning of August and it was HOT in Las Vegas. Plan to do any outdoor exploring in the early morning or evening. At the higher elevations in the Grand Staircase it was chilly and quite rainy. So, pack clothing for all types of weather. Keep reading for our packing list.

Days 1 to 3 – Las Vegas.

For my southern Utah roadtrip with kids, we started in Las Vegas. We flew in in the late morning and picked up our rental car. From there, our first stop was Whole Foods to pick up some snacks while we waited for our hotel room to be ready. We also checked out The Sphere Experience and the Pinball Hall of Fame. A word of warning: be prepared for a long check in line at your hotel. We ended up having so much fun in Las Vegas, which surprised me. Here is a full report of my experience in Las Vegas with kids. , including a super cool place to stay. Our Vegas highlights included:

• Red Rocks Canyon
• The Sphere Experience and the AI Robots
• Pinball Hall of Fame
• Omega Mart by Meow Wolf
• Area 15 attractions
• The Hoover Dam

Days 3 to 5 – Outpost X Immersive Experience.

Our second stay on my southern Utah roadtrip with kids was Outpost X (hosted stay). This completely otherworldly experience is hard to describe and completely iconic. It’s an entirely immersive, space saga inspired, glamping resort in the southwest corner of Utah. It’s almost in the middle of nowhere and you’ll need to be prepared by bringing your own food or ordering some from their service. We had such a great time diving into the story of the place and loved our stay. Here is full trip report of our Outpost X immersive resort in Utah experience. We did a few day trips to explore while we were there too.

Southern Utah roadtrip with kids – Kanarra Falls.

This waterfall had been on my list since I first started planning a southern Utah roadtrip with kids. Thanks to my friend Zion Adventure Photog, she helped me get all of the details I needed about hiking Kanarra Falls with kids. It’s an iconic waterfall with a fairly mild hike but you absolutely must reserve a hiking pass online, no one can get onto the trail without a permit. It’s very hot when the hike starts, but you’ll soon descend into the canyon and be next to the very cold (and beautiful) creek. It is just over two miles to the ladder and first waterfall. I can promise you, it’s worth it. We hiked it in the late morning and were met with some gorgeous sunbursts as we made our way up the stairs. Things to know for this hike:

• Wear shoes that can get wet and have good grip. We always hike in Salomon Speedcross trail shoes.
• I also enjoy hiking in my Bedrocks Sandals (the Pro Cairn 3D).
• Pack a daypack with snacks, extra sun protection, and lots of water. We love the Osprey Hikelite or Daylite.
• You will get wet, so wear clothes that can dry quickly and not cause chaffing once you’re wet.
• Have a change of clothes (or at least socks) once you get back to the car and extra snacks for the drive back.

Cedar City, Utah.

After our hike we decided to head over to Cedar City, Utah to check out a few places, find some food, and do some browsing. Cedar City is just about 20 minutes north of Kanarra Falls and it’s a great spot to get a snack and keep your southern Utah roadtrip with kids going strong. Park Place Eatery had some delicious gluten free crepe options and was just what we needed after our waterfall hike adventure. We parked at the eatery and walked around the main road downtown. A tip: grab some food to go to take back with you to Outpost X. Here are some of the other spots we enjoyed at Cedar City:

• The Grind Coffeehouse – super cute and delicious coffee shop
• Main Street Books – an adorable bookstore right next to The Grind coffeehouse
• Park Place Eatery – great gluten free options
• Bristlecone – cafe and coffee shop
• Silver Silo Bakery and Espresso – a cute cafe with coffee shop and great outdoor seating
• Frontier Homestead State Park Museum – a great hands on learning opportunity
• Lion’s Mouth Cave – a short hike to a cave with some real and some petroglyphs that have been altered

Day 5 – driving to Bryce Canyon.

Our next chunk of my southern Utah road trip with kids took us to the southeast side via a scenic route up through some elevation. After we left Outpost X in the late morning, we stopped at Silver Silo Bakery in Cedar City once more before taking a scenic drive on Highway 56 E to Brian Head. The route was beautiful and we enjoyed the change in scenery and change in foliage as the elevation climbed.

Brian Head, Utah.

The city of Brian Head, Utah sits at just below 10,000 feet elevation. It is a fantastic ski resort for families in the winter months and beautiful in the summer season. In the warm season there are zip lines, hiking trails, and scenic chair lifts at the ski resort. Plus, there are several restaurants to try. We also drove up Brian Head Peak, the 11,000 foot highest point. There is a beautifully restored stone hut at the top that provides a great place for photos. It’s a rough gravel road to the top but it’s a fairly short drive and four wheel drive or high clearance are not necessarily needed. My kids were too cold to get out of the car, even in August it was chilly up there! But, I hoped out to snap some selfies at the peak.

Cedar Breaks National Monument.

Cedar Breaks National Monument is known as the “crown” of the Grand Staircase in Utah. The park is at 10,000 feet elevation and it’s absolutely stunning! Recently, construction was completed on a new visitor center, Human History museum, and park store. They will open once the roads are clear and the park opens for the summer season. We enjoyed stopping at all of the scenic over looks and collecting a stamp for our National Parks Passport. They also have night sky tours in the warmer months and a snowshoe tour in the winter! Tip – this park is just as beautiful as the others in the Grand Staircase and much less busy!

Day 5 to 7 – Clear Sky Resort Bryce Canyon.

The next (hosted) stay on our southern Utah roadtrip with kids was Clear Sky Resort’s brand new Bryce Canyon location. We had the honor of staying at Clear Sky Resorts Grand Canyon a few years ago. When they opened their new location just outside of Bryce Canyon, I knew we had to go check it out! These new domes are entirely glass and absolutely stunning! Clear Sky Resort Bryce Canyon is a delightful, luxury glamping experience for couples and families alike. They have large, family size domes with a king size bed and two twin beds, along with a full bathroom, or smaller, more intimate domes for couples. The onsite restaurant is delicious and serves meals all day. Here’s a video of our experience. Some of our favorite things:

• The iconic night sky views out the glass domes
• Super comfortable beds
• The robot that greets you in the welcome dome
• The Sky Nova restaurant and lounge
• Nigh sky talks with astronomers
• Live music on certain nights
• The close proximity to Bryce Canyon National Park and other fun daytrips
• Check out Zion Adventure Photogs guide to the area as well

Bryce Canyon National Park.

This park is a must do on any southern Utah roadtrip with kids. It’s worth getting an America the Beautiful National Parks pass if you plan to visit all of the Grand Staircase parks on this trip. Planning ahead for your Bryce Canyon adventure is important because this park gets very busy as well. There’s a free shuttle to help alleviate parking issues. Lucky for us, it was raining and less crowded. We explored different parts of the park over two days and here were our favorite things to do:

• The Visitor Center to collect our stamps and buy some fun stickers
• The museum at the Visitor Center
• A scenic drive to the Bryce Amphitheater, Inspiration Point, and Sunset Point
• We walked the Rim Trail to Sunrise Point
• Hiked Mossy Cave trail and spent lots of time exploring around there
• Ate at Valhalla Pizza in Bryce Canyon National Park – great gluten free options

Escalante, Utah.

One of the days we stayed at Clear Sky Resort, we took a day trip to Escalante, Utah via Highway 12. It was a gorgeous drive. Our first stop was through the town of Escalante to the iconic Kiva Coffeehouse. This seasonal spot has delicious coffee, local, organic food, and a gift shop. Every seat has a great view out the huge windows. Kiva Coffee must be on your list for a southern Utah roadtrip with kids. We took our time on the way back and enjoyed these stops:

• Head of the Rocks Scenic Overlook
• Hole in the Rock Wayside
• Magnolia’s Kitchen
• Escalante Natural Grocery – organic grocery store with deli and coffee shop

Day 7 – Southern Utah roadtrip with kids – the return.

I decided to take a scenic route on our way back to Las Vegas since we were not in a hurry. I knew that Zion National Park would be far too busy to stop in, but a drive through worked great. From Bryce Canyon I took Highway 89 south to Mt. Carmel Junction, where I picked up scenic Route 9 through Zion to Springdale. Traffic moved well and it ended up being a very enjoyable drive.

Driving Zion National Park.

A drive through Zion National Park is iconic, whether you’re stopping in the park to hike or not. We did not stop to hike because of how busy the park was still in early August. But, there are still lots of gorgeous views to enjoy on your way. The extra large sunroof on our rented Jeep proved helpful for extra large viewing space. Zion is worth a trip on it’s own, just not in August when it’s still very busy. Here are some of our favorite things about Zion (driving east to west on Highway 9):

• Get a photo at the Zion National Park sign
• Checkerboard Viewpoint
• Canyon Overlook Trail
• The Zion-Mt. Carmel tunnel – absolutely amazing
• The Zion Canyon visitor’s center – most likely no parking, shuttle required
• Eat at Wild Thyme Cafe – amazing gluten free options and food allergy substitutes
• Grafton Ghost town
• Pick up Interstate 15 in St. George and head back to Las Vegas

Final night in Vegas.

We had a very early flight the next morning back to Dallas. I booked a hotel close to the airport so we would have an easy time returning our car and getting to our flight. Do I remember where we stayed? Nope. Can I find the paper trail/email trail? Nope. Because I’m just now getting to this blog post, months later. I can tell you it was very clean, comfortable, and had great views on the upper floors. It was also within range to DoorDash Chikfila to the hotel lobby. It was just what we needed after a long day of scenic driving and exploring. I also needed time to allow the suitcase to explode then stand there and wonder how I ever fit it all in there to begin with. I’m happy to report that I managed to fit it all back in and it was a great end to my southern Utah roadtrip with kids.

What to pack.

Packing for a southern Utah roadtrip with kids can be a little tricky, especially in August. If you plan on visiting the Grand Staircase parks you’ll need warmer clothing for the higher elevations, but you’ll also need to dress for extreme heat if you’re exploring Las Vegas. Here are some of our favorite pieces that are versatile for all weather: (Affiliate Links).

• Salomon Speedcross Hiking Shoes
• REI Hiking Pants
• REI Raincoats
• Athleta Headlands Hybrid Hiking Leggings
• Title Nine Clamber Pants
• Shop my Adventure Mom | LTK
• Shop my Amazon Storefront | Coleyraeh

Southern Utah roadtrip with kids.

There are so many incredible places to explore right here in the United States and in the car is a great way to do it. I highly recommend a southern Utah roadtrip with kids, at any age. It is great with kids that are a little bit older so that you can do all the long drives, long days, and bigger hikes and adventures. It works great to fly into Las Vegas, rent a car, and take off for all the amazing adventures that Utah has to offer. Looking for an East Coast adventure? Here’s my guide to taking on a book based roadtrip to Chincoteague Island National Seashore. Thanks for following along and I hope you get to see the wonder wherever you may wander!