Arches National Park
Last weekend we visited Arches National Park in south eastern Utah. Every time I visit this park I can't get over how kid friendly it is. We took the girls with us and met up with our Friend Eric from Travel Babbo. Arches is such a fun natural jungle gym for kids to explore all day! There are many different types of hikes for all fitness levels and ages. Our kids love to hike Sand Dune Arc, Double Arch, The Windows and Eye of the Whale Arch.
Some things to remember when going:
Drink LOTS of water! Especially in the summer. I can't stress this enough!
Bring snacks, food and drinks into the park as there are no services other than the visitor center at the entrance. Also be sure to take a good hiking backpack, hat, sunscreen and wear good shoes. Especially on long hikes. This is imperative for children. They need to be sheltered from the sun, eat and drink while hiking.
Sunrise and sunset are amazing times to visit Delicate Arch or basically anywhere in the park. There are far less people and the light is amazing for photos.
Leave the park as you found it. Stay on designated trails as the desert soil is alive and walking off the trail will kill the ecosystem.
We usually stay in Moab when we go. Two great hotels we have found are the Hyatt Place and Marriott Fairfield Inn and Suites. Both are clean, affordable and usually serve free breakfast.
If you want to camp in Arches area my friend Brian at Outside How wrote a great post All About Camping in Arches National Park
Also nearby Moab are Canyonlands National Park and Dead Horse Point State Park.
Canyonlands is basically split into 3 sections each having its own unique beauty. The most visited is Island in the Sky but even then there aren't many people. So if you want to get away from the crowds at Arches consider heading to Canyonlands for a day.
Dead Horse Point State Park is basically an overlook to the Colorado River. It's really stunning! I highly recommend visiting this park. It's a bit of a drive outside of Moab but totally worth it!
Another activity we have done twice now and love is rafting with Mild to Wild. Each trip we have taken with Mild to Wild has been a half day Colorado River trip and my girls loved both trips. Their guides are knowledgable and fun. It’s a very mild rafting trip with the biggest rapid being a 2. I highly recommend this when going to Moab.
We really love the desert of the south west. It's such a fun place for families to explore and travel.