Kid-friendly Grand Canyon: Here are the 6 best activities for families at the South Rim
If you’re traveling with children, visiting Grand Canyon National Park can present unique challenges, what with navigating crowded paths and roads at peak times and keeping little ones far enough away from the ever-present edge of the abyss.
But you can make it an unforgettable family adventure with a little planning.
The entrance fee to Grand Canyon National Park is $35 per vehicle and is good for seven days. The park offers a handful of free-admission days each year. The next one is Sunday, Aug. 25.
Pro tip: Purchase your admission pass online in advance to help cut your wait time in line at the entrance station. Go to yourpassnow.com. Spend even less time in line by using the park-and-ride shuttle service in Tusayan, just outside the park entrance.
Here are a few suggestions for kid-friendly activities at the South Rim of Grand Canyon.
More: 5 things to do at Grand Canyon when it rains
Become a Junior Ranger
Kids like pinning on badges and parents like it when they engage in fun educational pursuits, so this is a big win-win.
It’s a chance for children to learn about Grand Canyon’s natural and cultural history without even knowing they’re learning. Kids ages 4 and up can participate in the Junior Ranger program.
Grab a Junior Ranger book at any visitor center. Inside are activities for various age groups. Kids will attend a ranger-led program, write down observations, draw pictures and create poems.
When the activities are completed, bring the book to a visitor center where the child will take the Junior Ranger pledge and receive their badge.
Bike the Rim
Sure, the kids have bikes at home, but they’re not going to enjoy these kinds of views pedaling around the neighborhood.
Bright Angel Bicycles at Grand Canyon Visitor Center rents everything you’ll need — bicycles for adults and older kids, and Burley trailers to haul the wee ones.
Try the Greenway section of the Rim Trail for a memorable outing. The 6-mile route (one way) is paved and mostly level, stretching between the visitor center and Yaki Point.
Prices start at $12.50 per hour for adults, $9.50 for children. Rentals include park map and helmet. Bright Angel Bicycles also offers guided tours and shuttle service.
Details: 928-679-0992, www.bikegrandcanyon.com.
More: 100 things you should know about the Grand Canyon
Ride a mule
Break out the tape measure before your trip. If the kids are at least 4 feet 9 inches tall, they’re big enough to swing into the saddle of one of the famous Grand Canyon mules. The long-eared taxis have patience to spare, even with fidgety youngsters.
The Canyon Vista mule ride lasts three hours (two in the saddle) and stays atop the rim following a gentle path through pine forests with plenty of great views. Along the way, wranglers will stop to discuss geology, history and wildlife.
Riders must be at least 9 years old. Cost is $142.83 per person.
Details: 888-297-2757, www.grandcanyonlodges.com.
You could go on a Grand Canyon adventure! Enter for the chance to win a trip to America's famous national park. Prize includes airfare, hotel, tours and more! Create a free online account to enter. You must have an online account or subscription to be eligible to win. Entries accepted 9/9-10/29. See the official rules for more details.
Hike Bright Angel Trail
If the kids are eager to hike below the rim — and they should be able to manage with their sturdy little knees — take Bright Angel Trail.
The path is wide and fairly well graded with a few distinctive turnaround points. There are two tunnels on the upper stretches, the second appearing at the 0.75-mile mark. The 1.5 Mile Resthouse offers water during summer months, shade and restrooms.
The return hike uphill can be taxing, and it takes longer than going down. Be sure to carry plenty of water and salty snacks. Don't forget a hat and sunscreen.
If the whining becomes too intensive on the return hike, remind the kids that at the top of the rim they’ll find the Bright Angel Fountain, serving hand-scooped ice cream cones, shakes and floats.
Stargaze
First, tell the kids they’ll be staying up past their bedtime, so already they’re excited. Then load up on the hot chocolate and head outside to one of the viewpoints in the cool evening air.
After years of planning and work to eliminate light pollution, Grand Canyon National Park received International Dark Sky Park designation this year. Put simply, what you see overhead at night is nearly as dazzling at what you gaze at during the day.
A canopy of stars blankets the canyon on cloudless nights, a show that’s hard to find these days. It’s estimated that 80% of Americans cannot see the Milky Way from where they live, but it hovers overhead at the canyon like a river of frosted light.
Scavenger hunts
Be sure to grab a copy of the Grand Canyon National Park centennial magazine, "100 Years, One Million Lives, 1 Grand Canyon."
The 56-page glossy magazine (written by Roger Naylor) is free to park visitors and features stories about history, science, geology, artwork and poems. It also contains two scavenger hunts for youngsters.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Family-friendly Grand Canyon trip: Best things to do with kids
