The Grand Canyon with kids: all you need to know to plan your trip

Kids looking at the Grand Canyon South Rim

All you need to know to plan a family trip to the Grand Canyon with kids. Tips, best things to do, child-friendly activities in the Grand Canyon National Park.

Our recent family trip to the Grand Canyon is one of the most memorable travel experiences we ever had.

However, I would be lying if I was to say what visiting the Grand Canyon with kids in tow didn’t make me nervous.

We had never been to the area before, so I had no idea what to expect about accessibility and had the most varied questions. 

Is the Grand Canyon dangerous for kids?

Are the viewing point fenced?

Are the roads precarious or problematic if you suffer from motion sickness?

To my great relief, I quickly discovered on arrival into the Grand Canyon National Park that most of my worries were misplaced.

The Grand Canyon is very enjoyable with children and while some tips are useful to make the visit safe and fun, I would recommend anyone to add it as a stop on a Southwest family roadtrip.

If you are thinking of visiting the Grand Canyon with kids and worry about practicalities, this is my guide!

Start of our visit to the Grand canyon with kids: our two children looking at the Canyon
Visiting the Grand Canyon with kids is easy but as you can see from the low wall in this photo, parts of the rim trail require extra attention with little ones!

Visiting the Grand Canyon with kids was one of the highlights of our American Road trip but required some preparations.

In this guide, we share our best tips for visiting the Grand Canyon South Rim with kids.

Please note: this post contains affiliate links and if you make a purchase through them, we might make a small commission at no extra cost to you. 

Tips for visiting the Grand Canyon with kids

Pick your rim – Grand Canyon Rim South or North?

The two rims of the Grand Canyon are very far from each other and offer very different experiences to visitors.

The South Rim, which is the one we cover in this article, is the best equipped with visitors’ facilities and offers the largest selection of accommodation options.

This is the one usually recommended for families and the one that stays open all year round, although it is also the one with the highest number of visitors.

My recommendation is to visit the South Rim if you have younger kids and the North one for a more intimate and remote experience.

Top tip: the Grand Canyon South Rim is so well equipped for visitors and families, you can explore it even if short on time. You can read here >>> How to visit the Grand Canyon in one day.

Stay in the park

The Grand Canyon stretches over a vast area and picking accommodation near the rim is one of the best ways to minimize driving time and make the most of your day.

I find this is exceptionally important with kids.

Reaching the canyon is likely to require several hours of driving pretty much no matter where you come from. 

Being able to leave the car once on site and stretch your legs will go a long way to making kids enjoy their stay.

Some of the places you can consider staying are El Tovar Historical Hotel, Yavapai Lodge, and Bright angel lodge (rustic).

They are family friendly and in good locations inside the park for both sightseeing and access to facilities such as shops, restaurants, visitors centers and even the Grand Canyon Railway station, should a train ride be part of your family adventure!

Funny family story: during our last Grand Canyon trips, we stayed at Yapavai Lodge. It was basic yet clean and convenient and it must have picked the attention of my son. When asked what his favorite thing from the Grand Canyon trip was, he said: the lodge!

Use the free shuttles

The park operated an excellent shuttle system that connects the main viewpoints and sites of interest one to the other.

Using the shuttle is fun for kids and a life saver for when they are tired.

The shuttles follow different tours and stop at the various visitors center making access to facilities and food very easy.

The buses run every 10-15 minutes during the day and every 30 minutes in the hour before sunrise and after sunset.

Strollers are allowed on the buses but some rules must be followed: for instance, strollers must be collapsed before boarding and no oversize or jogging strollers are allowed.

Bicycles are allowed on the buses but not if attached to child trailers or tag-alongs. You can find these rules and the exact location of shuttle stops on the free maps provided at the visitors’ centers.

Get the kids into the Junior ranger program

The park participates in the junior ranger program, devised specifically to get kids engaged with the part and teach them about it in a fun and natural way.

The grand Canyon for kids: my son gard at work to complete his junior ranger booklet with the backdrop of the Canyon South Rim
My kids love the Junior Ranger program and the booklet from the Grand Canyon is one of their favorite

It works like this. You collect a junior ranger activity booklet at one of the various rangers stations and work your way through it.

The booklet has information and activities organized by age and requires the kids to learn something about the park and then put it into practice.

At the most simple level kids are asked to sit, observe and then draw a picture of what they see or how they feel about the park.

For older kids, the activities get a little more demanding. One I remember was an explanation of a special type of poetry from the area and an activity based around creating a short poem about the park.

While this may seem daunting, the exercise provided all the necessary info to complete the activity and only took a few minutes.

The program is non competitive in nature and supports your own learning and expression: there are no daunting marks of comparisons with other kids.

As well as the booklet, the program requires the kids to listen to ranger talk and then head to the ranger station to show them your completed booklet.

It is a wonderful, inspiring way to learn facts about the Grand Canyon and not just for kids: we were mesmerized too.

The rangers on duty usually ask a couple of questions to check your interest in the park and then get them to pledge to protect the park.

After that, the rangers present a badge to the children to have as a keepsake of their achievement.

The program is amazing for the kids and get them to engage with the park in a way that is meaningful and truly enjoyable.

We discovered it when visiting Joshua Tree NP and now we seek in out every park we visit!

Walk the rim trail

You can walk along the Grand Canyon South Rim following the rim trail, a large path easily accessible to children as well.

The path is fenced in the most part (not all!) and connects the several viewing points along the rim. One of the shuttle routes runs parallel to the trail and this means you can easily hop on motorized transport if needed.

This is excellent and it means families can start the trail and hop on a bus should the children get tired or the weather turn.

We visited when our kids were 6 and 8 and felt the rim trail very safe.

However, attention is paramount here and, with toddlers, I would highly suggest extra supervision and the use of carriers or reliable child reins for safety.

Check the historical buildings

The Grand Canyon has several historical buildings that are interesting for the kids to see.

Our favorites were the ones at Verkamp’s visitors center where you can also see the local museum and, at certain times, catch a display of Hopi culture.

Elaborate costume with colourful draping and feathers
Display of traditional culture and elegance at the South Rim of the Grand canyon

And the geology museum

One of the most interesting aspects of the grand canyon is its rich geological history.

You can get a clear view of the canyon and river simply watching the canyon and its several rocky layers but you can also learn in a much more structured way at the local geology museum at Yavapai Point.

Stock up on water

The canyon is well equipped with cafes and supply shops but has vast stretches with just nature.

Before heading off onto any of the hikes, make sure you stock up on water as running out of it here is easy and dangerous.

The canyon has a strong stand on consumption and sells refillable waters that you can fill for free from water fountains available in visitors centers and at the general store

RELATED: If you are getting ready for a Grand Canyon vacation, you may find our full Grand Canyon packing list handy

Get a bike trailer

One of the most enjoyable ways to visit the grand canyon is by bike.

Older kids and teenagers can get their own but for younger ones you can get trailers that make for pleasant and safe carriages.

This is a great choice and one we availed of when we visited Yosemite National Park.

Trailers are heavy but excellent to cover long distances without the kids getting tired or running risks. Our littlest one usually falls asleep in them so they are good for facilitating naps too!

Go to bed late (and stargaze)

One of the most beautiful moments we had at the Grand  Canyon was when we went to bed late and stayed out stargazing.

Admiring the stars is easy and if you get a clear night you don’t even have to stray too far away from your accommodation.

From Yavapai lodge, we got wonderful views of the Milky Way, Mars, Venus and Jupiter and our kids learned to recognize the Big Bear constellations (which my daughter identifies resembling a shopping trolley!).

This was one of the most special moments of our stay and one I highly recommend to try include in your itinerary.

If you want to push your stargazing to the next level, I highly recommend you bring a kids telescope with you: some portable telescopes are easy to carry and excellent

Hold hands

This may sound really stupid, however, the main thing you need to remember at the Grand Canyon is that the canyon is effectively a massive hole in the ground!

Depending on the age of the children and the exact lookout, you need to be more or less watchful. 

However, if you have toddlers, I would not let them get any close to the canyon or even the fence without holding them tight.

Bring older kids rafting, hiking or on a mule ride

Older and adventurous kids may enjoy active pursuits such as rafting, hiking and braving the canyon on a mule! Check with the individual provider for age limits, suitability and safety precautions.

Visiting the Grand Canyon with kids: what to bring

Facilities at the Grand Canyon South Rim

The Grand Canyon South Rim is very well equipped for visitors and has many facilities for families too. Among others,  we want to highlight:

  • Canyon Cafe and Yavapai Tavern (informal meals, excellent for the whole family),
  • General Store (great to stock up on supplies)
  • The restaurants and cafe in El Tovar (both for longer sit down meals and faster, cafe style snacks)

I hope you found these tips for visiting the Grand Canyon with kids useful. Safe travels!

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