Best Family Weekend Destinations in Utah

Utah's family destinations combine world-class national parks accessible to children with strong urban attractions in Salt Lake City.

Natural History Museum of Utah (Salt Lake City)
One of the finest natural history museums in the western US — the Rio Tinto Center is architecturally spectacular, built into the hillside above the University of Utah campus. The dinosaur collection (including the Utah specimens of Allosaurus, Stegosaurus, and Diplodocus from the Morrison Formation) is world-class. The geology exhibits on the Colorado Plateau and the culture galleries on Utah's Native nations are equally strong. Allow 3–4 hours.

Zion National Park (Springdale)
Zion is excellent for families: the shuttle system means no driving within the canyon; the Riverside Walk (1 mile, paved, flat) to the beginning of the Narrows is accessible to all ages; the Lower Emerald Pools trail is straightforward; and the Zion Human History Museum provides context. Junior Ranger programs are available at the visitor center.

Bryce Canyon: Stargazing Programs
Bryce Canyon's altitude (8,000 ft) and remote location give it some of the darkest skies in the continental US. The park's ranger-led astronomy programs (summer evenings) include telescope viewing and constellation tours. Children's programs are engaging. During the day, the Navajo Loop trail through the hoodoos is an excellent family hike.

Dinosaur National Monument (Vernal)
The Quarry Exhibit Hall at Dinosaur National Monument protects an exposed dinosaur bone wall — 1,500 bones of Allosaurus, Apatosaurus, Stegosaurus, and Camarasaurus still in the rock matrix where they were deposited 150 million years ago. Children can touch certain specimens. The Green River float trips through the monument's canyon country add outdoor adventure.

Kennecott (Bingham Canyon Mine)
The world's largest man-made excavation — a copper open-pit mine 0.75 miles deep and 2.5 miles wide, visible from space. The Visitors Center offers overlooks and exhibits on open-pit mining operations. The scale is genuinely mind-bending.