Grand Canyon National Park isn’t the ideal place to hike with children. The hikes are long, steep, somewhat dangerous, and unforgivably hot. We’ve rounded up our favorite kid friendly hikes so you can make the most of your time in Grand Canyon. Click on the link to read about each hike in detail.
So far, we have only visited the South Rim, but we have plans to visit the North Rim. Once we spend time there, we will add hikes on the North Rim, too. Here are our Grand Canyon Kid Hikes.
South Rim
South Kaibab Trail to Ooh Aah Point
The South Kaibab trail runs from rim to rim of the Grand Canyon and is only for the extreme hiker. But you can visit Ooh-Aah Point safely with little ones. This is our top-rated hike in the park for all levels of hikers, and one of our favorites. 1.8 miles RT and moderate.
Trail of Time
This interpretive trail is relatively flat, easy, and wheel friendly. It is the closest thing Grand Canyon has to a nature walk. Anyone can enjoy this trail and learn about the geologic history of the canyon. The Trail of Time is 1.8 miles one way, and you can use the shuttle system to avoid the return walk.
South Rim Trail
There are plenty of places to hike along the twelve mile South Rim Trail. Our favorite is only a little over a mile long and takes you to three beautiful viewpoints. We began at Powell Point and walked to Mojave Point, but you can walk any section and distance along the South Rim Trail. Best of all, it’s usually not too crowded that far out.
Bright Angel Trail
Getting below the rim of Grand Canyon gives you an entirely different perspective. Bright Angel Trail is way too long for kids to walk. But you can venture along this trail to a few tunnels in the rock. It also drops rapidly, so you get down into the canyon. Of course, there is the climb back up! We hiked .9 miles RT along this trail.
Hello!! I am planning a trip to South Rim for our family of 6. Four kids ages 14, 13, 11 and 7. I’m curious if you’ve ever hiked the Grand Canyon in December as that is the month we were hoping to go. I’m a bit worried it will be to icy for the kids, but hopeful for fewer crowds and the cooler temps. Thank you, I just found your blog and really excited to have stumbled across another family that loves taking their kids out hiking!!
We have not visited in December. I would think that you can hike along the rim relatively safely, as long as you stay back from the edge and are prepared for ice. I probably wouldn’t risk heading down into the canyon and I don’t even know if those trails are open. If you do plan on hiking, make sure to have micro spikes for your shoes. Here is some information on the National Park website: https://www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/winter-visits.htm