Growth, both in body and mind, is an essential element of childhood. So, it’s natural for parents to search for family vacations that will help stimulate this transformation.

Increasingly this path has led to the red rock, a kid-friendly paradise of Moab, Utah. This playground for young and old is home to some of the most stunning scenery in the world and two national treasures: Arches and Canyonlands National Parks.

Sandwiched between are more than enough opportunities, challenges, and elements of fun for even the youngest in the clan. The experts at the Moab Adventure Center offer this list of kid-friendly favorites for starters:

Invest Your Kids in our Parks: After a visit to Moab Adventure Center to arrange activities for your family (this can also be done ahead online), head over to the visitor center of Arches National Park to introduce your kids to the benefits of the Junior Ranger program. There, children can also rent Explorer Packs for the day. (Be aware of the new Timed Entry Reservations system to assure your admission.) 

Discover Prehistoric Giants: Moab Giants Dinosaur Park & Tracks Museum is all about awe in both indoor and outdoor interactive experiences. Guests can experience the 5D Paleo Aquarium ($28 for adults, $21 for ages 4-15) for an underwater learning adventure. Plus there’s a run-in with the monstrous life-size dinosaurs on the Dinosaur Trail and a 3D theater thriller that discusses what happened to the dinosaurs. The Moab Giants All-Inclusive Family Pass ($90 for adults, $18 for ages 4-15) gives access to all indoor and outdoor exhibits. There is an on-premise café.

Petroglyph Hunting: There are hundreds of rock art sites left behind by the native people who once roamed the area. Ask the folks at Moab Adventure Center where you can park your car to access some of these sites that are only a short walk away.

Moab Mountain Biking: Moab Adventure Center has earmarked three distinct itineraries for mountain bikers. Its guided biking programs include a first-rate bike ($20 off with your own bike) and helmet plus a small water bottle and snacks. The Courthouse Wash Loop Trail introduces beginners $134 all ages 7 and up) to the thrill of maneuvering two wheels in this distinctive terrain. Two other itineraries that include park entrance fees in addition to bikes, helmets, and snacks are for more advanced riders of all ages 8 and up.

Moab is also the gateway to multi-day rafting adventures fashioned with families in mind such as a 5-day raft trip on 88 miles of the Green River through Desolation Canyon.  This program is ideal for families with children as young as 5. There are weekly departures from June through August, with good space available on most 2023 dates. A 5-day/4-night adventure begins and ends in Moab, Utah, and includes a scenic flight that lands atop a dramatic desert plateau where the group begins a short descent on foot to the river put-in. The per person rate is $1,955 and for ages 5-15 from $1,255. For details, please see https://www.westernriver.com/desolation-canyon

Kid-Friendly Hikes Inside Arches National Park: Some sections of the park (Devils Garden and Windows) offer lots to see in relatively small areas. To get to these sections, guests on an Arches National Park Tour ($108 adults, $88 ages 5-12) settle back in a bus or Sprinter Van with high ceilings and large picture windows on a start-to-finish adventure including guided hikes plus snacks and drinks.

River Rafting on the Colorado River: Whether for a half ($89 adults, $73 ages 5-12) or a full ($129 adults, $106 ages 5-12) day, this is a must-do adventure while in Moab. Rafts wind down a world-renowned stretch of this iconic river, through scenes made famous by dozens of popular movies. On select trips, guests savor an exclusive BBQ lunch at a riverside ranch.

Off-Road Adventure: Moab 4×4 Hummer Tours allow families to access Moab’s spectacular backcountry in style and comfort aboard the world’s most serious 4×4. Professional guides operate custom Hummer® vehicles with raised seating in the rear for optimum passenger viewing. Safaris can be 2-hour ($98 adults, $78 ages 3-12) or 4-hour ($220 adults, $180 ages 3-12) or time for sunsets ($125 adults, $102 ages 3-12). 

Splashing It Out:  The Moab Aquatic & Recreation Center has two outdoor swimming pools and one indoor pool. Some are equipped with water slides and diving boards to keep kids entertained for hours! This is the perfect place to stop for a few hours to let the kids play and has some fun.

Prepare for Lift Off: Kids and adults can strap in for a 3-hour zip line adventure ($159 for adults, $119 ages 8-15 ) that glides over sandstone fins and gaps above Moab with a series of six different zip line cables and two suspension bridges.

The popular Southwest Sampler offers four days and three nights of exploring Arches National Park and experiencing an off-road Hummer Safari. Then come two days of Colorado River rafting plus one night of all-inclusive beach camping and stargazing. Also included are two nights of Moab hotel accommodations at Springhill Suites by Marriott. Weekly departures are available Tuesdays from May through August. Rates are $855 for adults and $730 for ages 5-15. Please see https://www.moabadventurecenter.com/southwest-sampler

Moab Adventure Center (https://www.moabadventurecenter.com/) is a division of Western River Expeditions (http://www.westernriver.com/) an adventure travel company headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah with operations and offices in Moab and Fredonia, AZ. The company is the largest single tour provider in Moab, Utah. The Moab Adventure Center is located at 225 South Main St., Moab, UT 84532. For information and reservations please call (435) 259-7019 or (866) 904-1163. The center also has a 2,000-square-foot retail space selling adventure-related gear, clothing, maps, and souvenirs.

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