Having a big family makes it really hard to afford a large family vacation every summer, so we like to find local things we can do with the kids to make it a fun summer. I’m going to give you some great ideas of things to do with a family in Utah.
1. Max ATV Rentals in Centerville. Max ATV rentals let us spend a day with a couple of their ATV’s on the foothills of Bountiful. I am not a fan of 4 wheelers because I feel like they are not very safe. So as a family we really haven’t’ gone ATVing. But Max ATV has the Maverik X 1000 which seats 4 people with seatbelts and a roll cage. Sign me up! I can go out with the kids, enjoy nature and keep the kids safe.
We went to the Farmington/ Bountiful Skyline Trail and it was so beautiful. It begins right at the B on the hill in Bountiful and it goes on forever up in the mountains with awesome views of the Salt Lake Valley and the edge of the Salt Lake.
We got to take 2 ATV’s. One 4 seater and one 2 seater so our whole family could go together.
We packed our lunch and spent the day on the mountain enjoying the beautiful mountains in Utah. Your trip to Utah is not complete without spending time in the mountains.
2. Go Hiking in a Canyon.
American Fork Canyon. The Alpine Loop Scenic Backwaway, Cascade Springs, and Mount Timpanogos Cave National Monument are all within American Fork Canyon. This world famous canyon is known for its various rock faces to climb as well as camping, boating, hiking and biking. This canyon connects to Provo Canyon. To access this canyon, take the Hwy 92 exit in Highland.
Provo Canyon Bridal Veil Falls.
Bridal Veil Falls is a double cataract waterfall which drops 607 feet to the Provo River. The falls can be seen from the scenic HWY 189 pullout or by taking the exit to the base of the falls. From the parking area, follow the paved path to get a closer view of the falls. Feel free to dip your feet in and get wet, the base of Bridal Veil Falls has a nice shallow pool which little kids love to splash around in.
Battle Creek Canyon is a beautiful, yet steep trail that accesses the west face of Mount Timpanogos. The trail passes a popular waterfall, and several smaller cascades as it climbs from Pleasant Grove City. At 1.3 miles, the trail junctions with the Curly Springs Trail #051. The trail then climbs 1.1 miles to join in with the Dry Canyon Trail #049. Battle Creek Canyon was the scene of an Indian battle with settlers during the winter of 1848-49.
Here is a long list of trails for hiking to choose from.
3. Camping. There are so many great places to go camping with a family in Utah. Some of our favorite places to camp in Utah is up American Fork Canyon. It’s called Timpooneke Campground your family will love these camping sites. Here is a list of the many places to camp in Utah.
4. Take a drive on a byway or backway and enjoy the scenery of the beautiful mountains.
5. Go on a picnic. There are a million and one places to take the family on a picnic in Utah. Then spend the day exploring hikes and enjoy nature with your family.
There are a few things you need to make sure you bring with you on an ATV outing with the family.
1. First Aid Kit. You never know when you need a bandage for a scrape or a splint for something more serious. Make sure you have it well stocked with antibiotic ointment, Benadryl, and Motrin. My little one was running around during lunch and fell and scraped his knee. I was sad that we didn’t have a first aid kit to wash and bandage his knee right then.
2. Sunblock. If you are outdoors ATVing all day, you definitely need sunblock. The last thing you need is a child with a sunburn suffering all night.
3. Food and Water. This is self explanatory, right? You’ll want a lot more water than you think and your kids will work up a big appetite playing outside all day.
4. Extra clothes for the little ones. Again, I would have loved to have an extra pair of shorts for my little one when he fell and got all dirty. Also, when you have a little one, sometimes they just can’t hold it long enough to find a place to use the bathroom. 😉
5. Tennis Shoes. Don’t wear sandals or flip flops. You need some protection for those toes. Especially because it would be fun to take a little hike when you come to a trail that you want to explore.
6. A cell phone or GPS. You want to have something with you that has GPS so you can make sure you are heading in the right direction. You don’t want to get lost.
My family and I loved this fun Utah outing in the mountains and I know your family will too! Check out this cute little family company, Max ATV, and support local companies!
Great ideas! My kids are still pretty young but they love to go camping. Utah is so pretty in the summer, we especially love the canyons!
Ah, I know what I’m doing for my next date night! That ATV thing looks like fun, Joe would love it!
These are all awesome ideas! I didn’t know about some of these and the ATV rentals look so fun. We are really close to Centerville so I will have to check it out. We also love American Fork Canyon. It is so beautiful! So many fun things to stay active this summer.
Looks like a really fun adventure! Pinning and sharing! 🙂
I loved all these hikes as a kid. I need to take my kids on them. Thanks for sharing!
Aw, this was an exceptionally good post. Taking a few minutes and actual effort to generate a superb article… but
what can I say… I hesitate a lot and never seem to get nearly anything done.
Doing a family ATV trip is always super fun. We used to go every other spring, summer, and early fall month. If you don’t have any ATV’s, then there are lot’s of places to rent some for you to use. I should do this again soon, I kind of miss it now that I think about it.