Make the trip in spring or fall. April and May are warm but can be wet. Mid-September to early November is the best time to visit. Nearby Goblin Valley is another child's delight, always ranked No. 2 on my kids' favorite hike list. The valley is filled with pedestal rocks shaped into eerie heads, chocolate drops, castle turrets, and toadstools.
Kids love climbing among the low spires, or giving the sculptured rocks fanciful names.
Closer to Highway 24, the road to Temple Mountain cuts a dramatic canyon painted with Fremont-style petroglyphs, then leads to the remains of uranium mining operations dating back thirty years.