Location: Kanab
Top Things to do in Kanab
Top Restaurants in Kanab
Countries
10 Things to Do in Kanab That You Shouldn't Miss
Kanab (/kəˈnæb/ kə-NAB) is a city in and the county seat of Kane County, Utah, United States. It is located on Kanab Creek just north of the Arizona state line. This area was first settled in 1864 and the town was founded in 1870 when ten Mormon families moved into the area. The population was 4,312 at the 2010 census.
Restaurants in Kanab
1. Best Friends Animal Sanctuary
Overall Ratings
5 based on 1 reviews
Best Friends Animal Society is the only national animal welfare organization focused exclusively on ending the killing of dogs and cats in America's shelters. An authority and leader in the no-kill movement, Best Friends runs the nation's largest no-kill sanctuary for companion animals, as well as lifesaving programs in partnership with rescue groups and shelters across the country. Since its founding in 1984, Best Friends has helped reduce the number of animals killed in shelters nationwide from 17 million per year to about 4 million. That means there are still over 9,000 dogs and cats killed in shelters each day. And we will not be done until that number is zero. Best Friends has the knowledge, technical expertise and on-the-ground network to end the killing and Save Them All(R).
Reviewed By jkiel - Salt Lake City, Utah
We volunteered here for a few days, and cannot say enough about how incredible this place is, staffed by wonderful, caring people who truly want to attain no-kill status in the USA. There is a wide variety of animals - but this is not a zoo, you can't just drive up to an animal area and "visit" without volunteering. This makes it a much less stressful home for the animals, and makes the volunteer experience even more special.
If you do volunteer, make sure you have lunch at the cafe (vegetarian/vegan) - it's the best $5 lunch you'll get!
If you can't volunteer, sign up for a tour or three. The Grand Tour takes you all over the sanctuary, and gives you excellent background information about the mission of the sanctuary, the canyon, and the southern Utah area that is so beautiful.
2. South Coyote Buttes
Overall Ratings
5 based on 208 reviews
Reviewed By TheVMAN32 - Maryland
It is a wonderful place to visit since it is not very crowded. It is very similar to the Wave and permits are very easy to come buy. It is very important that you have the correct vehicle to drive on the remote and sandy roads. I rented a Jeep Rubicon which did just fine. It is also a good idea to stop at the Escalante National Monument Visitor Center to inquire about the road conditions before visiting.
3. Wire Pass Trail (Buckskin Gulch access)
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 199 reviews
Reviewed By Wiskerlikins - Utah
Wire Pass Trail is an amazing hike! Plan on spending about 3 hours. It can be done faster but I recommend enjoying the hike and taking photos.
This trail is not too difficult but you want good hiking shoes. No flip flops. It is flat and for the first part wide open. It then narrows down to an amazing slot canyon that is mostly flat but there is one area with an 8ft drop. There are some makeshift logs and branches that have been put there to climb down and back up but who knows how long those will be there. At the end of the slot there is a petroglyph panel. It is a bit hard to see due to weather and idiots that have destroyed it. Please don't be the jerk that ruins something we cannot get back. (sorry I just had to throw that in).
After the petroglyph panel you can go either right or left and walk the wash. We walked left for about a mile. It keeps going.
I recommend getting there early, when the sun comes up, to best enjoy it without the crowds. If you can handle hiking in 20 degree weather, I also recommend going during the cold months so you don't have to deal with the crowds.
There is a fee for this hike so plan on bringing cash and exact change. It was $6 per person and $6 per dog. There is a decent bathroom in the parking area. I would imaging during the summer or warmer months the parking lot fills up fast. It's pretty big but this parking lot is for the Wave too as both hikes start from this point.
This hike is good for families with children. Just keep your eye on the weather for flooding. They do not close it off so use discretion.
4. Kanab Visitor Center
Overall Ratings
5 based on 72 reviews
Reviewed By CrankingChick - Tucson, Arizona
This visitor center primarily provides information about Grand Staircase-Escalante and Vermilion Cliffs National Monuments, and is not to be confused with the Kane County Information Center on S. 100 E. in Kanab. In addition to the usual features like restrooms, information desk and book/gift shop, this visitor center has some excellent exhibits on the unique geology of the area. The rangers working there are very friendly and helpful; they answered my questions and provided us with a map. This office is the site to visit if one wants to visit "The Wave" as permits are issued here. Demand exceeds supply and a lottery for permits is held each morning.
5. Buckskin Gulch
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 114 reviews
Gorgeous canyon whose stone walls shimmer with hundreds of different shades of pink and red: a truly aesthetic experience.
Reviewed By alexwolf2016 - Green Cove Springs, Florida
You have to walk several miles to get to the canyon. It's not the narrowest or the tallest canyon, but it's pretty long. Make a loop with Wire Pass canyon, which is shorter but more spectacular. Be prepared to walk through knee deep water somewhere all year round! There was one spot in this loop where I had to take off my shoes and socks and wade through.
6. Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park
Overall Ratings
4 based on 888 reviews
Encompassing 3,730 acres at an elevation of 6,000 feet, this state park is the site of a stunning, coral-colored dune field that is surrounded by red sandstone cliffs and juniper forests.
Reviewed By Windy327 - Washington state
This is a great place to stop for a break from the crowds. Note that the road in from the south is totally paved even though my map said it was a dirt road. The drive in was scenic and empty in mid March.
The dunes are beautiful and the sand is very fine grained and feels wonderful underfoot. This is obviously a mecca for off-road enthusiasts but we came during a relatively quiet time and saw one OHV only. We considered booking a tour but came in from the wrong area. You can spend a lot of time or just a little time to walk around wherever you like. If you bring a board, you can slide. For the $8 admission fee, we were quite happy to wander around and, in the entrance area, they have an amazing collection of sand from all over the world (as well as a pet snake).
This is definitely worth a detour and a nice break from the national park crowds.
7. Cottonwood Canyon Road
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 86 reviews
Reviewed By MtJester - Fairfax, Virginia
Imagine a sunny day walking barefoot in two inches of crystal clear water on smooth sand, soft as velvet, and gentle breezes blowing through the spring green trees. This was our hike in Lower Hackberry Canyon on May 11, 75 degrees, early afternoon with not a soul in sight.
The LHC trailhead is off Cottonwood Canyon Road about 14.5 miles from Rte 89.
Follow the obvious sandy footpath from the parking area west, a short distance, down into the wash. From this point, there are two different ways to get to the beginning of the canyon. You can go right (north) and continue following the wash. Soon it bends to the left and will take you directly into the canyon.
Or, when entering the wash from the parking area, continue walking straight (west) to the other side. As you do this, look towards the left for a brown signpost, hiding in the trees, to Hackberry Canyon (see picture below). It's right next to a sandy path which takes you west, through some trees into an open sandy area. Here the path disappears, so go right and keep walking (north) until you bump into the wash again. Turn left in the wash and continue (west) a short way to the opening of the canyon.
The prettiest part of the canyon goes on for about 1.5 miles until it opens up and gets boring. I've read, on other websites, that if you keep going further you will run into some interesting old historic cabins.The best way to go back to the parking area would be to just follow the wash. You won't get lost and it will be easy to see the car area on your left.
Note: This trail is wet in the spring from mountain runoff and could be in the fall from rain.During the summer it would be dry and hot without water to cool off. Probably not the best hike you could find during that time.
In the afternoon there are nice shady areas on the left side of the wash where you can sit on boulders to rest.
Definitely wear water shoes or go barefoot, or both.
This hike was positively idyllic on the day that we went. I hope yours will be too! Have fun!
8. Paria River Canyon
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 70 reviews
The Paria River has cut deep into the soft sandstone, hundreds of feet deep, and the walls of the canyon are striated in bands of pink and red and ocher and copper and gold, smoothed by water into intricate rippled patterns and glazed by the sun.
Reviewed By mikelyvers - gold coast Australia
After a day spent exploring The Wave and the surrounding area of North Coyote Buttes, we were heading back to Kanab and decided to take a short detour on the dirt road to Paria. The late afternoon light made the amazing colors of the strata really stand out, and the beauty of the place was as stunning as The Wave in its own way. Highly recommended but definitely do it late in the day for the good light.
9. Kane County Information Center
Overall Ratings
5 based on 43 reviews
Reviewed By George C - Scottsdale, Arizona
What a great place to stop and visit. We learned more about the area in 30 minutes than the rest of our time in Kanab! There is much more than just brochures to local options there. There are some great exhibits and it's indoors and air conditioned too!
10. Heritage House
Overall Ratings
5 based on 38 reviews
The Heritage House was built in 1894 for Henry and Mary Bowman, but went on to serve as home to other locally prominent families. As you step through the doors, it is as though you have stepped back in time. The home is furnished with many original furniture pieces. You will learn about the history of Kanab and the people that helped make it what it is today. Private tours are available by request during normal closed hours.
Reviewed By BlueHawaii-girl - Reno, Nevada
Kanab has found a gem in the tour guide at Heritage House. She brought the Home to life and made me want to return as soon as I am in Kanab again.
TAGS
