One Day in Kanab, Utah

Kanab is a relatively small town in southern Utah just across the border from Arizona, with a population size that hovers around only 5000 residents. Don’t let its size fool you though, Kanab has a surprising amount of things to do! Read below for our recommendations of the best things to do in Kanab Utah to make the most out of your trip.

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1. Enter the Lottery for the Wave

Before you do anything else – head down to the Kanab Center to enter the free lottery for permits to Coyote Buttes North, better known as the Wave. This is a six-mile hike to other-worldly striped sandstone rock formations on the Colorado Plateau. The daily lottery is highly competitive and only allows up to sixteen people to visit the Wave so that the area is preserved from mass tourism. Though your odds of success may be low, a quick Google image search will show you just how worth it it is to apply. The rock forms are stunning. The walk-in lottery is open from 8:30am – 9:00am each morning and winners are drawn at the top of the hour. If you win (congrats!), you will have to pay a $7 fee to get your permit.

IMPORTANT: the winning permits grant you access to the Wave the day AFTER you enter the lottery. Regardless of if you win or lose, entering the lottery will only take up a half hour of your time on the day you actually apply.

Before you head out, take a stroll around the rest of the Kanab Center to learn about the history of the town and grab a map to have handy for the rest of the day.

PS: If you are reading this far enough in advance of your trip and would like to increase your chances of winning a permit, there is also an online lottery for the Wave that is run through Recreation.gov. This application must be filled out 4 months prior to your trip to the Wave and has a mandatory $9 entry fee in addition to the $7 fee per person if you win.

2. Visit the Moqui Cave Natural History Museum

For your next stop of the day, check out the Moqui Cave Natural History Museum. Originally developed from a red rock cave into a bar, the Moqui Cave is now an impressive collector’s museum. With the goal of showcasing southern Utah”s history, the small museum hosts many Native American artifacts, including arrowheads, pots, and spear points. It is also home to many fossils, minerals, rocks, and even dinosaur tracks!

Entrance to the museum is $5 US dollars.

Also on the property is a rolling snack & juice bar and dining area – and behind it, a second cave. Unlike the museum, this cave is undeveloped. It’s entrance is small but the cavern opens up as you go in. It’s dark and there are bats and they don’t promote entrance, but they wont stop you from entering if you’re curious.

3. Hike Through Red Hollow Slot Canyon

Continue driving for another twenty minutes or so up Route 89. Past the Red Hollow Ranch, you can leave your car and begin the easy hike to the Red Hollow Slot Canyon trailhead. In all, the trail runs 1.9 miles out and back. If you’re looking for a more private, less trafficked hike – this is the one. On our visit, there was only one other couple in the slots with us.

Since it isn’t very frequented, the trailhead can feel a bit tricky to find. To help, follow Red Hollow road as far as you can. A sandy, unpaved path will branch off of the street – park your car on the landing at the end of this dirt path. If you have trouble finding it, just ask a local where to go. They’ll point you in the right direction.

Entrance to the Red Hollow Slot Canyon is free. As with all slot canyons, good weather is crucial for a successful trip to Red Hollow. A rainstorm even miles away can run down the terrain and cause a flash flood. To ensure your safety while visiting, be sure to check the weather forecast prior to starting your hike.

4. Drive Through Zion National Park

Another twenty minutes west of the Red Hallow slot canyon is the famous Zion National Park. You could easily spend a whole day in Zion itself (click here for our full Zion travel guide), but if you’re just looking for a drive through the park: the views are stunning.

The entrance fee for Zion is $35 US dollars per vehicle and grants you access for one week., but if this is just one national park of many that you are visiting on your road trip, it may be worth it to buy the U.S. National Park Pass, which grants you access to any national park in the country for a year. The annual pass costs $80 US dollars.

5. Drive Through Bryce Canyon National Park

Similarly to Zion, you could definitely spend a whole day in Bryce Canyon National Park on its own. But if you’re just looking for a drive-through or a couple of short hikes, no guide for Kanab could be complete without mentioning Bryce Canyon – only a bit over an hour from Kanab’s city center. It would be a lot to visit both Zion and Bryce in one day, so if you’re not feeling that ambitious it would be a good idea to prioritize which you would rather see.

Like Zion, the entrance fee to Bryce Canyon National Park is $35 US dollars per vehicle and lasts for one week. The U.S. National Park Pass is also accepted in Bryce. For a full Bryce Canyon travel guide, click here.

6. Enjoy a Campfire Under the Stars

If you’re not tuckered out from the rest of your day’s activities, our final recommendation to end your day in Kanab is to marvel at the night sky on a stargazing tour. Known for its clear skies, Kanab – along with its surrounding areas in Arizona and Utah – is a fantastic place to find pocket’s of unobstructed views of the stars, with little to no light pollution.

Group tours that include s’mores, campfires, and an overview of local beliefs & stories about the stars and constellations are offered daily, and serve as a fun activity for adults and kids alike.

Frequently Asked Questions:

1. Is Kanab worth visiting? Absolutely! Not only was the town of Kanab charming to explore in and of itself, this small town makes the perfect base to easily access all of the nearby national parks and canyons without blowing your budget.

2. How far is Kanab from Zion? Kanab, Utah is an easy 30 mile drive from Zion National Park. The trip should take you about 30 minutes to complete.

3. How far is Kanab from Bryce Canyon? Kanab, Utah is about 76 miles from Bryce Canyon National Park. This trip takes about an hour and a half to complete.

What’s Nearby?

Is Kanab just one stop on your road trip through the southwest? Check out our travel guides below to complete your adventure!

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