15 Best Things to do in Kanab Utah

If you’re doing a first time visit to this place, know that there many things to do in Kanab Utah and the 15 you’re going to learn about here are excellent for planning an itinerary. I’ve been in Kanab a few times and am amazed at how many things you can do (hikes, sights, attractions, etc…). Let’s get to the list:

1. Check out Moqui Caverns
2. See the Sand Caves
3. Hike to Cutler Point (incredible arch)
4. Hike to Red Canyon (slot canyon)
5. Do the White Wave hike
6. See Belly of The Dragon Cave
7. See Elkheart Cliffs Slot Canyon
8. Spend a day at Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park
9. Check out Vermilion Cliffs National Monument
10. Hike to Inchworm Arch
11. See Wahweap Hoodoos
12. Explore Kaibab National Forest
13. Visit Zion National Park
14. Check out Canyon Point
15. Explore the Yellow Rock trail

Hotel options:

Best hotels in Kanab Utah

Visitor recommendations:

See other best things to do in Kanab

Visit the Kanab Moqui Caverns:

Moqui Caverns (or caves) happen to be one of the most commercialized pictures you see if you look up Kanab on Google. Inside this area you’ll find museum pieces and history to check out.

Kanab Sand Caves:

About 300 feet south of Moqui Caves is where you’ll “see” the Sand Caves. I say that because they are not easy to spot when you’re driving but once you park your car either at Moqui Caves, or a plan B parking lot across the road from it (by the way, there’s a nice waterfall there), if you look east and up, you will see them. The Sand Caves are what you will often see shown off on social media and on Google maps when you look up Kanab and I’m glad I was able to find it when I went here. Believe me, it’s worth going and getting some amazing views and experiences in there.

However one thing you have to know is that to get there requires you hike to it. It took me about 10 minutes, but I followed some people who appeared to know where to go and we were able to get to the Caves. The hike up there can be a little tough for some people but there’s a way to do is in a simple way (it can be pretty steep).

Cutler Point, aka Great Chamber:

Cutler Point is one of the best “secret” hikes near Kanab. However getting there requires special directions. I’ve personally been here and created a guide to doing the Great Chamber hike . Basically you can either drive on a sandy/rocky road to get close to it (1/4 mile after) or do a 16 mile in and out hike if you have more time (and stamina). I elected to do the long drive (requires an AWD vehicle).

You can also do a private tour of the Great Chamber here (highly rated).

Hike to the Red Canyon (aka Peekaboo Slot Canyon Kanab):

As you drive north out of Kanab, you will see a trailhead to explore a very popular slot canyon called Red Canyon. However to reach it, you will have to hike about 4+ miles to reach the trailhead (and then another 4+ back to the parking lot). The reason I’m adding this specific hike is because I love slot canyons in general and this specific one might be far less crowded than most of the others you’ll find in Utah and Arizona in this case since there’s many similar ones there.

Explore the White Wave Utah hike:

I am so glad I discovered that there is a Wave hike alternative near Kanab and it’s this one! If you don’t know, there is actually a very popular hike (known across the country and even world) called the Wave and it’s in Arizona, specifically south east of Kanab (not far), but getting to that hike is extremely difficult as you need a permit.

But there are alternatives hikes like it and the White Wave hike (also known as the Nautilus hike) is one of them! I’m not sure if a permit/tour is required (although they are available), but the hike to it is very long (about 6 miles one way) so keep this in mind! The amazing thing about this place is that the Wave look a like is on amazing terrain and the adventure of getting there speaks for itself, something that any hiker would (in my opinion) be happy to do, including me.

Belly of the Dragon cave:

I am happy to report I also explored this area when I was passing through the Kanab area and finding it was a bit tricky for me. You have to drive on highway 89 and while you do have a GPS Google listing for Belly of The Dragon, you have to drive on a rugged road, but only for about 2 minutes and look back at where the road is to see this cave.

I missed it the first time I drove through here, but just remember that the cave actually passes underneath highway 89. The cave itself is well over 100 feet long and when I went there, I was the only person in the cave. There is very smooth, yet rugged sandstone there and it’s pretty easy to walk through. You can keep going further and further till you reach the next exit point, but in my case I didn’t go through the cave all the way. If you keep driving on the same rugged road further, you will find hiking trails, camping spots and even horse back riding areas.

Elkheart Cliffs Slot Canyon:

Here’s another awesome slot canyon near Kanab you should explore if you’re into these types of hikes folks! This slot canyon is about a 3 mile in and out trip off the road and not far from any of the other major things I’ve listed here (included the other slot canyon, and White Wave).

In fact, a lot of these regions are not just close to Kanab, but also near one another and you may even find opportunities to mix some of the places on this list together for a single day hike that passes through multiple spots so if you’re advanced and ready to do this, then you can make an entire day adventure out of this area.

This slot canyon is also highly rated for scenic views and awesome picturesque opportunities. I’m considering adding this as a great Antelope Slot Canyon alternative too, but I’ll hold off on that for now.

Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park:

I absolutely love Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park and when it comes to this state, it’s one of the best state parks in Utah that I have seen so far. The sand itself really is pink, and very coarse in general.

The park is also huge and you can do a lot of outdoor activities there all ranging in different levels of difficulty and taste. There’s overlooks, scenic hikes, sand boarding and way more, all of which is packed into this beautiful park. Out of the several sand dunes I have seen across the US, without a doubt this has been my favorite so far and it’s not just because of the color of the sand there, but also because it’s so beautiful there in general and you’ll understand that when you visit this park. I only had about an hour to spend here while I was headed to Kanab but I am planning to return to this park soon to do things like ATV riding and sand boarding.

Vermilion Cliffs National Monument:

Distance from Kanab: About 1 hour south east.

Vermilion Cliffs National Monument crosses between AZ and UT and in this case if you want to check out the best spots there, you’d be in the AZ side of this region. Anyway, the main areas here I would recommend you check out are:

1. The official Wave hike I talked about earlier (if you can get he permit of course).
2. White Pocket which is very close to the Wave and actually looks better in my opinion than the White Wave hike.
3. Cathedral Wash which is an amazing hike that I will never forget and will do again (this requires about a 2 hour drive from Kanab though).

And that’s just 3 of many more. I have included a link above to help you see what else you can see and do at Vermilion Cliffs. The closest town to it (eastern end) is Page, something to consider if you plan on seeing more of this region.

Inchworm Arch:

Distance from Kanab: 30 minutes east.

Inchworm Arch is an awesome natural bridge you will find off a 3 mile hike near Kanab. The area is amazing with mixes of white and red rocks. The arch itself is pretty large too, but accessing the area requires you to take road 3600 to reach. Getting up to the actual arch from the hike requires a bit of a scramble/climb but the payoff, pictures and area is just amazing to behold once you are there.

I am not sure if Inchworm Arch is part of the Grand Staircase Escalante, but if it is, it’s certainly one more of the many beautiful spots in that region I strongly recommend you take several days to check out (but you’d want to do that in the town of Escalante vs Kanab so you can have closer access to more spots, especially one of my favorite which is Coyote Gulch that has even bigger natural bridges and arches).

Note: I will be uploading a much better picture of Inchworm at in the future (this isn’t an accurate one).

Wahweap Hoodoos:

Distance from Kanab: 2 hours east.

If you’re going to visit the Vermilion Cliffs region of Arizona, specifically the eastern side, then I would absolutely add Wahweap Hoodoos to your list of things to see. While it is about 2 hours away from Kanab, it’s worth making the trip here because of how amazing this area is.

It’s actually outside the Vermilion Cliffs, but the trail and area here is amazing. Its not easy to describe how and why this place is awesome but this picture should help with the description. It’s basically boulders on top of building like rock formations, all naturally made by the way and the area has a mix of the White Wave as well as stuff you’d see in Goblin Valley State Park (further north in Utah, but more red and white rocks).

My advice for seeing this region as well as others so far outside Kanab (if you consider 2 or more hours to be far) is to start in Page, Arizona, see these spots and then move further west to Kanab and see the other spots on the list there.

Kaibab National Forest:

Distance from Kanab: 20 minutes (south).

I’ve driven through Kaibab National Forest several times and I have to say that it is an underrated spot to explore near Kanab and in general because most of the attention on things to do in Kanab are mainly the above things I listed so far. It offers a completely different landscape to enjoy than most of what you’d see near Kanab in general as the region consists of more green forests, high mountains and great views in general of the land and especially of what is beyond that.

You’ll also find way less people exploring Kaibab National Forest than many other hikes that are closer to Kanab itself, but considering how close this place is to the town, it’s well worth visiting! There’s plenty of hikes, campgrounds, rock climbing and things to do here in general and the area is gigantic too which means there’s just that much more to explore.

Zion National Park:

Distance from Kanab: 30 minutes.

Zion National Park doesn’t require much explanation as it’s already one of the most popular Utah destinations and just about everyone has heard of this national park. However, what most people may not know is that it’s also very close to Kanab and by staying there, you not only are close to this park but because you also have the other spots I’ve listed on this post, there is just that much more to see and staying in Kanab will give you the best logistical spot to see it all from.

Anyway, Zion National Park is indeed worth a visit and I have provided a link to things you can do there in a day. There’s amazing scenic drives, great and simple hikes, the famous Narrows trail and way more to explore. By visiting Zion from Kanab, you will be enering it from the eastern side of the park and there are also trails that give you access to places like Observation Point which overlooks Zion Canyon.

Canyon Point:

Distance from Kanab: 20 minutes.

Canyon Point is actually another awesome spot close to Kanab that features awesome hiking trails and great views of Grand Staircase Escalante, Kaibab National Forest and basically amazing scenery in general. Not only that but from this area, you can actually get a great view of Bryce Canyon National Park as well which is great because if you are traveling in a way where you can’t see this amazing national park, you can still see it from Canyon Point and get an awesome experience from it.

For what it’s worth, Bryce Canyon is about a 1 hour drive from Kanab and it is totally possible to stay in Kanab and take a day trip to Bryce if you want (I actually did that). There are other places along the way to see like Red Canyon, Willis Creek Slot Canyon and more, but if you are only staying in the southern area, go to Canyon Point to get a great view of Bryce.

Yellow Rock trail:

Distance from Kanab: 1-2 hours.

I have seen amazing rock formations and colors throughout Utah, but Yellow Rock is the latest place that totally surprised me. I added a picture of it and it’s worth exploring if you are OK with driving in sand and rocky areas. And if you’ve explored (or are planning to) other places on this list like Cutler Point or the other hikes on this list that require you drive in similar areas, you should be alright with exploring this place. In addition to that, there are also other trails on the same drive which lead to this trail like the Lower Hackberry Canyon trail.

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