10 Jaw-Dropping Places to See Near Kanab, Utah

Kanab welcome sign, Narrows, Grand Canyon North Rim

Located in Southern Utah, just north of the Arizona state line, Kanab is an outdoorsman’s PARADISE. Centrally situated between Bryce Canyon, Zion National Park, Lake Powell, and the Grand Canyon North Rim, not to mention Antelope Canyon, Coral Pink Sand Dunes, and The Wave- to name a few (!), Kanab is the place to be if you love adventure and picture-perfect sights.

There is so much to do in and around Kanab, and we’re not just talking about being able to find things to pass the time. We’re talking about crossing multiple bucket-list activities off your list by making this southern Utah town your home base for a week (or more).

Here are 10 can’t-miss, jaw-dropping places to see near Kanab, Utah!

google map with activities near Kanab, Utah

During our 2021 Travel Season, Jon and I took a 3.5-month road trip through Colorado and Utah. Kanab was the last stay of our trip and one of the top highlights in terms of big beauty and adventure. If you’re up for a few day trips, there’s no better place to stay to maximize your proximity to some of the most well-known and awe-inducing sights in the United States. Kanab is a Road Trip Local destination through and through!

To be in the middle of everything Southern Utah offers, we recommend staying in Downtown Kanab.

The best time of year to visit Kanab is September or October. Colder nights will begin to arrive, a welcome reprieve from the summer heat, and the crowds will have quieted (at least a little bit) with school back in session. This doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll have these places on our list to yourself, but it will be easier to find solitude during these shoulder-season months.

Shoulder seasons will also give you an easier time booking tours, scoring a Wave permit, or navigating national park crowds.

If you’re a fan of the outdoors and enjoy a road trip, we highly recommend placing Kanab at the top of your destination wish list. Here are 10 jaw-dropping places to see near Kanab, Utah!

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1. Zion National Park

While most people stay in the park or the nearby town of Springdale, Kanab works just as well as a home base for visiting one of the most popular national parks in the United States.

Zion is about 30 miles from Kanab, and it takes about an hour to enter the park and arrive at the Zion National Park Visitor Center (where you’ll park your car and hop on a shuttle bus unless you’re visiting between November and March, excluding the end of December).

Two of the most popular things to do in Zion National Park include hiking Angel’s Landing and walking The Narrows. Zion is a jaw-dropping national park worth seeing, and these two hikes are two of the most iconic hikes in America!

2. Bryce Canyon National Park

Bryce Canyon National Park is about a 1.5-hour drive from Kanab, Utah, making it another doable day trip.

Two of the most popular things to do in Bryce Canyon National Park are to drive the 38-mile Bryce Canyon Scenic Drive and hike the Queens Garden and Navajo Loop trail.

You can start this trail from either Sunset or Sunrise Point. If you’re looking for one of the most iconic views of Bryce Canyon, park at Sunset Point and begin your hike there. This way, you’ll walk the switchbacks of ‘Wall Street’ first.

Wall Street is one of the most picturesque views in Bryce Canyon National Park.

Wall Street was by far my favorite view along this trail, but I thought the most expansive view of the hoodoos was from an overlook right before Sunrise Point. The view of hoodoos from the rim walk between Sunrise and Sunset Point is also amazing!

3. The Wave

The Wave is a once-in-a-lifetime destination… being equal parts hard to secure a permit to visit and incredible to photograph in person.

Although the application for getting a permit has changed (from an in-person daily lottery to a mobile-based geofence lottery), it’s still one of the most difficult permits to get in the US.

When we won (after entering the online lottery and then the in-person lottery for 15 days in a row), we won alongside a couple who had been applying online for 15 years. On the day we hiked to the Wave, we met a family who flew in just for the day to hike The Wave after applying online for a similar amount of time.

For the daily lottery, 4 groups or 16 people - whichever comes first - win each day. You enter two days before your hike. Learn more about securing a Wave permit here.

After you win your permit, you can either hire a guide or self-hike to one of the most unique rock formations in the United States.

The hike is strenuous, and it’s easy to get lost, particularly during the return trip. While we recommend following the instructions you’ll receive after winning your permit, we also recommend having a digital map, from recreation.gov or AllTrails, to assist you back to your car if needed.

Note: The Wave is a dog-friendly hike, so make sure to include your pup in your application!

Can’t get a permit to the Wave in Coyote Buttes North? Consider hiking Coyote Buttes South, Wire Pass Trail, Buckskin Gulch Slot Canyon, or The Great Chamber instead.

4. Antelope Canyon, Horseshoe Bend, & Lake Powell

About 1 hour and 10 minutes from Kanab, Utah, is Page, Arizona, another town great for adventure galore. Three of the most jaw-dropping places to see from here include Antelope Canyon, Horseshoe Bend, and Lake Powell.

If you want to visit Upper Antelope Canyon, the more popular of the two canyons due to the visibility of light beams inside the canyon, be sure to find your tour guide and book your ticket early. To maximize your view of the light beams, the best time to visit Upper Antelope Canyon is between May and September and between 11am and 1:30pm.

If you’re less concerned about seeing the beams, or you want a less crowded experience in Antelope Canyon, consider touring Lower Antelope Canyon instead. We booked a Lower Antelope Canyon tour with Ken’s Tours. Lower Antelope Canyon is a slightly more physical tour than Upper, requiring you to descend and ascend ladders along the way. Our tour was around midday, but our tour guide said tours later in the day were better because fewer people visit at that time. He told us the last tour of the day is the best because there are likely to be fewer people on your tour, and there’s no tour behind you rushing you through the canyon.

There aren’t usually light beams in Lower Antelope Canyon, so picking a tour time based on that is less of a factor. However, the day we were visiting, our guide said there were light beams visible around 10:30am, so it is possible. (Remember, you’ll have a better chance of seeing light beams inside the canyon at Upper Antelope Canyon.)

Note: You must book a guided tour to visit Upper or Lower Antelope Canyon. Your tour guide will lead you safely through the canyon, show you the best photo ops, and remind you to put your iPhone camera settings on “vivid warm” mode for the most beautiful pictures! No video is allowed, so be sure to have your phone on “live mode” as well, so you can create boomerangs that show a snippet of what it’s like walking through these incredible slot canyons.

RTL Tip: After visiting either Lower or Upper Antelope Canyon (or both!), make a stop at the Glen Canyon Dam Overlook and Horseshoe Bend. Horseshoe Bend is RIGHT down the street from Antelope Canyon, and it’s a quick, easy stroll to another jaw-dropping place you must see near Kanab, Utah. Horseshoe Bend is currently $10 per vehicle to enter, and about a 3/4 mile walk to the bend.

Then, stop at the overlooks on your way back to Kanab for beautiful views of Lake Powell.

Horseshoe-shaped river around rock bend — Horseshoe Bend

5. Grand Canyon North Rim

While the South Rim is typically the most popular and most visited area of the Grand Canyon… if you’re in Kanab and up for a road trip, we highly recommend visiting the Grand Canyon North Rim.

Start at the Visitor’s Center parking lot. Walk the short overlook trail for your first look. Then walk Bright Angel Point and the Nature Trail for beautiful overlooks of the Grand Canyon. About an hour before sunset, drive to Cape Royal.

(Cape Royal was recommended to us by a ranger as the best spot for sunset, and it did not disappoint. Absolutely incredible!)

The Cape Royal trail is an easy, paved trail that leads to a main overlook of the canyon. There are various side trails you can take for additional views along your stroll (and we highly recommend doing so). Stay through the sunset and enjoy the view just getting prettier and prettier.

RTL Tip: Stop for world-famous cookies at Jacob Lake Inn on your drive from Kanab to the Grand Canyon North Rim. (You can thank us later! 😉)

sunset colors over grand canyon — Cape Royal, Grand Canyon North Rim

6. Coral Pink Sand Dunes

Looking for a fun adventure to feel like a kid again? Grab your friends or your loved ones (or both) and head to Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park. (Bring your pup, too!)

You can rent a sled or sandboard at the visitor center once you arrive. (They are available on a first-come, first-serve basis at $25 per board.) Bring your own goggles; it’s often windy on the dunes! And as much fun as it is to ride down the dunes, be prepared to work for it as you have to climb back up to the top to repeat. (Worth it… at least a few times, ha!)

You can also book a guided ATV tour or rappelling tour. Learn more about rentals and activities at the Coral Pink Sand Dunes here.

Dog-Friendly? Yes!

7. Best Friends Animal Sanctuary

This one’s just as jaw-dropping as the rest on the list, but for an entirely different reason: Best Friends Animal Sanctuary provides a healing home to as many as 1,600 animals, including dogs living in “Dogtown”, cats in “Cat World”, birds, bunnies, horses at their “Horse Haven”, and pigs in “Marshall’s Piggy Paradise”.

A few months before our visit to Kanab, we were notified that our rental hosts had to cancel our reservation. We were bummed but quickly began to find somewhere new to stay. Enter: A rental in downtown Kanab. While reading the description and reviews for this rental, we quickly noticed past renters talking about how great this downtown Kanab location was for volunteer positions and internships at Best Friends.

Not knowing what this was at the time, we quickly started to research Best Friends Animal Society as it seemed to be something bringing many people to Kanab. We soon learned about this largest animal sanctuary of its kind in the US, one working to bring the United States to no-kill by 2025.

If you’re in Kanab, stop by for a visit, hike, or even take a free guided tour of the Sanctuary (offered daily) to see the animals. Learn more and plan your visit here.

welcome sign Best Friends Animal Sanctuary

8. Red Hallow Slot Canyon

Slot canyons are one of the most fun and unique things to explore in Southern Utah!

While The Narrows Slot Canyon in Zion National Park may be the most famous slot canyon near Kanab, the Red Hollow Slot Canyon is an easier, more accessible slot canyon that provides an opportunity to enjoy the views (and the adventure) with fewer crowds.

Dog-Friendly? Yes, but… it’ll be hard for dogs to continue once you arrive at the portion of the hike that requires a rope. Even before that, there are sections where you’ll likely need to assist your dog because the path is narrow and requires some rock scrambling.

9. The Toadstools

Toadstools are “spire-like features with a boulder perched atop a pedestal rock, like a mushroom or toadstool”. (Information thanks to the welcome sign at the Toadstools trailhead.)

In the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, right off Highway 89, you’ll find this Toadstool Trail leading to groupings of these rock formations. This is a fairly easy hike and about 1.6 miles round trip.

Best of all, despite being located right off the highway, this area feels like an entirely different world! Arrive for the hour before sunset, and explore to find sections of the Toadstools all to yourself.

RTL Tip: Looking for a road trip? From Kanab, visit Sunset Canyon National Monument (very close to Flagstaff if you want to grab lunch), then Horseshoe Bend and the Toadstools on your way back to Kanab. It’s a long day but a great way to see a variety of unique things!

Dog-Friendly? Yes!

10. The Belly of the Dragon, Moqui Caves, and Dinosaur Tracks

We’re rounding out this list of 10 jaw-dropping places to see near Kanab, Utah with not one final thing, but three: The Belly of the Dragon, Moqui Caves, and Dinosaur Tracks.

These are three relatively quick and short activities, and that’s why we’re grouping them together. Pick one that interests you most, or take an afternoon to explore all three!

You can even add a fourth excursion to “Sand Arch” to round out your mini road trip near Kanab, Utah.

Dog-friendly? Yes!

Have time for more? Keep Planning Your Trip to Utah

Keep planning your trip to Utah with a Mighty 5 Road Trip to see all 5 national parks in Utah. Click here for the itinerary!

Your turn! Leave us a comment below

We’re always looking for inspiration, and would love to hear about your adventures too! What’s the best road trip you’ve ever taken (and why), or which of these Kanab activities looks the most amazing to you? Please share with us in the comments below!

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