Kanab, Utah

Your Southern Utah Trip Planner

We host people here every week, and the same questions come up: what needs a permit, how far is everything really, and what do we do when it is 105 degrees. These are our answers.

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How Far Is Everything, Really

Measured from our driveway. The permit column is the one that catches people out.

DestinationDrivePermit?Best season
Coral Pink Sand Dunes~25 minNoSpring & fall; early or late in summer
Toadstool Hoodoos~30 minNoYear-round
Zion National Park~40 minPark entry; lottery for Angels LandingSpring & fall
Wire Pass / Buckskin Gulch~1 hrSelf-pay day useSpring & fall
Coyote Buttes North (The Wave)~1 hr + rough roadLottery, months aheadSpring & fall
Lake Powell / Glen Canyon~1.25 hrNoSummer
Grand Canyon North Rim~1.5 hrPark entryLate spring to fall — closes in winter
Bryce Canyon~1.5 hrPark entryYear-round; much colder, above 8,000 ft

Regional Map

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Questions We Actually Get

Yes, and it is the most common day trip our guests make. It is roughly 40 minutes to the east entrance. Leave early — parking and shuttle queues build through the morning, and the canyon gets hot by midday. Check current shuttle operations on the park site before you set off.

No, you cannot turn up. Coyote Buttes North is lottery-only with a strict daily limit, and the odds are long in peak season. Enter the lottery, but build a trip that works without it — Coyote Buttes South, Buckskin Gulch via Wire Pass, and the Toadstool Hoodoos are all excellent and far easier to access. Full detail on our permits page.

Flip the day. Hike at sunrise, come back by late morning, and use midday for the hot tub, the game garage, and air conditioning. Head out again after five. Bryce Canyon sits high enough to be noticeably cooler and makes a good hot-day trip, and Lake Powell works for obvious reasons.

Comfortably, if you base yourself in one place rather than moving hotels. Zion, Bryce, the North Rim, Lake Powell and a slot canyon all sit within about 90 minutes of the house. Our week-long itinerary spaces the long drives out with recovery days in between.

Not for the parks, the paved scenic drives, or most of the popular trailheads. You do for Coyote Buttes South and several backcountry slot canyons, where high clearance is genuinely required. Many dirt access roads also become impassable when wet regardless of vehicle — ask us about current conditions.

Fine in town, unreliable to nonexistent outside it. Download offline maps and any permit confirmations while you are on the fiber connection at the house.

Official Sources

The handful of links worth bookmarking. Everything here is a primary source, kept current by the people who run it.

Kanab Events Calendar →
Rodeos, festivals and community events, maintained by Kane County tourism.
UDOT Road Conditions →
Live closures and conditions. Check before any long drive.
BLM: The Wave Lottery →
The only authoritative source on Coyote Buttes North permits.
Recreation.gov →
Federal campgrounds, tours and timed-entry reservations.
Zion National Park →
Shuttle status, Angels Landing lottery, current conditions.
Trailforks: Kanab →
Live mountain bike trail conditions and rider reports.

Make Kanab Basecamp Your Home Base

Sleeps eight, private hot tub, EV charger, and a garage for the gear — with every trailhead on this page inside 90 minutes. Book directly and pay less in fees.

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