Kanab, Utah

Kanab, Utah Hiking & Slot Canyons

Some of the best-known hikes in the Southwest are inside an hour of Kanab — and a few of them are genuinely hard to get into. Here is what needs a permit, what does not, and what we send guests to when the lottery does not go their way.

No Permit Required

Show up and walk. These are the ones to build a day around when permits fall through, or when you want something short before dinner.

Toadstool Hoodoos

~1.8 mi round trip · ~140 ft gain · ~30 min drive

Balanced-rock hoodoos in Grand Staircase-Escalante, right off US-89. Free parking, no permit, and short enough for almost anyone. Best in soft morning or evening light.

Belly of the Dragon

Short · ~15 min drive

A man-made drainage tunnel that opens into a sculpted sandstone wash. Quick, shaded, and a reliable hit with kids.

Kanab Sand Caves

Short but steep scramble · in town

Excavated sandstone caves above US-89. The approach is a slickrock scramble that gets slick when wet — not one for flip-flops.

Jackson Flat Reservoir

~4 mi loop · in town

Flat, easy walking or riding right in Kanab. Good birding and an easy sunset stroll.

Coral Pink Sand Dunes

~25 min drive

Open dunes you can wander freely. Sand gets genuinely hot midday in summer — go early or late.

Wire Pass to Buckskin Gulch

Day-use fee, no lottery · ~1 hr drive

The accessible way into the longest slot canyon in the Southwest. Requires a self-pay day-use permit but no advance lottery — details on our permits page.

Worth Planning Ahead For

These need a permit secured in advance, and in one case a lottery most people do not win on the first try. Full details and links are on our permits page.

Coyote Buttes North / The Wave

BLM lottery · ~1 hr drive plus rough road

The famous one. Access is strictly limited and awarded by lottery, so demand vastly outstrips permits. Enter early and plan a backup for that day — most visitors do not draw it.

Coyote Buttes South

Separate BLM permit

Less famous, less contested, and still extraordinary. High-clearance 4WD is generally needed to reach the trailheads.

Buckskin Gulch (through-hike)

Overnight permit

Day-use into the gulch via Wire Pass is straightforward; a full through-hike is a serious overnight trip requiring its own permit and planning.

Zion Narrows & Angels Landing

NPS permits · ~40 min to the park

Angels Landing requires a seasonal lottery permit; Narrows top-down needs its own. Check the park site for what is currently in force.

When to Hire a Guide

A few of the best slot canyons near Kanab sit on rough 4WD tracks or on land that requires an outfitter. If you do not have high-clearance 4WD, or you want the sculpted narrow canyons you have seen photographed, a half-day guided trip is usually the difference between seeing them and not.

Ask us before you book anything. Guided canyon trips vary a lot in quality and in which canyons they can legally access, and road conditions change with the weather. Message us with your dates and we will tell you what is realistic that week — including when the answer is that a tour is not worth it.

Desert Hiking, Honestly

Flash floods are the real risk

Slot canyons flood from storms falling miles away, under a clear sky overhead. Check the forecast for the whole watershed, and never enter a narrow canyon with rain in the area.

Summer heat is not a formality

Afternoon temperatures pass 100°F with essentially no shade. Start at dawn, carry far more water than feels necessary, and treat midday as downtime.

Sandstone is slick when wet

The scrambles on several short hikes here become genuinely dangerous after rain. If it is damp, pick a different day.

Trailheads sit at the end of dirt roads

Many access roads are clay-based and impassable when wet, regardless of what your map app says. Ask locally before committing.

No cell service

Assume none outside town. Download offline maps at the house and tell someone your plan.

Respect the crust

The dark, crumbly soil between rocks is living biological crust that takes decades to regrow. Stay on rock or in washes.

Base Yourself in the Middle of It

Most of these trailheads are under an hour from the driveway. Come back to a hot tub and air conditioning.