Kanab, Utah
Off-Roading Around Kanab
Kane County is one of the best OHV regions in the Southwest, and the trail information is scattered across half a dozen places. This page is a directory of those places — the official land managers, the trail databases, and the permit rules that catch people out. It is not a trail guide, and nothing here replaces a current map from the people who manage the land.
Start with the land managers
These are the primary sources. If something on another site contradicts one of these, believe these.
BLM · OfficialHog Canyon OHV Trail System →
Roughly 30 miles of technical motorized trail north of Kanab, ranging from easy sand to extreme rock crawling. Suitable for 4WD vehicles, ATVs, UTVs and dirt bikes — explicitly not recommended for street or two-wheel-drive vehicles. The BLM page carries driving directions to both the western trailhead (staging area and kiosk) and the eastern kiosk, plus the Kanab Field Office contact for current conditions.
blm.govKane County TourismKanab: An OHV Destination →
The county tourism office maintains 22 downloadable PDF trail guides built for offline use — Alstrom Point, White Pocket, Peekaboo, the Great Chamber, Inchworm Arch, Dino Tracks, Smoky Mountain and more. Also the clearest statement of local riding etiquette, staging rules and in-town conduct. Printed copies are available at the Kanab Visitor Center.
visitsouthernutah.comLocal ClubUtah / Arizona ATV Club — staging areas →
Driving directions and GPS coordinates for ten OHV staging areas within 30 miles of Kanab: Hog Canyon, Peek-a-Boo, Elephant Cove, Crocodile in Johnson Canyon, Nephi Pasture, the Great Western Trail crossings, the Barracks, Hancock Road, Clay Flat and Poverty. It also explains which staging areas have toilets, which allow camping, and which turn to mud after rain. The most practically useful page on this list.
utazatvclub.orgTrail databases and maps
For picking specific routes, checking difficulty and downloading tracks before you lose signal.
Maps · SubscriptiononX Offroad — Kanab →
beginneronxmaps.comTrail Guides · SubscriptionTrails Offroad — within 50 miles of Kanab →
Detailed written trail guides with waypoints, photos, difficulty ratings and rider reviews. Useful when you want to know what a route actually involves before committing — The Barracks Trail and Second Left Hand Canyon are among the most reviewed in the area.
trailsoffroad.comOverviewUTV Guide — Kanab destinations →
A regional overview that sorts the area by what you are after: best for sand, best close to town, best technical day, best remote overlook. Good for planning the shape of a multi-day trip before you get into individual routes. Also lists Kanab-area rental and guided-tour operators.
utvguide.netShortlistGrand Plateau Lodge — five ATV trails →
A short, readable shortlist covering Peek-a-Boo, Coral Pink Sand Dunes, East Zion, Hog Canyon and Johnson Canyon. Least detailed of the sources here, but a quick way to narrow the field on a first visit.
gplodge.comPermits and rules, before you load the trailer
This is the part visitors most often get wrong, and it is worth ten minutes before you drive here.
Utah requires a permit or street-legal registration
Every OHV operator in Utah needs a registered machine and the Utah OHV Education Course. Non-residents also need a Utah Non-Resident OHV Permit, currently reported at $30.
Utah and Arizona do not recognise each other
There is no reciprocal agreement. An Arizona-permitted machine still needs a Utah permit to ride in Utah, and vice versa — which matters here, because the Arizona line is fifteen minutes south and several good routes cross it. Arizona non-residents need an Arizona OHV decal.
Many local owners register street-legal instead, because a number of designated routes on public land are open only to licensed vehicles.
Highways are off limits unless you are street-legal
- OHVs are generally prohibited on US-89 and other main highways unless the machine is fully street-legal — licensed, insured, mirrors and blinkers.
- Where you must cross a highway, cross at a designated point, at 90 degrees.
- Helmets are mandatory in Utah for riders under 18.
You can ride through Kanab itself
Licensed or Utah-permitted OHVs may use designated routes within the city, even if not street-legal. Look for the Anasazi Trails logo on the directional signage. Keep it to 15 mph through residential streets and treat them as transit rather than riding — noise and dust are the reason access gets restricted.
Fees and rules change. Confirm current requirements on the Utah State Parks and Arizona State Parks pages linked above before you travel.
Things worth knowing out here
Wet changes everything
The clay and sand roads around Kanab are straightforward when dry and genuinely impassable when wet, four-wheel drive included. Several of the staging areas listed above have flooded badly enough in the past to need rebuilding. If rain is forecast, check before you commit to a long loop.
There is no signal, and no water
Coverage disappears within a few miles of town. Download maps offline before you leave, carry a paper backup, and take more water than the day seems to need. Tell somebody where you are going and do not ride alone.
Slot canyons and storms do not mix
Several routes here end at or run through slot canyons. They flood from rain falling miles away, on ground you cannot see from inside the canyon. If there is a storm anywhere in the catchment, pick a different day.
Air down, stay in 4WD, stay on the route
Lower pressure in sand does more for traction than power does, and staying in four-wheel drive on dirt prevents the ruts and washboarding that get trails closed. Leave gates as you found them.
Riding out of Kanab
The garage takes machines and gear, the trailheads north of town are minutes away, and there is a hose for the sand at the end of the day.
Check availabilityFree 3-day Kanab guide