Things To Do in Kanab, Utah – a Hiker’s Paradise!
Antelope Canyon, Grand Canyon, The Rocky Mountains… this place is none of that. When people think of “hiking,” I don’t think Southern Utah is ever the first thing that comes to mind. Much less a town like Kanab, Utah. But they should. There are so many things to do, that it’s nothing short of a hiker’s paradise! So, the goal of this post is to shine a little more light on why this area is a must for your next Southwest road trip. And to give you plenty of alternatives while you’re waiting on your luck to come in for The Wave daily lottery.
Where is Kanab, Utah? Plus Logistics (of course!)
Utah in general is one of the most beautiful and unique states in the country. But Southern Utah has something extra special. The landscape, with glorious sandstone formations everywhere, make you feel like you’ve landed on an alien planet. When exploring this area, there are normally two towns people use as a base. The first, is Page, AZ. And the second, is Kanab. I personally have always stayed in Kanab because it’s easy to get to and close to The Wave.
The town is only 3 hours from Las Vegas, which is normally the cheapest airport in the area to fly into. You will definitely have to rent a car. But in order to really enjoy Southern Utah, you’re likely going to have to rent a car anyway. As far as car rentals go, I highly recommend a 4 wheel drive vehicle. Something like a Jeep Wrangler, with at least 12 inches of clearance from the ground. This is because the roads to some of the hikes are not paved, or even gravel. So, if you don’t have enough clearance, then you could end up stuck. Which would lead to a very expensive tow, and put a potential damper on your whole trip.
Further, I also recommend staying in an Airbnb, because the hotels in the area are extremely overpriced. We’re talking, $400 a night for a Holiday Inn, type overpriced. We stayed in a lovely boarding house type Airbnb. It was super fun, and gave us the opportunity to meet other visitors to the area. We played board games and drank beers. It felt like an adult version of a hostel, without the shared rooms or shared bathrooms.
Alright, now let’s get into the fun things to do in Kanab, Utah!
Best Friends Animal Sanctuary
On our first day in town, it was so cold that it snowed! So, we decided that it was a good time to go do a volunteer shift at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary. If you’ve never heard of this rescue group, they have a huge property in Southern Utah, with all kinds of rescue animals on property. There are more common pets, like dogs and cats. More farm animals, like horses and goats. All the way up to the exotic pets, like snakes and lizards. Depending on your level of knowledge, you can sign up for a volunteer shift to take care of all of them!
Sarah and I are definitely dog people, so we signed up for a shift with the pups. It was super fun and easy. We would leash them up, and take them on a walk so they could get plenty of exercise. All the dogs were so sweet and it was the perfect thing to do on a cold wet day, where we didn’t want to get out and hike. It’s a great way to both help and feel fulfilled.
Not to mention that Best Friends has the cheapest lunch in all of Kanab, Utah. It’s a $5 all you can eat vegan buffet, and it has an amazing view of the property. You do not have to do a volunteer shift in order to have lunch at the buffet, you can just walk in. But I would highly recommend doing a shift.
The Mochi Caves
A short hike that is perfect for after your shift at Best Friends, are the Mochi Caves. Even though the caves are manmade, and the hike requires a little butt scrambling, they are one of the best things to do in Kanab, Utah. The hike is less than a mile out and back on mostly flat surface. However, when you get to the base of the cliffside that has the caves, it’s basically straight up. It can look intimidating, but you can totally do it. Just remember that slow and steady wins the race. As you climb, make sure each foot feels stable before you put weight on it. And as you climb down, don’t be afraid to slide on your butt!
Travel Tip: These caves are constantly featured on Instagram so I thought they would be crawling with people and hard to take pictures. However, I think the climb is daunting enough to deter folks, and it really wasn’t that crowded.
Travel Tip: This is as good a time as any to mention travel insurance. Never leave home without it!
Wirepass Trail to Buckskin Gulch
If you’re like us, and didn’t win the daily lottery for The Wave, you can pretend by hiking the Wirepass Trail and Buckskin Gulch. The Wirepass trailhead and The Wave trailhead are the same. So you can basically, pretend you’re going to hike the wave, and then sadly turn away from the trail. However, the sadness quickly disappears as you enter this cool soothing slot canyon. This was one of my favorite hikes in the Kanab, Utah area. The trail is so interesting and you get a really close up view to the slot canyon walls.
This hike may not be the best for anyone with a fear of tight spaces. But you can always see the trail ahead of you, so you’re not closed in on all sides. This hike is also great for when it’s hot outside. That is because the slot canyon walls have a cooling effect. It was honestly so refreshing. At the end of the hike, you are awarded with an even larger slot canyon called Buckskin Gulch.
It’s actually really interesting going from one hike to the other. You go from a smaller tighter slot canyon to one of the largest slot canyons I have ever seen. Both hikes are not difficult and there is not much elevation gain. Combine them for a great way to pass half a day.
Peek-A-Boo Canyon
While we’re on the subject of slot canyons, Peek-A-Boo Canyon is another amazing slot canyon in the Kanab, Utah area. Sarah and I took a tour with Kanab Tour Company, of this canyon with a private photo guide. We had so much fun dressing up in pretty dresses and taking pictures in the canyon with Shelly. The Peek-A-Boo canyon hike itself is very easy. It’s a relatively flat 1 mile hike out and back. However, I would recommend a tour because getting to the canyon itself is a 9 mile hike. Not to mention it’s a common tour and there are razors and trucks everywhere racing past you, so it wouldn’t make for a pleasant hike.
Travel Tip: There are lots of amazing tours in the area that combine Peek-A-Boo canyon with lots of other really cool hikes. If you’re interested you can check out any of those tours here.
Mystic Hot Springs and Goblin Valley
Admittedly, both Mystic Hot Springs and Goblin Valley State Park are a little outside the area of Southern Utah. Goblin Valley especially, is pretty far. Like a good 4 hour drive. However, if you’re determined enough, it is a really cool place to see! It truly looks like an alien landscape. This is because it’s a valley full of Hoodoos. Which are formations made from distinct weathering patterns that wear down the base of the formation, and leave a mushroom like shape at the top. The valley is full of them, and they look like goblins. Hence the name. Goblin Valley State Park is also a designated Dark Sky Park, which means that if you are there at night, you have an exceptional view of the sky! You might even be able to see the Milky Way from there!
Travel Tip: A word of warning, if you are traveling in the area during April, this is the same time as the mule deer migration. They will 100% stand in the road. So be careful when driving around the winding roads at night.
Mystic Hot Springs, on the other hand, are not as far from Kanab, Utah, and is one of those kitschy kind of attractions. The attraction is full on manmade tubs that catch the hot spring water. If you’ve ever seen a picture of a tub that looks like it was carved out of rock, this is that place. After lots of hiking, Mystic Hot Springs is a great place to relax and recharge. I personally, was a little worried from a hygiene perspective, but while we were there we saw them drain the tubs and clean them. This eased my mind, and I was able to relax in the luxurious water.
White Pocket
Okay, out of all of the best things to do in Kanab, Utah, I’ve saved the best for last. Which is hiking White Pocket. White Pocket is like the sister formation to The Wave. They are technically part of the same formation, but White Pocket doesn’t require a permit at all. I am not going to go into too much detail, because that link will take you to the most detailed blog post on White Pocket that I have ever seen. What I will do, is cover the one thing I think Indigo may have missed…
Airing Down Your Tires
The roads, when headed out to White Pocket can be very bumpy and sandy. To do this hike you especially need the 4 wheel drive with 12 inches of clearance. However, if the sand is very dry it gets very deep. This will cause you to have to air down your tires. People who are used to driving on the beach know what this is. It is where you let air out of your tires so that your tire covers more surface area, so they can cruise over sand easier. Normally, there is an air pump just off any drivable beach that lets you air back up. However, this is not the case with White Pocket.
Luckily for us, the sand was compact enough where we did not have to air down our tires (thank you to the lovely couple who stopped us when they saw us struggling!). We were prepared though, and rented an air compressor from the local hardware store in Kanab to take with us. The general rule of thumb when airing down tires is to air down to 35 psi. If you see the car still struggling and potentially getting stuck, air down again to 30. You must air back up before you hit the main roads!
Be brave, you can do it. White Pocket is totally worth it. Plus, the hike to White Pocket, like all these other hikes, is pretty easy. Once you’re there it’s less than a mile to the formations. I didn’t find the drive that bad. Or at least, no worse than some back country roads we have here in Georgia. Just be prepared.
One More Small Note
Before I wrap up this very long post on all the amazing things to do in Kanab, Utah, I will mention one more thing. This area of Southern Utah is also full of Petroglyphs. Petroglyphs are stone carvings dating back tens of thousands of years. When driving the winding roads, there will sometimes be turn offs or veer offs where you can see them. I was able to see them on this trip and they were so cool, and super interesting. I couldn’t get enough of trying to spot them and see the story they were trying to tell. It’s a connection to our collective past like no other.
That’s it! Notice that I didn’t mention Zion National Park or Bryce National Park, but both are must sees especially your first time in the area. Zion is especially crowded (especially as of this writing in April 2025), so brace yourselves for long lines. Try to get to the parks as early as possible. I go into more detail on these parks in my previous Southwest road trip blog post.
I really hope you enjoyed this guide of things to do in and around Kanab, Utah. And it proves useful to you when planning a trip to this amazing area!
