Last Updated: July 31, 2026
Kanab, Utah was about an hour and a half drive north from Page, Arizona, and we had been in the area before without ever spending much real time exploring it. The name Kanab comes from the Paiute word for “place of the willows,” and the town sits at the junction of US 89 and US 89A in the heart of canyon country — surrounded by five national parks and some of the most dramatic desert scenery in the American Southwest. We arrived in January 2021, still moving through the COVID-era landscape, and found an uncrowded, strikingly beautiful corner of Utah that rewarded every direction we pointed the Jeep.
Kanab, Utah is located at the junction of US 89 and US 89A in Kane County, southern Utah, near the Arizona border. Hours: Kanab and most surrounding attractions are accessible year-round. Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park day-use area is open daily 6:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. Best Friends Animal Sanctuary offers free guided tours daily — reservations recommended at bestfriends.org. Admission: Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park charges $10 per vehicle for day use. Best Friends Animal Sanctuary tours are free. Paria and the surrounding Grand Staircase-Escalante NM lands are free to access. Phone: Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park: (435) 648-2800; Best Friends Animal Sanctuary: (435) 644-2001. Website: Coral Pink Sand Dunes: stateparks.utah.gov/parks/coral-pink; Best Friends Animal Sanctuary: bestfriends.org; Grand Plateau RV: gprvresort.com.
Kanab, Utah
Kanab was settled in 1864, and in 1870 ten Mormon families relocated to the area at Brigham Young’s direction to help establish the town. For most of the 19th century it was considered remote and difficult to reach — a quality that actually made it attractive to Hollywood. From the 1930s through the 1960s, the red rock canyons and mesas surrounding Kanab served as the backdrop for more than a hundred film and television productions, earning the town its nickname of “Little Hollywood.” Zane Grey lived here while writing Riders of the Purple Sage in 1912, and John Wayne, Ronald Reagan, and Clint Eastwood all passed through during the filming years. The town still celebrates that heritage along its main street.
Today Kanab is one of the most strategically positioned towns in the Southwest. Zion National Park is about 40 miles to the northwest, Bryce Canyon about 80 miles to the northeast, the North Rim of the Grand Canyon about 80 miles south, and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument surrounds it to the east. During our visit we made day trips to Bryce Canyon and Zion — both are close enough to do easily from a Kanab base, though each deserves its own dedicated stay.
Kanab is also the nearest base for Coyote Buttes in the Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness, home to The Wave — one of the most photographed sandstone formations in the world and accessible only by permit. The lottery is notoriously competitive, with thousands of applicants for a handful of daily slots. We had secured reservations but had to cancel when a winter storm moved in and closed the access road. It remains firmly on our list for a return trip.
Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, Kanab, Utah
Best Friends Animal Sanctuary opened in 1984 in Angel Canyon, just north of Kanab, and has since grown into the largest no-kill animal sanctuary in the United States. On any given day the property cares for around 1,600 animals — dogs, cats, rabbits, horses, pigs, birds, and wildlife — across a sprawling campus set in a canyon of extraordinary red rock scenery. Their mission is to save the lives of homeless pets, promote no-kill sheltering nationwide, and find every animal a home. We have donated to them over the years because what they are doing matters. The Angels Rest pet cemetery on the property is one of the most moving places we have visited — individual markers for every animal that has passed through the sanctuary, set in that beautiful canyon. Visits and tours are free; tours are available daily and should be booked in advance through bestfriends.org.
Grand Plateau RV, Kanab
Grand Plateau RV had just opened when we arrived in January 2021 — we were among its first guests. The sites are large, full hookup, and positioned to take advantage of the surrounding red rock geography. Internet was workable, rates were reasonable for the quality, and the park was nearly empty in winter. The sunsets from the sites were extraordinary — the canyon walls behind the park catch the last light and turn through every shade of orange, pink, and red before fading. We watched a couple climb to the roof of their rental RV to get a better vantage point and understood completely.
Nighttime temperatures dropped to 15°F during our stay, and we woke one morning to a fresh snowfall covering the park and the mountains behind it. It was beautiful and it cost us the Coyote Buttes hike — the access road into the Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness was impassable after the storm. That trip is now one of several reasons we need to return to Kanab in a better season.
Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park, Utah
About 12 miles northwest of Kanab off Hancock Road, Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park protects one of the most unusual landscapes in Utah — a field of fine, brilliantly colored sand formed entirely by the wind erosion of surrounding Navajo sandstone. The name is technically accurate, though to our eyes the color reads as a saturated, warm orange rather than coral. Whatever you call it, the dunes are unlike anything else in the region. The sand is extraordinarily fine and soft underfoot, and the color shifts through the day as the light changes angle. The park sits at approximately 6,000 feet elevation, which moderates summer heat and makes it more comfortable than the lower desert country for much of the year.
The park is popular with OHV and ATV riders, who have a designated area separate from the hiking and photography zones. In January we had the dunes almost entirely to ourselves. More unexpectedly, we came across both an adult and juvenile Bald Eagle perched in the pines at the edge of the dune field — Bald Eagles migrate south from Alaska and Canada to winter in this area, and the park turns out to be a surprisingly good spot for raptor sightings in the colder months.
We walked among the dunes for a good stretch, watching the light work across the ridgelines and noting where dried vegetation held its shape against the colored sand. It would be a spectacular place to return to in spring when wildflowers bloom across the dune edges.
Paria, Utah
About 18 miles east of Kanab on US 89, a dirt road leads to the site of Paria — a ghost town within Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument occupied from 1870 until 1929. The settlement was established by Mormon pioneers hoping to farm the Paria River valley, but the river flooded repeatedly and the desert soil refused to cooperate, and the community was gradually abandoned. Decades later a Western movie set was constructed on the site, used for a number of productions including Clint Eastwood’s The Outlaw Josey Wales in 1976. Vandals burned the set in 2006, and today only fragments remain — but the landscape surrounding the old town site is the real draw.
The rock formations surrounding the old town site — known locally as the Paria Rainbow Mountains — are the main reason to make the drive. The hillsides are banded in reds, oranges, purples, and creams that come from the mineral content of the stone: iron oxides produce the reds and oranges, manganese the darker purples and blacks, and cobalt the blues. The effect is similar to Arizona’s Painted Desert but on a more intimate scale, accessible on foot and close enough to examine the individual layers. It reminded us why this corner of the Colorado Plateau is so extraordinary — you can drive for hours and the variations never exhaust themselves.
Practical Tips
Kanab as a base: Few towns in the American Southwest are as well positioned for a multi-park itinerary — Zion, Bryce Canyon, the Grand Canyon North Rim, Lake Powell, and Grand Staircase-Escalante are all within roughly two hours. Grand Plateau RV is an excellent full-hookup option with spacious sites and remarkable canyon views. Best Friends Animal Sanctuary: Tours are free and run daily; advance reservations through bestfriends.org are strongly recommended. The guided tour is worth doing to understand the scale and layout of the operation — the property covers a large canyon and spans multiple animal care areas. Coyote Buttes and The Wave: Permits are required and allocated by competitive online lottery through recreation.gov. Demand far exceeds the limited daily slots, especially in spring and fall. Apply well in advance. Walk-in lottery attempts are available at the Grand Staircase-Escalante visitor center in Kanab but are similarly competitive. Coral Pink Sand Dunes: Visit early morning or late afternoon for the most vivid colors and best photography light. The OHV riding area is clearly separated from hiking and walking zones. Paria: The access road is generally passable for standard vehicles in dry conditions; check conditions before heading out in winter — the dirt road can become impassable after rain or snow. No fee, no permit. Winter temperatures: January nights in Kanab drop to 15°F or below — full hookup RV sites are essential and water lines at exposed campgrounds can freeze.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Kanab a good base for visiting multiple national parks? Yes — it may be the best-positioned base in the American Southwest for a multi-park road trip. Zion National Park is about 40 miles northwest, Bryce Canyon about 80 miles northeast, and the Grand Canyon North Rim about 80 miles south. Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument begins just east of town, and Lake Powell and Glen Canyon NRA are about 75 miles to the east via US 89.
Do you need a permit to visit The Wave at Coyote Buttes? Yes. The Wave in the Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness is one of the most permit-restricted hikes in the United States. Daily visitor numbers are tightly capped, and permits are allocated by online lottery through recreation.gov — the odds are long, especially in peak season. Walk-in lottery slots are available at the Grand Staircase-Escalante visitor center in Kanab, but competition is similarly stiff. Apply well in advance and have a backup plan.
Is Best Friends Animal Sanctuary worth visiting even if you are not adopting? Absolutely. The free daily tours take you through the sanctuary’s various care areas — dog areas, cat spaces, rabbit and pig habitats, horse facilities, and the wildlife center. The Angels Rest pet cemetery is a genuinely moving stop. The canyon setting is beautiful, and the staff are passionate advocates for what they do. Families and children are welcome.
Is Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park good for families and dogs? Yes. The dunes are open for walking and exploration at no extra charge beyond the $10 vehicle day-use fee. The OHV area is separated from quiet-use zones. Dogs are welcome on leash. The 6,000-foot elevation keeps summer temperatures more manageable than lower desert parks, making early morning and evening visits comfortable even in July and August.
What is the best time of year to visit Kanab? Spring (April through May) and fall (September through October) offer the most comfortable temperatures and the best conditions for hiking and photography across the nearby parks and monuments. Summer is warm but not extreme at Kanab’s elevation, and most sites are accessible with early starts. Winter brings cold nights and occasional snow that can close backcountry roads — but also delivers uncrowded parks and exceptional light for photography.
