Kanab and what lies around it
Kanab sits in southern Utah, close to the Arizona border. Most of the sights people come for are not in town. They are a drive away: sandstone and slot canyons in the Vermilion Cliffs area, a dune field to the west, hoodoos along US 89 to the east, and Zion and Bryce Canyon to the north. Some can be reached in a normal car. Others need a high-clearance 4x4, a permit or a guide.
The twelve entries below mix both kinds. "Best" is our editorial choice, not an official ranking. This is an independent guide. Permits are issued only through recreation.gov and the BLM. For Page and Antelope Canyon, see our sister guide to Page and Antelope Canyon.
The big landscapes
Experiences 1 to 4: The Wave, White Pocket, the dunes and the Toadstools.
1. The Wave
The Wave lies in Coyote Buttes North, Vermilion Cliffs National Monument, Arizona. You need a day permit, and permits come from two lotteries. The monthly lottery takes applications during one month for the month four months ahead. The daily lottery opens two days before the hike, from 6 am to 6 pm, on a mobile device inside the geofence. An application costs $6, and winners pay $7 per person or dog. The route is 6.4 miles (10.3 km) round trip and is not marked.
The Wave guide →2. White Pocket
White Pocket is a bowl of swirling, banded sandstone in the same monument. The BLM lists no fee, and an operator confirms that an ordinary visit needs no visitor permit. The hard part is the road: deep sand and sharp rock mean a 4x4 with high clearance, and vehicles regularly get stuck. Many visitors go with a guide for that reason.
White Pocket guide →3. Coral Pink Sand Dunes
A state park with a dune field about 20 miles (32 km) from Kanab. Entry in 2026 is $15 per vehicle, or $10 for Utah residents aged 65 and over. Sandboards and sand sleds rent for $25 each at the visitor center. The park is open in daylight hours, seven days a week. Off-highway vehicles must fly an orange or red safety flag.
Dunes guide →4. Toadstool Hoodoos
The trailhead is on US 89, about 45 miles (72 km) east of Kanab and 12 miles (19 km) west of Big Water. Access is free and open all year. The walk is easy to moderate and covers about 1.5 to 2 miles (2.4 to 3.2 km) round trip through a wash. There is no shade, so avoid midday in summer. Do not touch or climb the formations.
Toadstools guide →Our picks: things to do
A 4x4 trip to White Pocket, a UTV ride at the dunes and a slot canyon tour.
Hand-picked tours, booked through GetYourGuide. Prices are indicative starting prices in US dollars (as of October 2026). Tap a tour for live availability and the current price in your currency.
Guided 4x4 group trip to White Pocket
A guided group drive in an off-road vehicle with an experienced guide. Food and drinks are not included.
Check availability →
UTV ride, slot canyon and sand surfing at the dunes
A guide, the UTV ride, sandboards and water. Goggles, a neck scarf and park entry are not included.
Check availability →
Peekaboo slot canyon tour by off-road vehicle
Off-road transport, a local guide and water. Other food and drinks are not included.
Check availability →Kanab tours and day trips
Guided 4x4 trips, slot canyon outings and day trips around Kanab, with live prices and availability.
Canyons, cliffs and animals
Experiences 5 to 8: Buckskin Gulch, the Vermilion Cliffs, Best Friends and Moqui Cave.
5. Buckskin Gulch and Wire Pass
Day use costs $6 per person per day, and dogs also pay $6. Buy the pass on recreation.gov or by QR code at the trailhead. The short Wire Pass out-and-back is 3.4 miles (5.5 km) and takes 1.5 to 2 hours. It is not the full Buckskin traverse. Do not enter if rain is forecast, including rain upstream, because slot canyons flash flood.
Buckskin Gulch guide →6. Vermilion Cliffs National Monument
The monument covers 280,000 acres (about 113,000 ha) in Arizona. It has no paved roads and no visitor center of its own. Get information in Kanab, at the Paria Contact Station or in St. George. In the 16 October 2026 road report, House Rock Valley Road was rated 2WD high clearance, with muddy sections north of Wire Pass.
Vermilion Cliffs guide →7. Best Friends Animal Sanctuary
The sanctuary is in Angel Canyon. The entrance is about 5 miles (8 km) north of Kanab on US 89, between mile markers 69 and 70, then roughly 1.5 miles (2.4 km) to the Welcome Center. Public areas are open from 8 am to 6 pm Mountain Time, daily except Christmas. Standard tours are free, and tours of the whole sanctuary last about 90 minutes and should be booked ahead. The café serves a plant-based lunch buffet for $5 per person from 11:30 am to 1 pm.
Best Friends guide →8. Moqui Cave
A museum about 10 minutes north of Kanab, with Native American artifacts, dinosaur tracks and fluorescent minerals. The website mentions more than 180 dinosaur tracks. A county tourism listing gives $7 for adults, $6 for seniors and $5 for children. Prices and hours can change, so check the museum's current listing before you drive up. It is not the same place as the free Sand Caves, also called Moqui Caverns.
Film history and the national parks
Experiences 9 to 12: Belly of the Dragon, Little Hollywood, Zion and Bryce Canyon.
9. Belly of the Dragon
This is a man-made drainage tunnel under US 89 that carries runoff from the canyons above. It is not a natural cave. Do not enter it when it rains. Check current access and conditions locally before you go, and treat it as a short stop, not a half-day plan.
10. Little Hollywood Museum
The museum is behind the shop at 297 W. Center Street. It shows film sets, among them sets from "The Outlaw Josey Wales" and "Sergeants 3". The operator counts more than 100 films and TV productions in and around Kanab since 1924. The state tourism office lists free entry, year-round opening and hours from 9 am to 5 pm, and notes that it is an outdoor museum with parking in front. Check the hours before you go.
11. Zion National Park
From Kanab it is about 30 minutes to the east entrance and about 1 hour to the south entrance. Entry in 2026 is $35 per private vehicle, $30 per motorcycle and $20 per person on foot or by bike (age 16 and over), valid for 7 days. Non-US visitors aged 16 and over pay an extra $100 each, unless a valid annual pass covers them. Since 7 June 2026 size limits apply between the east entrance and Canyon Junction.
Zion and Bryce guide →12. Bryce Canyon National Park
Kane County gives about 90 minutes from Kanab as a rough guide. Entry in 2026 is $35 per vehicle, $30 per motorcycle and $20 per person on foot or by bike (age 16 and over), valid for up to 7 days, with the same $100 supplement for non-US visitors. Payment is by credit or debit card only. The free park shuttle ran from 3 April to 18 October in 2026, so check whether it operates on your date.
Zion and Bryce guide →
Plan around permits, roads and heat
The Wave lottery used to be drawn in person at the Kanab visitor center, as this photo of an earlier draw shows. Today the daily draw runs on a phone. There is no walk-in lottery any more.
Flash floods are the main danger in slot canyons. Heat is the main danger from May to September in Coyote Buttes, where there is no drinking water and no shade. Deep sand ends many trips in the Vermilion Cliffs area, so do not drive there in a vehicle that is not made for it. Kanab has no public transit, so plan to drive or to book a tour.
The twelve at a glance
Fees as published for 2026, where a fee applies.
| Place | Cost in 2026 | Getting there |
|---|---|---|
| The Wave | $6 application, $7 per person or dog if drawn | Unpaved access, unmarked 6.4-mile hike |
| White Pocket | – | 4x4 with high clearance, deep sand |
| Coral Pink Sand Dunes | $15 per vehicle | About 20 miles from Kanab |
| Toadstool Hoodoos | – | US 89, about 45 miles east |
| Buckskin Gulch and Wire Pass | $6 per person per day | Unpaved road, trailhead register |
| Vermilion Cliffs | Depends on the area | US 89 east or US 89A via Fredonia |
| Best Friends | Standard tours free | About 5 miles north on US 89 |
| Moqui Cave | $7 adult, $5 child (county listing) | About 10 minutes north |
| Belly of the Dragon | – | Under US 89, avoid in rain |
| Little Hollywood | Free entry (state listing) | 297 W. Center Street, in town |
| Zion | $35 per vehicle | About 30 minutes to the east entrance |
| Bryce Canyon | $35 per vehicle | About 90 minutes |
Plan the rest of your trip
Where the weather, the beds and the guided trips fit in.
Things to do in Kanab: frequently asked questions
What is the best thing to do in Kanab?
It depends on your vehicle and your time. With a normal car, the Toadstools, Coral Pink Sand Dunes, Best Friends and the museums are all easy. With a high-clearance 4x4 or a guide, White Pocket and the Vermilion Cliffs area open up. The Wave needs a lottery permit.
Which of these need a permit?
The Wave (Coyote Buttes North) and Coyote Buttes South need day permits. Overnight stays in Paria Canyon need a separate permit. Buckskin Gulch and Wire Pass need a $6 day-use pass. White Pocket needs no visitor permit for an ordinary visit. Permits are issued only through recreation.gov and the BLM.
Can I visit Zion and Bryce Canyon as day trips?
Yes. Kanab is about 30 minutes from the Zion east entrance and about 90 minutes from Bryce Canyon, as rough guides. Add time for waiting, road repairs and parking, and remember the $100 extra fee for non-US visitors aged 16 and over.
What can I do when it rains?
Stay out of slot canyons and Belly of the Dragon. Moqui Cave is a museum, and the Little Hollywood Museum is outdoors. Unpaved roads, including House Rock Valley Road, can become impassable when wet.
Do I need a 4x4?
Not for the Toadstools, the dunes, Best Friends or Zion. For White Pocket and the sandy tracks of Coyote Buttes South you need a 4x4 with high clearance, and all-wheel drive is not considered enough for the deep-sand access to South. Guided trips solve this.
Is there public transit in Kanab?
Best Friends states that Kanab has no public transit. Plan to rent a car or book a guided trip, especially for the remote trailheads.