Best Activities in Kanab, Utah

For a small town, Kanab, Utah sure packs a punch!  We only stayed one night, but we had some pretty cool experiences.  Plus, the drive from Zion National Park to Kanab was pretty spectacular too.  Our plan was to hit all five of Utah’s National Parks.  We started in Zion so Bryce Canyon was next on our list.  We decided to take a short detour and head south for a quick stop in Kanab, UT.

When I started planning our trip to Utah, I read so many articles, blog posts and Facebook posts on what to see and do with our kids.  For any trip we take, I like to plan everything from our accommodations and transportation to our activities and food choices.  I’m not one for much spontaneity! One of the suggestions that continued to come up, was to stop in Kanab, Utah.

Coral Pink Sand Dunes

Our morning started out in Zion National Park and then took the Zion-Mount Carmel Highway towards Kanab. We made some stops along the way, while we were still in Zion, and packed a lunch that we ate on the road.  We got into Kanab earlier than we planned so we headed right to Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park. 

Because this is a state park, we did not get into this park for free with our 4^th grader’s Every Kid Outdoors pass, but the entrance fee was only $10. Coral Pink Sand Dunes has a variety of activities, but the most popular is sandboarding—and we were all excited to give it a try!

Renting Sandboards

After paying the entrance fee, you can park and head inside to rent sand boards. They offer two types of boards—one is like a sled and the other is like a snowboard.  If you have smaller kids or aren’t as steady on your feet, then a sled is the way to go.  However, if you snowboard or are up for a little challenge, definitely get the sandboard!  Boards can be rented for $25 each for the full day.

If we ever went again, we’d just opt for the sandboard since everyone was fighting over it!  From there, you drive over to the sand dunes and park your car.  Just know that to get to the actual sand dunes you can slide down, it’s a hike!  And the sand is soft so it’s certainly a workout!  I’d recommend wearing some sort of sandals.  I opted for bare feet, but there were some sticks and stones in the sand that didn’t feel so good.

Sandboarding

There were a couple different sand dunes you could go down.  The one we opted for was not only closer, but not nearly as high either.  The big thing to remember is that when you slide down, you must climb back up—there are no ski lifts or ropes to take you back to the top.  And with the sand being soft, it certainly takes some energy!  When choosing a time to go, consider the temperature too.  We were there in late April, so the temps were milder than what it would be in the summer. If we had a summer trip planned, I’d get there as early as possible to avoid that mid-day heat.

I’ve never skied or snowboarded so standing upright and sliding down a hill without falling isn’t so easy!  Our kids caught on a little quicker than we did, but we finally got it!  We had a blast trying to figure it out.  Our youngest was the only one who wasn’t a fan.  Although he LOVES playing in the sand at the beach, this activity just wasn’t his cup of tea. 

Moqui Cave/Sand Caves

We stayed at the dunes for about 2.5 hours and then headed to our hotel.  On our way to the hotel, we stopped at Moqui Cave.  The cave museum was closed, but you can still access a trail that leads to the Sand Caves (and it’s free).

These caves sit pretty high up, but as long as you have some grippy shoes, you can climb up the rock and check out inside the caves.  My kids loved this hike!  This was definitely one of their favorite activities on our entire trip.  The kids thought they were so cool climbing these rocks and made it look so easy!  My oldest son and I were the last to get up, but we did make it and were glad we did.

By the time we were done with the caves, it was time to check into our hotel.  We stayed at the Hampton Inn, Kanab.  The kids were ready for some pool time so we relaxed in the hot tub while they burned off some steam. 

Wild Thyme Cafe

We decided to try Wild Thyme Cafe for dinner.  It was a quick walk right from our hotel.  I was worried we wouldn’t have many options since it was Easter Sunday, but they were open and seated us pretty quickly. 

I had the Pistachio Chicken, which was a chicken breast encrusted with ground pistachios and southwest spices in a light poblano cream sauce.  It was accented with a sweet pepper pico and served with sage buttered smashed potatoes and asparagus.  It was delicious and full of flavor.  My husband got the Pastrami Tsunami, which he said was ok.  For dessert, we ordered the house-made Carrot Cake and it was phenomenal.  It was a huge slice making it a perfect shareable dessert.

My husband and I are both Cider fans so we tried the Original Sin Cider, which was really good.  It’s not a brand we saw again in Utah or back home in Ohio.  If you like Cider too and see that brand, give it a try!

Belly of the Dragon

The next morning, we made a quick stop at the Belly of the Dragon.  It was right off Highway 89 so it was on our way to Bryce Canyon.  This was a quick hike into a pretty cool looking cave. The “cave” was actually a man-made tunnel that was used for drainage.  The kids enjoyed checking it out so it was a worthwhile stop. 

Do you have other must do activities in Kanab?

Although Kanab was slightly out of our way, it ended up being one of the highlights of our trip.  The kids rate everything and the Sand Dunes, Sand Caves and Belly of the Dragon were 4.5 to 5 stars on their list! I’d highly recommend a stop in Kanab if you’re heading to southern Utah!

If you’re looking for more info on Utah’s Mighty Five National Parks, check out this post as well as our post on Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef, Canyonlands and Arches!

Have you been to Kanab?  What other activities or restaurants did you enjoy?