Kanab, Utah at a glance
- Kanab to Zion East Entrance
- About 40 minutes
- Kanab to Bryce Canyon
- About 80 minutes
- Kanab to North Rim
- About 80 miles; day use only in 2026
- Paria day-use permit
- $6 per person and per dog
- The Wave
- BLM lottery only
Kanab sits at a crossroads: Zion's East Entrance, Bryce Canyon, Lake Powell, the Paria country and the Grand Canyon's North Rim are all within a day trip. East Zion, a string of small towns along Highway 9 and US-89 to the northwest, is quieter and cheaper. For park-wide rules see the southern Utah hub.
Kanab
The old "Little Hollywood" western-film town now has real restaurants, a few coffee shops and a small-town pace that Springdale doesn't. Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, the nation's largest no-kill sanctuary, is in Angel Canyon about five miles north of town and takes visitors. Kanab is a good base for stargazing: the sky is dark and the air dry, though the town is not an official dark-sky community. The red Vermilion Cliffs run along the horizon to the south.
Rough drive times from Kanab: Zion's East Entrance about 40 minutes; the main Zion Canyon about an hour and a quarter through the Zion-Mount Carmel Tunnel (vehicles over 11 feet 4 inches tall or 7 feet 10 inches wide need a paid escort, so large RVs and trailers should read the NPS tunnel page first); Bryce Canyon roughly 80 minutes; Coral Pink Sand Dunes about a half hour west; and Page and Lake Powell about an hour and a quarter east.
East Zion: Orderville, Glendale and Mount Carmel
Along US-89 and Highway 9 north and west of Kanab, small towns offer domes, Airstreams, container studios and cabins, often with hot tubs and open sky. It's the quietest way to stay near Zion's East Entrance, and a good mid-point for Bryce Canyon. Services are thin, so stock up in Kanab. East Zion is far from the canyon shuttle: you'll drive into the park through the East Entrance and the tunnel rather than ride the Springdale town shuttle. We list roughly 45 homes here.
Day trips
Bryce Canyon National Park is about 80 minutes northeast. The hoodoos are best at sunrise, and the rim sits above 8,000 feet, so it's much colder than Kanab. Check the NPS site for any current closures.
Grand Canyon North Rim, about 80 miles south, is a day trip only this year. As of October 2026, it reopened May 15 for limited day use after the July 2025 Dragon Bravo Fire destroyed Grand Canyon Lodge: no lodge, no in-park fuel, many trails closed and the campground closed for 2026. The park plans to stay open until November 30 or the first major snow. Check nps.gov/grca/northrimstatus.htm and fill your tank in Kanab. The drive is closer to an hour and a half than 80 minutes.
Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park is about 25 miles west-northwest, with pink dunes you can walk and OHVs allowed in marked areas.
Paria Canyon and Buckskin Gulch. Day hikes at White House, Wire Pass and Buckskin trailheads need a $6 per person (and per dog) day-use permit from BLM, paid at trailhead kiosks or on recreation.gov; America the Beautiful passes don't cover it, and overnight trips need a reserved permit. The slot canyons flash-flood: check the forecast and don't enter with rain anywhere upstream. The Wave (Coyote Buttes North) is reached from Wire Pass along House Rock Valley Road off US-89 and is entered by BLM lottery only, an online lottery about four months ahead and a daily mobile lottery two days ahead; there are no walk-ups. Apply through recreation.gov and read the BLM page first.
Lake Powell and the Grand Staircase
Page and Lake Powell lie over the Arizona line. The Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument spreads to the north and east of Kanab, with dirt roads that become impassable when wet. Download offline maps and carry water and a spare tire.
Zion from here
Kanab to the east side of Zion is the shortest route. The park-wide rules (no shuttle reservations; shuttle runs March to November plus late-December; Angels Landing is by lottery only; the Narrows is usually closed by spring snowmelt; $100 extra surcharge for non-US visitors 16+) are on the hub page. Most Zion trailheads sit on the canyon road, so you'll hike from the shuttle during shuttle season.
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Search stays on CielStay →Frequently asked questions
Is Kanab a good base for Zion?
It's a good base if you want several parks: Zion's East Entrance is about 40 minutes away, Bryce Canyon about 80 minutes and Coral Pink Sand Dunes about 30. Zion's main canyon is closer to an hour and a quarter through the Zion-Mount Carmel Tunnel. If Zion is the whole trip, Springdale or Hurricane is nearer the shuttle.
Is the Grand Canyon North Rim open?
Partly. As of October 2026 the North Rim has been open since May 15 for limited day use only; Grand Canyon Lodge was destroyed in the July 2025 Dragon Bravo Fire, there is no in-park fuel, many trails are closed and the campground is closed for 2026. It stays open until November 30 or the first major snow. Check nps.gov/grca. It is about 80 miles and roughly 90 minutes from Kanab.
Do I need a permit to hike Paria Canyon or Buckskin Gulch?
Yes. Day hikes at the White House, Wire Pass and Buckskin trailheads need a $6 per person (and per dog) BLM day-use permit, paid at the trailhead kiosks or on recreation.gov. Overnight trips need a reserved permit. America the Beautiful passes don't cover the fee.
How do I get a permit for The Wave?
The Wave (Coyote Buttes North) is by BLM lottery only on recreation.gov: an online lottery about four months ahead and a daily mobile lottery two days ahead. There are no walk-up permits. The trailhead is at Wire Pass, off House Rock Valley Road from US-89.
How far is Kanab from Zion, Bryce and Lake Powell?
Roughly 40 minutes to Zion's East Entrance, an hour and a quarter to the main canyon through the Zion-Mount Carmel Tunnel, about 80 minutes to Bryce Canyon, a half hour to Coral Pink Sand Dunes and an hour and a quarter to Page and Lake Powell. Large vehicles need a paid escort through the tunnel.
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This guide was assembled from the local knowledge of hosts with properties throughout Kanab, Utah, as indexed by CielStay. The descriptions of restaurants, trails, swimming holes, and local tips reflect what hosts share with guests in their listings — not the observations of a travel journalist or guest reviewer. Photos are sourced from host listing images and are credited to their respective listings. Information about permits and trail conditions may change; always verify with official sources before your trip.