Southern Utah's Backyard Is Bigger Than You Think

Banded sandstone walls curve into a striking formation in Coyote Buttes North, where the hike follows an unmarked backcountry route across slickrock and sand. Access is tightly limited by permit, which helps protect the fragile terrain. The route is physically demanding, remote, and completely undeveloped.

Moqui Cave turns a natural sandstone cavern into a small museum focused on regional history, ancient artifacts, fluorescent minerals, and dinosaur tracks found nearby. The setting began as a 1950s roadside bar and now offers one of the more unusual indoor stops near Kanab, especially for anyone interested in geology and local stories.

Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park centers on a field of wind-shaped red sand that shifts over time, creating a landscape that looks different from one visit to the next. Some areas are set aside for off-highway vehicles, while others work well for walking, sandboarding, and wide-open sunset views.

Buckskin Gulch draws hikers into one of the longest and deepest slot canyons in the Southwest, with towering walls, narrow passages, and long stretches where daylight barely reaches the floor. Many day hikers enter through Wire Pass, then continue into a route known for dramatic scale, flash flood risk, and serious backcountry conditions.

Peekaboo Slot Canyon, also called Red Canyon, cuts through soft red sandstone in a series of twisting corridors, scalloped walls, and narrow openings that catch changing light. Reaching it usually involves a sandy access road or a guided ride, and the short route delivers a high visual payoff without requiring an all-day hike.

Toadstool Hoodoos features a short desert trail leading to mushroom-shaped rock formations sculpted by erosion into pale caps and narrow stems. The walk is relatively easy, but the scenery feels unusual almost immediately, with badlands textures, layered cliffs, and wide-open views that make the area especially striking in low afternoon light.

Pipe Spring National Monument preserves a rare desert water source and the stone fort known as Winsor Castle, where the region’s stories of settlement, survival, and conflict come into focus. The site includes historic buildings, a garden, short trails, and interpretation connected to both Kaibab Paiute history and Mormon ranching life.

Best Friends Animal Sanctuary fills Angel Canyon with animal care areas, volunteer opportunities, and tours set among red rock cliffs outside Kanab. The sanctuary is the largest no-kill companion animal sanctuary in the United States, and daily life here ranges from meeting adoptable pets to seeing specialized spaces like Dogtown and Horse Haven.

Rocking V Cafe serves lunch and dinner inside one of Kanab’s oldest downtown buildings, a former mercantile dating to 1892. The menu leans toward comfort food with vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free choices, while the setting keeps its old floors, historic character, and a lively small-town dinner feel.

Iron Horse Restaurant sits in central Kanab as a casual grill known for house-smoked brisket, steaks, burgers, and hearty dinner plates. The style is straightforward and welcoming, with barbecue at the center of the menu and a downtown location that makes it an easy stop after a day on the road.

Peekaboo Canyon Wood Fired Kitchen focuses on wood-fired pizza and a full vegetarian and vegan menu in Kanab. The kitchen works with international and local inspiration, which gives the food a broader range than many small-town stops, and the wood-fired oven anchors the experience with a distinct house style.

Houston's Trail's End Restaurant has been family owned since 1975 and keeps a classic Western roadside feel in the middle of Kanab. The menu covers familiar American comfort food, but the signature item is its chicken fried steak topped with Grandpa Bob’s homemade country gravy, a dish strongly tied to the restaurant’s identity.

Big Al’s Burgers at The Junction has been serving Kanab since 1988 and keeps the easygoing feel of a classic roadside stop. Burgers, fries, shakes, and drive-thru convenience make it a simple choice after a day out, while outdoor seating adds a relaxed break in the middle of town.

Wild Thyme Bistro cooks from a scratch kitchen and brings Southwestern flavors into a menu shaped by beef, seafood, poultry, and thoughtful vegetarian options. Organic ingredients from its own gardens help define the food, and the room feels polished without losing the relaxed, local atmosphere that suits Kanab evenings.