The Nonsense of W&J

Kanab, Utah is a magnificent place with many unique landscape features and very friendly people.  We boondocked in this area for several days after visiting the North Rim Grand Canyon.  We loved visiting Kanab and hearing the stories of relatives who starred in the Westerns filmed here.  The area is located in the center of Zion and Bryce Canyon National Parks, North Rim Grand Canyon, and Vermillion Cliffs Wilderness.  It is a fantastic area to explore and adventure.

What We Visited in Kanab

Sand Caves

There were several things on our to do list in Kanab.  Peek-a-boo Slot Canyon, Sand Caves, Moqui Cave, and the Belly of the Dragon were high on our list.  Our first stop in Kanab was the parking lot for the Sand Caves on Highway 89.  This is a huge parking lot, GPS 37.11342, -112.55504, with a dumpster right off the highway.  We believe there is a huge sign that says Sand Caves before you reach the parking lot, but we can’t remember if it was heading north or south.

From the parking lot, we easily found the trailhead.  However, after the trailhead there are several trail split offs.  We started hiking along one trail, hoping it would lead to the Sand Caves. On our return, we hiked a completely different path back and accidently took the one marked “Not the Trail”.  Although there were many side paths and the main trail was not well marked, we still made it to the bottom of the rock of the Sand Caves with no issues.

Upon reaching the bottom of the rock, it was a little more difficult to find a path up to the Sand Caves.  You can see the Sand Caves on the trail, so you know where you need to be, but we were unsure on how to scale the rock.  So, we simply walked along the bottom of the rock until we found a good spot to start climbing.  While hiking up the rock, there is one section we reached that is very vertical and slick.  Windell held Jessica’s hand across this sketchy section so she wouldn’t slide down the rock, as she is prone to falling.

The Sand Caves are amazing.  You will enjoy exploring the cave and crawling through the small opening like a child.  Although not elaborate or glamorous, the cave is well worth the trail confusion and slick rock to hike to it.  We actually enjoyed guessing which path to take to the Sand Caves, deciding how we were going to climb the rock, and exploring the cave.  Make sure to add this sight to your list when visiting Kanab.

Moqui Cave

We expected Moqui Cave to be touristy, with lots of T-shirts and ball camps.  However, when we researched it on Google,  the internet said it contained collections of dinosaur tracks, minerals, and an old bar where alcohol was served.  We were pleasantly surprised that the cave does indeed contain many amazing artifacts and the curator explains the history of the cave and the Chamberlain family.

The history of Garth Chamberlain who purchased the cave in 1951 is a fascinating one that you will learn when you visit the cave.  When the famous actors of the Western movies wanted a bar, Garth Chamberlain created one in the cool interior of the cave.  You will see many wood carvings of some of these famous actors hanging in the now closed bar and learn a little bit more about Garth in the process.

The other collections of curious items in the cave is worth the admission price.  The darkened room with the glowing minerals was one of our favorite collections.  And, of course, we loved the dinosaur tracks and the memoribilia in the bar area.

The family of Garth Chamberlain still own the cave.  We met the current owner in the gift shop and enjoyed talking with him and hearing a bit of his and his family’s background.  In addition to touring the cave and all the cool artifacts, right outside the cave, you can order food and book a guide tour, which we did.

Peek-a-Boo or Red Canyon Slot

While speaking with the owner of Moqui Cave, we happened upon the subject of where we were going next.  We mentioned that we wanted to visit Peek-a-Boo slot canyon.  The owner told us we could not drive to the canyon because of the sand and the hike would be hard in the heat.  So, he offered to book us on a Jeep or UHV tour with ROAM Outdoor Adventure Co to the canyon for that day.

The UHV tour lets you drive one vehicle while the guide is in a separate UHV behind you.  We bet this would be a blast playing in the sand while you drive to the slot canyon.  However, we opted for the Jeep tour driven by the guide.

Wow!  Riding in the Jeep through the thick sand was a blast!  It was our first off-road Jeep tour and we would do it again in a heartbeat.  Our truck would not have made it to the slot canyon, and hiking it would have been miserable.

While playing in the sand, our super-friendly tour guide stopped several times to give water to people stuck in the sand.  Obviously, they did not talk to the locals before attempting the drive.  One family even tried to drive their diesel truck through the sand.  Boy, were we appreciative we booked the Jeep Tour.

Being from Kanab, our guide told us stories of visiting the canyon with friends and scaring their girlfriends.  We were actually surprised he was happily married after the stories.  But he was an awesome guide and we could not have picked a better person to lead us on this tour.  He took lots of pictures of us in the canyon and even offered his photography services to other people passing.  We had so much fun on this tour, and do not regret forking out the money.

Peek-a-boo canyon is a beautiful small slot canyon.  Its walls and rock features had us oohing and awing.  Since hiking the Peek-a-Boo slot canyon, we have visited Antelope Canyon.  Although Antelope Canyon is more beautiful to us, our awesome experience in Peek-a-Boo was enhanced by the smaller tour group, more friendly guides, and the personal touch of the tour, in addition to a beautiful slot canyon.

Belly of the Dragon

Our final stop in Kanab was at the Belly of the Dragon parking lot GPS 37.21154, -112.6844.  We have to say inside this cave looks exactly like the Google search pictures.  It really does look like you have been swallowed by a dragon and you are working your way to his belly.  The cave becomes quite dark in the center, and Jessica tripped over a rock.  Bring a flashlight for safety while hiking through the cave.  We had a lot of fun pretending to be dragon food in this distinctive cave and you will also.

What We Missed In Kanab

The Wave

When we return to Kanab, Utah, there are more items on our list to do.  If we ever plan our trip to this area again, we will apply for a permit to hike the Wave, GPS 36.99593, -112.00625, in the Vermillion Cliffs Wilderness.  Although this is on our bucket list, you must apply and be awarded the permit for Coyote Buttes North. You can apply for this permit four months in advance or try to win a daily lottery.  We are not big on jumping through hoops and entering lotteries that you cannot reschedule.  Every year, our plans change mid-trip and we hate to spend too much money on an uncertain adventure.

Dinosaur Tracks Trailhead

We love dinosaur tracks and we were so excited when we saw our first ones in Moab, Utah.  But we decided not to hike to the dinosaur tracks after viewing the pictures of the hike posted on Google.  To be honest, there are dinosaur tracks everywhere in Utah and Arizona, and we have stopped at a few sites to check them out.  So, we bypassed this trail at GPS 37.08657, -112.53925.