jason neanna
ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES
Southern Utah is full of explosive colors, dynamic landscapes, rich history, heartbreaking beauty, and a night sky like one you've never seen. From national parks to hidden waterfalls, from riding down the coral pink sand dunes to touring slot canyons on ancient Navajo land there are endless things to see and do. Whether you're a back country, hike 10 miles a day, rough and rugged camper, or an ooh and ahh from your car kinda person we've got you covered. Some of you can only come for a few days and some of you are turning this into a full fledged adventure, so we've included below some of our favorite spots for all of you. Some are in town, some are an hour away, and some will take more planning. We'll leave it to you to curate the trip that's ideal for you and be here to guide you and offer advice along the way. The ones we've highlighted are all doable in a 3 day time frame. At the bottom of the page you'll find a list of more options for those of you staying longer.
horseshoe bend slot canyon tour
There are a lot of slot canyons in Southern Utah. Some of them are famous, some of them you've never heard of. Some are dangerous and easily flood, some haven't seen water in decades. We've been to a lot of slot canyons in the area and by far we love Horseshoe Bend Slot Canyon the most! It's run by one (very extended) Navajo family, the tour groups are limited to just 14 ppl per tour, and when you're on a tour you're the only group there. The land is magical, the canyons hold deep secrets, and the waters that rushed through them left stunning stories behind. If you book the combo tour they'll also take you to a private overlook at Horseshoe bend where you can gaze down at the pristine waters 1000ft below. This is in no way strenuous and as a bonus you get to go off roading on Navajo land to get there! We highly recommend this tour for everyone (who's over the age of 6 and able to walk 1/4 mile in sand that is)!!
wire pass to buckskin gulch
Buckskin Gulch is the ultimate in canyon-country slot canyons. For 12.5 miles the gulch is enveloped in a very narrow gorge 100 to 200 feet deep, flanked by vaulting convoluted walls of Navajo Sandstone. Buckskin Gulch is renowned not only because of its continuous challenging narrows, but also because there is no other canyon like it in the world. We love this hike!! It's close, its easy, and it's beautiful!
Wire Pass, a gorge carved through The Cockscomb by Coyote Wash, is the most popular entry route into Buckskin Gulch because it bypasses the upper 4 miles of the gulch which are shallow and less interesting. You can extend the day hike as far as you want by exploring Buckskin’s narrows either up- or down canyon.There are multiple trailheads that provide access to Buckskin Gulch, but the Wire Pass Trailhead offers the most direct access for an easy day hike. At only about 3.4 miles round trip and taking only an hour and a half round trip it's a great way to go hiking without going on a crazy excursion. While this is an easy hike be sure to bring plenty of water (and that goes for everywhere you go in the desert)!!
Travel time to the trailhead from Kanab: 1hr
Stack this with the Toadstools!
toadstool hoodoos trail
Located in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, The Toadstools offers a great place to explore. The balanced rock formations here look like mushrooms and offer awe-inspiring views that enchant. The toadstools are easy to access along an easy to moderate 1.5-mile round-trip hike. To reach the Toadstools, head north along the trail from the trailhead, traveling through a wash towards the northern rim of a small canyon. Travel time to the trailhead from Kanab: 40 minutes.
(stack this with Wire Pass to Buckskin Gulch)
ATV TOURS
From sledding and ATVing the Coral Pink Sand Dunes, to ATV trips to White Wave, The Great Chamber, Peekaboo Slot Canyon and more, our friends at ROAM Outdoor Adventures have you covered, These folks are the best and will send you home with an adventure to remember. Not into ATVs? Go on a horseback ride through Cave Lakes Canyon with them instead!
Use the promo code NEANNAANDJASON2021 for 15% off your tour!
VIA FERRATA
Via Ferrata which means "Iron Path" is quite simply put, a thrilling metal course scaling straight up a sheer canyon wall. You're securely harnessed and locked in as you ascend this guided climb. The Up and Down Experience starts you at the base of Cave Lakes Canyon, where you will first follow the well marked Via Ferrata tour course up the canyon wall. Once you've summited, wiped your brow, and soaked in the epic views, you will then take an exhilarating rappel off a 180 ft rock face back to home base. At the end of this thrilling, heart racing Up and Down Experience you will not only feel like you've achieved greatness, but you'll most likely be described as LEGENDARY. Come experience Utah's thrilling Via Ferrata in Kanab, it's seriously an incredible experience!
Use the promo code NEANNAANDJASON2021 for 15% off your tour!
Grand Canyon - NORTH RIM
The North Rim offers a serene and rewarding Grand Canyon experience. It's more remote and less developed than the South Rim, so attracts far fewer tourists. Many people think its viewpoints are the most spectacular, since they are located at a higher elevation. The North Rim forms the edge of the Kaibab Plateau, with elevation ranging from 8,000-8,800 feet above sea level. Access is via Hwy 67, through a majestic conifer forest and past scenic Jacob Lake. The drive is beautiful, even before you reach the national park. Your first stop should be at the visitor center where you can orient yourself and enjoy one of the most spectacular views in the world. Travel time between Kanab and the North Rim is 1.5 hrs. If you're planning on visiting more than one national park we recommend getting a National Parks Pass that will afford you and everyone in your vehicle entrance to all national parks for a year.
Bryce Canyon
Bryce Canyon National Park is a wonder to behold. Bryce is known for the crimson-colored hoodoos, which are spire-shaped rock formations, there's really nothing else like them. The park’s main road leads past the expansive Bryce Amphitheater, a hoodoo-filled depression lying below the Rim Trail hiking path. It has overlooks at Sunrise Point, Sunset Point, Inspiration Point and Bryce Point. Prime viewing times are around sunup and sundown. Travel time between Kanab and the North Rim is 1.2 hrs.If you're going to Bryce be sure to hit up Kodachrome Basin too! If you're planning on visiting more than one national park we recommend getting a National Parks Pass that will afford you and everyone in your vehicle entrance to all national parks for a year.
zion national park
***UPDATE: Zion is having record numbers of visitors. If you do decide to go please be ready for a more crowded experience than normal. it is advised you arrive at the park either by 7/7:30am or towards the end of the day to get parking.Peak hours are 9am-4pm and the parking lot typically fils up by 7:30/8 am.
Zion National Park is a technicolor, red-rocked, craggy canyon, raging river wonderland created by time, wind, water, and snow. Mormon pioneers who showed up here in the 1860s were so awed and overwhelmed by the natural beauty of the canyon and its surroundings that they named it Zion after the Old Testament name for the city of Jeruselem. The park’s ecosystems support about 800 native plant species, including more flowers than anywhere else in the state of Utah. With more than 80 percent of the park designated as a wilderness area, it doesn’t take more than a few strides from a visitor center parking lot to pass into shimmering, absolute nature. Wanna know somethin' extra cool? The geologic history of Zion Canyon begins where the history of the Grand Canyon, 120 miles to the southeast, ends. The rock sequence in Grand Canyon National Park is primarily Precambrian and Paleozoic and covers about two billion years. TWO BILLION YEARS! Zion's formations are Mesozoic and represent only about 150 million years of geologic time. So wait for it...the top layer of the Grand Canyon (called Kaibab limestone) is the bottom layer of Zion National Park! Anyway...you should go. It takes about 45 minutes to get to the first visitor center from Kanab. You can drive through or hop on the free tram and get a breathtaking tour simply by pulling over at lookout spots. Or you can lace up your boots, give yourself over to the wilderness, and thank the heavens this hasn't been turned into a theme park or a Wal-Mart.
KODACHROME BASIN
67 monolithic stone spires, called sedimentary pipes, accentuate multihued sandstone layers that reveal 180 million years of geologic time. The color and beauty found here prompted a National Geographic Society expedition to name the area Kodachrome, after the popular color film, in 1948. This is a great state park to hit up if you're already planning on going to Bryce Canyon as its right down the road. Travel time between Kanab and Kodachrome is 2hrs.
