Overview
Kanab is a small town in the Canyon Country region of the state of Utah, in the United States of America. It is famous for its past use as a backdrop for many famous western movies as well as a good base for exploring the surrounding area. It is also well known as the home of Best Friends Animal Society. Destinations within driving distance include Zion National Park and the north rim of the Grand Canyon as well as Las Vegas.
8 sights · 11 things to do · 8 places to eat · 10 places to stay
Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage
Best things about Kanab
Vermilion Cliffs National Monument
The famous "wave" is here. Only twenty people per day are permitted to visit: ten by online application months in advance, and ten by lottery at the Grand Staircase-Escalante Visitor Center here in Kanab. If you can't ge…
Rider-Pugh House
Unique, built in 1892.
Kanab Hotel
Built in 1929, is now Terry's Camera Trading Company. Many old time movie stars spent their nights in the lodging.
Best Friends Animal Society
The Nation's largest sanctuary (~3,800 acres and 1,500-2,000 animals at any given time) for companion animals including dogs, cats, bunnies, birds, horses, donkeys, mules, goats, pigs, and a few others. This is a remarka…
Sixtus Johnson House
A one-story, brick house built in 1891. Johnson's grandfather discovered Zion Canyon in 1858.
Heritage House
The Victorian style house was the home of the 1855 school teacher, Bowman. The Heritage House is on the National Register and has been restored as it was when first built and relics from the past adorn the walls.
Plan your trip
Best time to visit & weather
Most comfortable: Apr–May, Sep–Oct. Summer highs reach about 94°F; winter lows dip to about 22°F. Very hot (Jul, Aug) — plan outdoor time for mornings. Wettest: Jan and Feb. (climate data from nearby Pipe Spring National Monument)
Blue bars: average daily high and low (°F). Purple columns: average monthly rain and melted snow (inches).
Getting there
- From you: to see whether to drive or fly, and how long it takes.
- SGU St George Regional Airport, St George — 54 mi away. Directions
- CDC Cedar City Regional Airport, Cedar City — 56 mi away. Directions
- LAS Harry Reid International Airport, Las Vegas — 160 mi away (major hub). Directions
There is not a bus route or trail route going through Kanab, but there is a small airport. You can fly into Las Vegas (4- to 5-hour drive) or Salt Lake City (an over 5-hour drive) on the major airlines. Some commuter airlines serve St. George, Utah (an over 2-hour drive).
Full “Get in” guide ↓Budget & where to stay
No prices are listed for this place yet. See the Sleep guide ↓ for options.
Sample 3-day itinerary
Day 1
- Morning Rider-Pugh House, Kanab Hotel, Bowman & Co. Building
- Lunch Wild Thyme Cafe
- Afternoon Little Hollywood Movie Museum, Heritage House
- Dinner Escobars
Day 2
- Morning Vermilion Cliffs National Monument, Sixtus Johnson House, Lewis Jepson Home
- Lunch The Rocking V Cafe
- Afternoon Western Legends Round-up, Roads End Guided Tours
- Dinner Houston's
Day 3
- Morning Best Friends Animal Society, Pugh Home, Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument Visitor Center
- Lunch Big Al's Burgers at The Junction
- Afternoon Kanab Heritage House, Kanab Creek
- Dinner Parry Lodge Restaurant
Stops are grouped by area so each day needs little backtracking. Check opening hours before you go.
Food for you
Cuisine (tap to filter)
What to ask about, for your diet
Diet labels come from each listing's description and cuisine; “likely” means the cuisine usually has good choices, not a promise. Check with the restaurant. Open the food finder
Photos
Map
Every listing with a location. Tap a pin for its Google Maps link.
Get in
There is not a bus route or trail route going through Kanab, but there is a small airport. You can fly into Las Vegas (4- to 5-hour drive) or Salt Lake City (an over 5-hour drive) on the major airlines. Some commuter airlines serve St. George, Utah (an over 2-hour drive).
Get around
Walking to the shops and movie theatre on Main Street is a popular pastime for tourists. The "Gazebo" on the church lawn, directly across the road from the theatre, hosts live entertainment most summer nights. Walking down the road past most of the hotels is the Kane County Office of Tourism and next door is the Crescent Moon Theatre. The Adobe Fitness Center is across the highway from the theatre. Most things tourists want are right on the main road within walking distance.
See
See Vermilion Cliffs National Monument
The famous "wave" is here. Only twenty people per day are permitted to visit: ten by online application months in advance, and ten by lottery at the Grand Staircase-Escalante Visitor Center here in Kanab. If you can't get the permit, don't worry, the national monument includes other beautiful scenery too. White Pocket is less popular than the wave because it's more difficult to get to (four-wheel drive is needed), but it doesn't require a permit, and some say it's even more spectacular than the wave.
Kanab Historic District
See Sixtus Johnson House
A one-story, brick house built in 1891. Johnson's grandfather discovered Zion Canyon in 1858.
See Heritage House
The Victorian style house was the home of the 1855 school teacher, Bowman. The Heritage House is on the National Register and has been restored as it was when first built and relics from the past adorn the walls.
See Pugh Home
Built in 1906 using the stone of his father's home for the foundation. Edward Pugh was the man who built the first rock house outside of Fort Kanab.
See Lewis Jepson Home
Had one of the only two bathtubs in town. That home had to be the envy of all. Jepson built the first movie picture theatre in Kanab. That building was the Wok Inn and is now a western restaurant.
See Bowman & Co. Building
One of the oldest standing buildings in town, was a Kanab's original mercantile. Built in 1892, by H.E.Bowman & Co., the building has housed a bank (the safe was installed in 1902), a Post Office, a general store (the upstairs was added in the 20s), an ice cream shop, an Italian restaurant and a pawn shop. Since April 2000, the building has been home to The Rocking V Cafe, an eclectic American bistro, serving lunch and dinner to locals and tourists from all over the world. The Rafters Gallery is upstairs displaying local art & the original rough sawn, full dimension lumber that makes up the support for the roof. Notice the safe at the back of main floor dining room and the walls of original adobe brick.
See Kanab Hotel
Built in 1929, is now Terry's Camera Trading Company. Many old time movie stars spent their nights in the lodging.
Do
Do Kane County Office of Tourism
The visitor center is on the main street. Besides travel info they have a lot of information on movies filmed in the Kanab area.
Do Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument Visitor Center
The lottery for permits to visit "the wave" in Vermilion Cliffs National Monument takes place here at 9AM every weekday morning. Be there around 8:30AM to fill out your application.
Do Best Friends Animal Society
The Nation's largest sanctuary (~3,800 acres and 1,500-2,000 animals at any given time) for companion animals including dogs, cats, bunnies, birds, horses, donkeys, mules, goats, pigs, and a few others. This is a remarkable place that will impress any pet lover. You can visit and take tours through the facilities seven days a week, reservations may be needed. They have accommodations for overnight stays, reservations need to be made well in advance, and opportunities for you to work as a volunteer in the animal areas, volunteer commitments can be as short as 1/2 day or less.
Do Greyhound Gathering
Do Kanab Heritage House
Do Little Hollywood Movie Museum
Exhibits a collection of actual movie sets as the centerpiece of its exploration of how the sleepy little town of Kanab became the back lot for movies like The Outlaw Josey Wales, Planet Of The Apes and Stagecoach, and a haunt for Hollywood stars like Frank Sinatra, John Wayne, Charleton Heston, Clint Eastwood, Kiefer Sutherland and Willem Dafoe. The museum is set behind Frontier Movie Town, a large gift shop with tourist souvenirs.
- Action Photo Tours Small group photography tours to stunning locations in Bryce Canyon, Zion National Park, Grand Staircase Escalante, and the Vermilion Cliffs. Professional photographic instruction is included on all trips. Most of our destinations are well off the beaten path and we'll get you there for the best light and the best photos.
Buy
Kanab is a good place to stock up on supplies for camping. There are two small grocery stores, several c-stores and a sporting goods store just off the main road.
Shop Nature's Showcase
A fun rock shop. It pays to hunt amongst the knickknacks to find the special rocks and items that come from local sources. They have a good selection of local raw materials for cutting, polishing, or tumbling.
Eat
Eat Escobars
Mexican restaurant. Best food in town at a great price. This family owned restaurant is not much to look at but it's a local favorite.
Eat The Rocking V Cafe
It offers top-class cuisine in small-town Kanab - right on Kanab's historic Main Street. From Buffalo and seafood to eclectic vegetarian dishes, they have something for everyone. The Rafters Gallery upstairs displays all sorts of interesting local art for sale, or just to view. This is another favorite with the locals because of the unique food offered. Open 7 days a week during the "season" (mid-April - mid November)
Eat Houston's
A comfortable, family friendly restaurant with good American food. The servers sling pistols along with house-aged beef and their famous chicken fried steak, so be nice.
Eat Wild Thyme Cafe (Wild Thyme)
Casual American eatery serving chops, steaks & seafood in contemporary digs with outdoor tables.
Eat Big Al's Burgers at The Junction
Family-owned drive-in serving fast food.
Eat Parry Lodge Restaurant
A historic hotel and restaurant. American style family restaurant serving breakfast, lunch & dinner. Noted as the eating place of the stars.
Eat Jakey Leigh's Café Bakery
An espresso cafe serving baked goods, made in house from scratch! The only homemade crossiant for miles! They usually have a special drink each month that is of an interesting concoction that is very delicious! THey are open at 7AM and close around 2PM.
Drink
Of course, you're not going to Kanab for the nightlife, but if you're ready to belly-up, head across the border on 89 to the Buckskin Tavern in Fredonia (Arizona), "the longest bar in Arizona," and the only bar for miles. The Rocking V also has cocktails.
There is a state liquor store in town, located next the police station and across the road from the Kane County Tourism Center.
Sleep
Kanab has a variety of accommodations from ranches and western-motif B&Bs to Holiday Inn and Super 8 Motels. Most of the hotels are located on the main road, Highway 89.
Stay Sun n' San Motel
Stay Traveler's Motel
Go next
Kanab lies in the southern reaches of Canyon Country in Utah. Here are some of the nearby highlights:
- Zion National Park. A 29-mile drive northwest through Mount Carmel Junction on US-89 and UT-9. Utah's most popular National Park with incredible scenery, like 2000- to 3000-foot cliffs.
- Cedar Breaks National Monument. Northwest on US-89, UT-14 and UT-148. This monument sits on top of a natural amphitheater carved out of red rock.
- Bryce Canyon National Park. Located northeast of Kanab on US-89 and UT-12. Beautiful redrock and strange formations, like hoodoos.
- Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. A huge wilderness area northeast of Kanab. You can access it east on US-89 or from Glendale.
- Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park A fun state park near Kanab.
- Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. The Glen Canyon Dam and Lake Powell are to the east on US-89, near the town of Page, Arizona.
Other attractions in the area include:
- Pipe Spring National Monument. To the southwest in Arizona on US-89A then west on AZ-389. A Mormon settlement at a spring in the middle of the desert.
- The North Rim of the Grand Canyon, which sees far fewer visitors than the South Rim. South of Kanab on US-89A then AZ-67.
Nearby
Fredonia
City / town · 5 listings · 6 mi away
Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park
Park · 1 listings · 10 mi away
Mount Carmel Junction
City / town · 34 listings · 15 mi away
Pipe Spring National Monument
Park · 1 listings · 17 mi away
Colorado City
City / town · 8 listings · 25 mi away
Springdale
City / town · 16 listings · 28 mi away
Kaibab Plateau
Park · 7 listings · 28 mi away
Zion National Park
Park · 40 listings · 34 mi away
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