Scenic Drives

Kane County has so many beautiful scenic drives! Check out the ones listed below as well as our adventure maps! Our adventure maps are loaded with information as well as a great map to guide you along your way!

Angel Canyon (Best Friends Animal Sanctuary):

Angel Canyon is located 5 miles North of Kanab and is home to Best Friends Animal Sanctuary. Best Friends Animal Sanctuary is the largest no-kill sanctuary for companion animals in the country. On any given day, it is home to approximately 1,600 animals, including cats, dogs, pigs, horses, bunnies and birds. Stop in at the Best Friends Welcome Center along your drive to arrange for a free tour of the Sanctuary or to sign up to volunteer! The welcome center is open daily 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. For the comfort and safety of the animals, please do not drive around or visit the animal areas if you are not part of a tour. Angel canyon, originally known as Kanab Canyon, was home to ranching and filming before Best Friends Animal Sanctuary was established. Many films such as Outlaw Josey Wales, The original Lone Ranger, My Friend Flicka, Mackenna’s Gold and others were filmed in the canyon.  This loop is about 10 miles long and will switch from pavement to gravel along your drive. Be sure to stop and see Angels Landing (a large natural amphitheater), Angel’s Rest (Best Friends pet cemetery), or hike 1.5 miles to an Underground Lake and Native American ruins. Ending at the North Entrance, you can cross HWY89 north and continue to Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park.

Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park:

Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park is a local favorite. Let your imagination run wild! Your adventure possibilities are endless! Venture onto the shifting sea of pink sand by foot, bike, board or OHV. You will discover 1200 acres of open riding areas for OHV enthusiasts. Adjacent to the park, riders will find hundreds of miles of additional trails on BLM land. Visitors can explore the South Fork Indian Canyon Pictographs, Hell Dive Pictographs, just 4 miles northeast of the park or the nearby dinosaur tracks. Bring a lunch and enjoy the picnic facilities and the view from the Observation Deck. Play in the sand and become a kid again! From Kanab, take HWY 89 North 8 miles and turn left after mile post 71 onto Hancock Road. Travel 9.5 miles, at the stop sign turn left to find yourself at the Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park another 5 miles. After seeing the Coral Pink Sand Dunes, return the way you came and pass the stop sign. You will then find yourself on another journey on Yellow Jacket Road. Yellow Jacket Road is 15 miles long and connects back to HWY 89 North. The Coral Pink Sand Dunes loop is sure to leave you in awe! With constantly changing scenery, you won’t be disappointing. Be sure to watch out for local herds of deer and the occasional big horned sheep!

Zion Park Scenic Byway (State Route 9):

Starting in Mt. Carmel, Utah this scenic byway leads to Zion National Park. Along the way you will climb in elevation and will have a great view of the Coral Pink Sand Dunes to the Southeast, White Cliffs to the East, a buffalo ranch at Zion Mountain Resort, and finally Zion National Park. Continue through to visit Zion National Park or explore Zion Ponderosa and the surrounding area.

Utah Scenic Byway 12

Utah’s first “All American Highway.” This “Journey Through Time Scenic Byway” is ranked as one of the most scenic in America. Travel through sparsely populated sections of public lands, visit Kodachrome Basin State Park and view the towering Grosvnor Arch. Travel through Red Canyon for a sneak peak of what Bryce Canyon National Park looks like!

Highway 14 (Cedar Mountain to Duck Creek):

Highway 14 to Duck Creek is a beautiful high mountain drive. Once you arrive in Duck Creek Village you’ll have many outdoor opportunities to take advantage of! Such as ATV trails, fishing in Mammoth Creek, Aspen Mirror Lake and Navajo Lake as well as hiking, mountain biking and exploring lava tubes too! From Kanab drive 40 miles North on HWY 89. Turn Left onto HWY 14. Then continue 11 miles to Duck Creek Village. Be sure to stop in at the local shops in Duck Creek Village and say hi to the locals! Continue West on HWY 14 to Aspen Mirror Lake or Navajo Lake for hiking, camping, fishing, and mountain bike trails! During the fall this scenic drive has some of the best fall foliage in the area, Dixie National Forrest is hard to beat!

Johnson Canyon:

Johnson Canyon is located 9.5 miles East of the town of Kanab. In Johnson Canyon many pioneer families homesteaded and even put advertisements on the sandstone walls for travelers passing through the canyon to see! The classic TV series Gunsmoke was filmed in this canyon and the old movie set is still standing today! Get a peek while you still can! Johnson Canyon is a delightful scenic drive that will refresh the soul. You will quickly see why Hollywood used this beautiful canyon as a backdrop for several movies. After turning onto Johnson Canyon Road, stop and reset your car’s trip meter to 0.0 miles and enjoy your drive to the following sites. Most points of interest are on private property, but can be easily enjoyed from the road. Bring binoculars to view the Indian and cowboy glyphs. The tour ends where the pavement turns to dirt. Turn around and enjoy again the sites of Johnson Canyon.

Points of interest:

  • “Lions Head” located 2.6 miles in on the left
  • “Eagle Gate Arch” located 3.1 miles in on the right
  • Pioneer graves located 3.6 miles in on the right
  • Dairy Canyon located 5.4 miles in on the left
  • “Old Gunsmoke Movie Set” located 5.4 miles in on the right
  • Pioneer farm and equipment located 5.5 miles in on the right
  • Sunflowers in the summer fields located 7.0 miles in on the right
  • Crocodile/ Hog canyon trail head and picnic area located 7.5 miles in on the left
  • Bunting Ranches located 7.9 miles in on the right
  • “Indian Writings” and “Cowboy Glyphs” located 7.9 miles in on the right
  • Pioneer Billboard located 7.9 miles in on the right
  • Nephi Pasture 4wd trail head located 9.1 miles in on the right
  • Escalante Grand Staircase boundary sign located 11 miles in on the right
  • Swapp Canyon located 11.8 miles in on the right
  • White Cliffs views and end of pavement located 15.4 miles in to the north

Marble Canyon Loop:

The scenic 190-mile Marble Canyon Loop traverses lonely Highway 89A in Utah and Arizona through the vast landscape of sandstone cliffs, sagebrush desert and ridges of pine and junipers. This is the perfect sightseeing opportunity during the seven months of the year that the North Rim of the Grand Canyon is closed. There is so much to see and not enough hours in the day! Choose what you want to see and plan another day to see the rest! The route begins in Kanab and heads South on HWY 89A and returns to Kanab for dinner and a good night’s rest. The Old West Town of Kanab has become a popular basecamp from which to discover the region’s natural wonders!

Points of interest:

  • LaFevre Overlook- Here you have the rare chance to catch a glimpse of all the steps of the Grand Staircase and understand how the monument got it’s name! This overlook is also the perfect place to stargaze at night, from this point you can see a million and one stars! 25 miles from Kanab
  • Jacob Lake Inn (Cookies)- Make sure you stop by Jacob Lake Inn and pick up some of their famous homemade cookies. Locals say it’s worth the drive just for the cookies! 36 miles from Kanab
  • Vermilion Cliffs Overlook- Vermilion Cliffs is the 2nd step of the five steps in the Grand Staircase, on the Colorado Plateau in Northern Arizona and Southern Utah. 51 miles from Kanab
  • Condor Viewing Site- A number of condors roost on top of the Vermilion Cliffs. This site offers visitors a chance to see these enormous endangered birds in the wild. 55 miles from Kanab
  • Cliff Dwellers Lodge- Originally a 1920’s trading post, now a stone and timber lodge and restaurant. There are unique ruins of homes that are built in the overhangs of fallen rocks. 69 miles from Kanab
  • Marble Canyon- Restaurant, bar and shopping. 9 minute walk to Navajo Bridge. This rustic Old West style Lodge is 5 minutes from Lee’s Ferry and Lonely Dell Ranch. 77 miles from Kanab
  • Navajo Bridge- The historical bridge is for pedestrians. The second, modern bridge is for cars to cross the Colorado River. Beautiful place to walk around and do a little shopping. 77 miles from Kanab
  • Lee’s Ferry- The only place within Glen Canyon, that visitors can drive to the Colorado River. Over 700 miles of canyon country,, right up to the first rapid in the Grand Canyon. 83 miles from Kanab
  • Horseshoe Bend- One of the most photographed areas of the Colorado River. 1 mile easy hike to the horseshoe shaped bend overlook of the Colorado River 1100 feet below. 77 miles from Kanab
  • Antelolpe Canyon- Famous and Extremely beautiful slot canyon on the Navajo Indian Reservation near Page, AZ. It’s the most visited slot canyon in the area. Make reservations in advance. 79 miles from Kanab
  • Lake Powell/ Glen Canyon Dam- Tour the spectacular dam that formed Lake Powell. Back on HWY 89 enjoy the views of Lake Powell, or drive to the lake at Lone Rock and take a swim! 65 miles from Kanab
  • Toadstools- This is the perfect family-friendly hike. It is a 2 mile round trip hike to the Toadstools. You will get the feeling of being on another planet. It is especially beautiful at sunset! 45 miles from Kanab
  • Paria- Descend into a valley with the remains of the Paria Ghost Town and cemetery site. Surrounded by amazing colorful rocks and multicolored layering cliffs. 40 miles from Kanab
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