Are you looking for things to do in Kanab Utah? Kabab is a popular travel destination in Southern Utah because it is a great base for exploring a lot of local National Parks all yer round. Zion National Park is only 30 miles away and Bryce Canyon National Park is 79 miles away. Grand Canyon National Park is a 186 miles’ drive, but still doable.
However, if you don’t wish to drive far and prefer to stay closer to town there are still many great things to do in Kanab Utah and one of my absolute favorites is Belly of the Dragon trail hike. Belly of the Dragon is located 16 miles from Kanab right off Highway 89. It is one of the least known hikes near Kanab because it is overshadowed by all of the National Parks and a bunch of state parks in the vicinity. But I personally think that it is one of the most exciting and cool hikes near Kanab Utah, if not the entire United States. And since not so many people know about it it is also one of the least crowded hikes near Kanab. Don’t you think that just the name of it sounds intriguing?
It is a little difficult to find the start of this trail because Google Maps directions are a little misleading. Google Maps show the start of the Belly of the Dragon hike at the top of the hill right on Highway 89 under which the trail goes. But the entrance is not on the top of the hill, it is at the bottom. So you have to drive about 0.2 miles away from the Google Maps marker on HW 89 and then turn on an unmarked road towards East Fork Virgin River and Twin Hollows Canyon Campground. The best view of the area is in Areal view, not Maps (see image below).
Drive a little further on this dirt road until you see the entrance to a cave that looks like this:
Park your car and start your hike. Belly of the Dragon hike is one of the best things to do in Kanab Utah with kids because the trail is really truly lots of fun. The first part of the trail goes through a long cave under a hill that does 100% look like an intestinal tract of a beast. Don’t forget to take flashlights with you! This is an added bonus for kids. 🙂 Even though we thought is was a good “livable” cave, we did not encounter any bats or any other live creatures in it (kids may be disappointed if they like spooky things, so don’t reveal that to them up-front).
Don’t be afraid and go all the way through for the continuation of the trail right in the open. The second part of the trail goes in the bed of a creek. We hiked this trail in winter so the creek dried out and it was very easy to walk on the trail (it was not icy or slippery, hence my assumption that it was dry, not frozen). If you visit in rainy season or when the snow melts (spring and summer) the creek may be full and/or muddy so the trail may not be as good for walking or may not be accessible all the way through. That’s why I think Belly of the Dragon hike is one of the best things to do in Kanab Utah specifically in winter.
Follow the bed of the creek for not more than half a mile till there in nowhere else to go. You will end up at the wall with a waterfall. It was frozen when we visited and very beautiful.
To return to the car just go back in your own steps. There are no other trails leading from this hike so you can’t get lost. This is also a great family hike near Kanab Utah because it is very easy, flat, with no elevation gain and not more than 1 mile round trip. Even the youngest of kids can complete it.
All members of our crew, children and adults, absolutely loved this trail. It is probably one of the most unique hikes that we ever hiked. Sure, the National Parks nearby have arches, hoodoos, canyons and cliffs but where else could you walk through a belly of the beast? 😉
Additional Tips for your Kanab adventure:
- There are no restroom facilities at this location
- There are no concessions at this location but Belly of the Dragon hike is located only a couple of miles from the town of Orderville where there are a couple of good diners.
- If you travel in winter, the weather in Kanab Utah can be, well, winter but HW 89 is a major interstate road so it is cleared out pretty quickly compared to many other roads in the vicinity. If you travel in summer, it can be very hot so bring plenty of water with you.
- We did not see any wildlife while on Belly of the Dragon trail, which was a little disappointing because it is kind of a wilderness trail (we were the only hikers at the time of our visit). But potentially you can see deer, pronghorns and birds. So just in case, have a good binoculars with you. In summer beware of snakes.
- Belly of the Dragon trail is not part of any State or National Parks so this adventure is absolutely FREE of charge.
- For hiking in Southern Utah you need good hiking shoes, no matter what season you are going. Below are our trusted favorites – I have my Merrells for 6 years now and they are still looking and working like new after hundreds of hikes. This is the quality you pay for:
7. Other things you will find useful while family hiking in Southern Utah are below. I definitely recommend trekking poles for winter, there are a lot of icy trails and uneven terrain.
If you are interested in more information about other things to do near Kanab Utah, check out my post Las Vegas to Bryce Canyon Road Trip that covers Scenic byway UT 12, Bryce Canyon National Park and amazing stargazing experience in Southern Utah.
For information on Zion National Park and St. George, UT (a must stop for Jurassic Park fans), which are also located not far from Kanab, check out my post 10 Best Road Trips from Las Vegas.
For Eastern Utah adventures checkout things to do in Moab.
If you would like to learn more about Grand Canyon National Park, I can suggest my article Arizona Road Trip Itinerary.
If you found this information about things to do in Kanab Utah useful, please do me a little favor and share this information with others, for there’s a good chance that it will help them with their travel plans. 🙂 Don’t forget to follow me on Instagram where I post many more cool photos and videos about our trips than I could include in a blog post and organize some nice giveaways!
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