1. Hiking Buckskin Gulch: An Epic Slot Canyon

One of the longest and deepest slot canyons on the planet, Buckskin goes on for miles and rarely gets wider than 20 feet. Many people make an overnight backpacking trip out of it, leaving a shuttle car at one end. Temperatures within the canyon are much cooler than the surrounding sunny redrocks — and you’ll often encounter puddles of water you’ll need to wade through. For just a taste, consider the Wire Pass to Buckskin Gulch

2.Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park

Utah’s known for its sandstone cliffs, buttes, and plateaus, but what happens when they’re broken down into huge sand dunes, windblown over the course of eons?

3.Hit the Water at Lake Powell

The famed lake is just a short jaunt from Kanab, with its Wahweap Marina being one of its easiest access points. Fortunately for visitors, Lake Powell is an excellent place to rent a sea kayak, stand-up paddleboard, or boat to roam free on the water. A full day of paddling would only reveal a tiny portion of this lake’s waterline and winding side canyons, but it’s worth checking out everything you can. Even if you don’t cover a lot of mileage, you’ll enjoy plenty of refreshing splashes as you explore.

4.Let Bryce Canyon National Park Blow Your Mind

Home to a number of amazing day-hikes, Bryce Canyon is worth the 1.5-hour jaunt from the city. All the parks of southern Utah boast their own unique geology and flavor of scenery, and Bryce is no different. You can tackle whichever length or difficulty of trail you prefer — the constant among all the trails is jaw-dropping rock formations that make you feel like a kid in a fantastical imaginary world.

5.Take a Hike in Zion National Park

In under an hour, you can get from Kanab to the eastern edge of Zion National Park. Wind your way into the central area of the park to catch a taste of the sheer grandeur of Zion’s towering cliffs and dramatic scenery. The Virgin River wends its way through the center of the park, creating a lush green desert oasis at its edges. You can find as mellow or difficult a hiking trail as you like — including the famed Narrows of Zion, which is essentially walking up the Virgin River as it cuts through a narrow rocky gorge.