An adventurous hike near Kanab, Utah
As I mentioned in the Scout Overlook blog, I hadn’t been to the Southwestern part of Utah in a while. I wanted to check out a few things in more detail, and the Sand Caves trail near Kanab has been on my list for some time. Since we drove in a big loop -starting in La Verkin, down to Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park (stay tuned for a future blog on this one), to Kanab and over to Zion via Mount Carmel Junction- we wanted to explore the Sand Caves as it was on our route.
Ancient dwellings?
Contrary to what you might think, these caves were not created by erosion or an ancient culture. They were man-made, just like the Belly of the Dragon a few miles north from the Sand Caves. People began mining sand in the area for glassmaking, the soft Navajo sandstone being easy to carve into. After WWII, the mining operation was abandoned.
Mellow start, challenging middle, magical ending
The large, free parking lot off Highway 89 offers plenty of parking space, with a porta-potty by the trailhead if needed. The trail head is not marked, but it’s a popular hike, so it’s easy to spot where you should start.
The hike starts off on a soft, sandy trail and is really easy, with hardly any elevation gain. The trail meanders through desert vegetation, with trees providing some shade. As the trail narrows, you’ll find yourself flanked by a rock wall on your right. The sand caves are literally above you.
At the end of the sandy trail, you’ll see a rock face. This is where the fun really starts, you’ll have to climb to continue your adventure at a higher elevation. This is also the point where I nearly gave up… but I persevered and I’m glad I did (see the cool pictures below).
Now, why did I almost turn around? Because you need the “mountain goat technique” to climb up and coast along the rock face. Not that it’s super steep, but I’m not a mountain goat 😉
Anyways, there is a rope that you can use to help you scale the rock to continue on the trail a bit higher up. We didn’t use the rope on our way up, but it came in handy for our descent. There are paw prints painted on the rock, just follow those and you’ll be on the right track.
The trail continues along the rock face. Shoes with good traction are a must, as this area is slippery and just sketchy in general. There is nothing to hold onto, no rope, no rail, nothing. Instead of walking straight across the face of the canyon wall (like my daughter and most of the other hikers did), I decided to go down a bit to a section where the grade wasn’t as steep and then went back up climbing over a few big boulders. I’m not ashamed to admit that I was on all fours, and I probably looked like a crazy woman, but I don't really care. I came this far and was not about to give up! Honestly, the scrambling part of this trail is probably the hardest and most challenging part of the hike. However, the sand caves are clearly visible from here, and only another 5-ish minutes up ahead, so just keep going.
The sand caves are your reward for conquering the rock face and your scrambling efforts. They offer a window to the canyon and Highway 89 below. Unfortunately, some visitors have defaced the cave walls with graffiti and carvings. Please be mindful to leave no trace when visiting places.
We spent about 20 minutes wandering through the caves and took some really cool, Instagram-worthy pictures before heading back down.
Recommended?
Absolutely, if you’re in the area you may as well stop for this short, exhilarating hike. A modest level of fitness and hiking shoes with good traction are required - don’t attempt this in flipflops, crocs, or even worn tennis shoes. This is a fun adventure for kids as well, but keep a close eye on your little ones as a wrong step could mean a tumble down a cliff. Also, if you don’t like heights this is probably not for you due to the second part of the trail being exposed.
Since you’re there…
… you might as well pop over to Best Friends Animal Sanctuary. They share the same turn-off from Hwy 89 as the parking lot for the Sand Caves trail head. The road to BFAS veers off to the right. They take in and care for all sorts of animals, from dogs to horses. The sanctuary offers tours, and you can be a volunteer there. They also have a campground area and a small shop.
Logistics
Total length of the trail is 1.2 miles (just under 2 km) out and back, with an elevation gain of 121 ft (about 37m). It is described as “moderate” on All Trails. The parking lot by the trailhead is located off Highway 89, about 5.3 miles (8.5 km) north of Kanab or 10 miles south of Mt Carmel Junction. If you are traveling south from Mt Carmel Junction you can see the sand caves from the road. The parking lot and hike are completely free. We spent just over 1.5 hours there.
Have you visited the Sand Caves near Kanab? What did you think? Leave a comment below.
Comments