Kanarra Falls: Hike here to avoid the crowds of Zion’s Narrows
If you are unable to hike the Narrows in Zion National Park or just prefer to avoid crowds, Kanarra Falls is a great alternative. You still get to walk through water and a narrow canyon on most of your hike. This hike is also amazing enough that you should plan a visit even if you do get to hike the Narrows. There is a lot of walking over slick, loose rocks, so you might want to bring trekking poles to help with balance.
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Visiting Kanara Falls
Every year, countless visitors flock to the Narrows in Zion National Park to experience walking upstream through a river in a beautiful canyon. This has become such a popular hike that getting parking spots or shuttle bus seats to hike the Narrows has become quite challenging. If you are unable to hike the Narrows, or want to partake of another similar experience, be sure to check out Kanarra Falls. Kanarra Falls is located in the town of Kanarraville, Utah, which is approximately 40 miles north of St. George Utah and about 60 miles south of Beaver, Utah.
Although Kanara Falls is less popular than the Narrows, you do need reservations to hike here. Fortunately, getting an entry permit is relatively easy if you do some advanced planning, since only 200 permits are handed out per day. You can view ticket availability for a range of dates and purchase tickets on the Kanara Falls Admission page here. If you visit here in the spring or early summer, do note that the water can be extremely cold and quite deep due to snowmelt.
You might need waterproof clothing, wetsuits, or drysuits during these months to keep warm while wading through the water. Even in the summer, Kanarra Falls average water temperature is 50 degrees, so these clothing items might still be desirable for your visit. When I visited in September, the water was still quite cold and took a while to acclimate to.
The hike from the parking lot to the end of the recommended hiking route and back is approximately four miles. This trail is listed as moderate to strenuous in difficulty due to hiking through water and along some steep rocky stretches. If you are looking for some fun hiking and are not afraid of getting wet in the process, you definitely need to check out Kanarra Falls. Be aware that this hike should not be attempted if rain is forecasted anywhere in the area. Due to this being a narrow slot canyon, the risk of flash floods is extreme if there is rain in the area. Keep an eye on the forecast and enjoy your visit if the weather looks promising! You can find current trail conditions and reviews on Alltrails here.
The stairway leading up one of the falls in the canyon has been much improved from some of the sketchy ladder photos you might come across online
Looking down one of the falls and the main stairway that provides access to the upper falls
Walking through water in a slot canyon is a really cool experience that you should absolutely give a shot
One of the other falls that comprises the Kanarra Falls area
Another small waterfall that you can walk around to continue your hike up the river
Even in September, parts of the trail held thigh deep water
More falls along the way
I thought the water rushing under this fallen log made for a pretty neat photograph
Be sure to keep your eyes open along your hike. The surrounding canyon walls also hold neat views like this cool hole in the rock face surrounded by tree trunks.
If you visit Kanarra Falls:
If you visit Kanarra Falls, there are multiple itineraries that make sense to group this hike in with. My dad and I linked this site in with a road trip that included Canyons of the Ancients in CO, Sedona, AZ, Joshua Tree, CA, Kings Canyon, CA, Sequoia National Park, CA, and Canyonlands, UT. It is close to multiple National Parks and Las Vegas as well, so you could really add this to almost any trip itinerary while in Utah.
Hotels in the surrounding area
Given its proximity to so many other amazing parks and sites, there are many options for staying close to the falls. Kanarra Falls is just 2 hours and 20 minutes from Las Vegas, so you could stay there prior to this hike. Other options include staying in St. George, Utah, Cedar City, Utah or Beaver, Utah depending on which direction you are travelling. There appears to be at least one Airbnb option in Kanarraville, so that could be also an option if you want to stay in town.
Staying at Brian Head Lodge
If you want a more remote location, you could stay where my dad and I stayed between Kanarraville and Canyonlands. We stayed at the Brian Head Lodge outside of Cedar City, Utah. This beautiful lodge is amazing and surrounded by the stunning mountains near Brian Head Ski Resort. This lodge has a restaurant, continental breakfast, a convenience store, a beautiful swimming pool with a really neat waterfall feature, and an outdoor hot tub. Since I was not anticipating writing a travel blog at the time, I did not get photos of the lodge or my room, but you can see photographs and check rates here.
This lodge is over four hours away from Canyonlands National Park, so it is a bit of a drive if you are heading to Canyonlands like we did. If you want to stay here and explore closer National Parks, however, it is located less than three hours from Capitol Reef National Park, just over two hours from Zion National Park, and an hour and a half from Bryce Canyon National Park. It is also approximately three hours from Las Vegas and 4.5 hours from Salt Lake City, giving you plenty of options for where to go next after staying at the Brian Head Lodge.
