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| Kanarra Creek Utah |
On the edge of the tiny town of Kanarraville in Southern
Utah, there’s an amazing slot canyon hike on Kanarra Creek. This hike is only an hour drive from Zion National Park. Kanarra Creek features
several small waterfalls that you can actually climb using ladders and
ropes. At its thinnest point, the slot
canyon narrows to barely 8 feet wide. As you head upstream, the walls tower above you, providing a good amount
of shade from the sun. The red canyon walls and pristine water makes this a
popular destination for photographers. I saw more camera equipment on this hike
than on any trail in recent memory and for good reason. Be warned, a good portion of the hike
involves sloshing through the creek, so count on getting wet. I wore a pair of neoprene socks and my feet
were fairly comfortable for most of the hike. In the summer, this hike can get extremely
hot. It can rain and potentially flash flood in the spring, so the best time to
do it is probably in the fall when the temperatures are mild.
We did this hike
midweek in May and it was a little crowded, possibly due to its close proximity to Zion National Park. We waited in a 20 minute line behind ten
other hikers waiting to climb the wooden ladder at the final waterfall. Then we
hiked for another 45 minutes upstream just to do a little exploring. From this point, we only passed two other hikers, so I assume
most people just hike to the falls. The canyon walls in the upper part of the
canyon must have been several hundred feet tall. We found a secluded spot by
the river, ate lunch, and turned around to hike back to our car. We finished
the hike in a little under 3 hours. This creek is used as a water source for
the town, so make sure to pack out your trash and waste to avoid contaminating
it.
Directions:
From the I-15 in Hurricane Utah, Head North for approximately
20 Miles. Take the Old Us 91 exit and
drive North for 4 miles. In the town of Kanarraville, turn right onto E 100 N
Street. Continue heading East until you
reach the parking area for Kanarra Creek. The hike starts on a dirt road up a relatively tough climb to the water tower overlooking town. From the top, you head downhill into the canyon and hike upstream.
Bring at least 15$ in cash to pay the parking fees. They raise the fee every other week, so its hard to keep track of what they’re charging. The police in town are apparently very eager to distribute parking tickets, so make sure you pony up the parking fee.
Bring at least 15$ in cash to pay the parking fees. They raise the fee every other week, so its hard to keep track of what they’re charging. The police in town are apparently very eager to distribute parking tickets, so make sure you pony up the parking fee.
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| Kanarra Creek Hike |
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| Climbing the rope ladder on Kanarra Creek |
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| Kanarra Creek Waterfall |
