The Best Friends Animal Sanctuary is a pretty amazing place. We enjoyed our visit so much that we can’t wait to go back and explore some more. If you have a pet or want to pet or love animals, then you definitely want to plan to spend a good half day, and maybe a full day depending on what you do. There is a lot to see at the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, so in this post we will share with you the best things for your family to do when you visit the Best Friends in the Kanab area.
History
Back in the 1980’s, a group of art students were worried about abandoned pets that were being “euthanized” in local animal shelters. They decided to #SaveThemAll, and that became their motto. They purchased land outside of Kanab and began collecting unwanted pets. Their goal was to help each animal live out its life with dignity, or better yet, find a loving home.
In the past 40 years, Best Friends Animal Sanctuary has grown into a large non-profit that places hundreds of animals in homes. Animals that are not placed with owners are treated with love and respect until they pass. Loving volunteers come and walk each animal and play with them every day. Every creature is treated with care, including medical care, throughout its life. It really is a very inspiring place.
Tours
One of the best things about the shelter is that you can visit for free. There are several tours that take you to see different animals and facilities. On the tours, you are introduced to the different animals living at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary. There are pigs, horses, cats, dogs, and other pets. One tour even shows you the wild animals that can’t be returned to the wild such as a few owls that are blind, squirrels, and even ravens. Depending on your tour, you can visit and cuddle with any of the animals. The only cost is that you might fall in love and take one home! We highly recommend reserving your tour in advance since each tour has its own special time and only a small number of people are allowed per tour. You can reserve a time slot on their website.
Angel Village Cafe
While you’re at the sanctuary, you’ll have the chance to have a very inexpensive lunch. The food at Angel Village Cafe is all vegan, of course. We were excited to try something new, and we were pleasantly surprised. Everything was delicious, and there is always a salad bar. Make sure to ask about the cafe, if you are visiting Best Friends Animal Sanctuary. There is outdoor seating with a beautiful view, too. The cafe is only open 11:30 am – 1 pm.
Things to Do
The Best Friends Animal Sanctuary is located in a beautiful canyon. There are beautiful hikes and views to enjoy as you explore this area. We only had time for a few, but here are our recommendations:
- Hidden Lake: This easy trail is 1.5 miles long and leads to a lake inside the canyon wall. It was so unique to see. No shade. You can ask for a map at the Visitor Center. Read more on our full post about Hidden Lake.
- Gratitude Garden and Angels Overlook: We drove to the Gratitude Garden and walked along the path past a solar water fountain and over to Angels Overlook. The views are beautiful and the walk is just a few minutes.
- Angels Landing: There was a wedding happening the day we visited, so we didn’t get to enjoy the natural amphitheater. We heard it is a beautiful spot to have a picnic.
Best Friends Roadhouse
We also stayed at the Best Friends Animal Roadhouse in Kanab. This facility is fully pet friendly, with a pet bed and other amenities right in the room. So, if you’d like to bring your pet on your trip, the Roadhouse is the place to stay. One unique thing about staying at the Roadhouse is you can actually take a pet back from Best Friends to your room and have a sleepover. Of course, this increases the likelihood of taking that pet home!
We loved our visit to the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary. It was interesting and inspiring. We learned a lot about the mission of Best Friends, what we can do to help, and we also had a lot of fun. Put a visit to Best Friends Animal Sanctuary on your Kanab Itinerary. And if you are looking for other family-friendly ideas for this area, use our Things to do in Kanab post.
