Kanarraville Falls Hike

Kanarraville Falls is a popular slot canyon hike in southern Utah. The hike requires a fee of $12/person. In our opinion, the fee is worth doing this hike at least once, because it is a beautiful and unique experience. It is one of our most memorable adventures in Utah.

Hike Info

Rating: Moderate
Distance: 4.4 miles RT
Elevation Gain:
Fees: $12/person
Tips: You WILL hike in the water, so wear appropriate clothing and footwear (not flip flops) for climbing and hiking in water.

Purchase tickets for this hike in advance, or at the kiosk at the trailhead (if it’s not sold out that day). The ticket includes parking at the trailhead, too. This trail is very popular, and they only sell 150 permits per day, so if you are planning on hiking, it might be wise to get your permit online early.

There are restrooms at the trailhead and make sure to use them because there are not facilities along the trail. The path follows a dirt road for the first three quarters of a mile. As you hike the dusty path with no shade, you’ll wonder why in the world you spent $12 on this hike. But eventually you come to a small arrow sign that says “Best Route” and points to the left.

The trail begins with a climb up this dusty old road.

Soon you come to the water tanks and the trail heads downhill.

At the bottom you will see the Kanarra Falls sign, but you will continue hiking on the road for awhile.

The first 3/4 mile is hot and dusty, but it will be worth it in the end.

There are a few river crossings along the road, but they are easy to stay dry while crossing.

We came to this sign, and decided to follow the advice of whoever had written “best route.”

At this point the trail walks right down to the river. We tried to stay dry for the first part of the trail by the river. We skipped from rock to rock and hugged the banks. There are even some trails that climb up the banks and drop steeply back down. Eventually, we realized that the best and most direct route was to go straight up the river. Once we decided it didn’t matter how wet we got, the hike was much more enjoyable.

Once you start walking along the river, it is much shadier and greener.

Some of us tried to stay dry on the trail, while others just plunged into the river. You will get wet so hiking in the river is as easy as not.

The water here isn’t too cold, but in the slot canyon it is freezing!

There are little waterfalls all along the way. It is so beautiful!

The hike follows the narrow ravine for about half a mile until it comes to the opening for the slot canyon. This is a great place to stop for a few pictures, and also the last place that your feet will be dry (if they’ve remained dry this far).

The slot canyon is gorgeous! This is right at the start as you walk in.

We did this hike at the beginning of August, and the water never got deeper than the bottoms of our back pockets. Of course, that was chest deep on our 6 year-old! Generally, you can keep the water to ankle depth, but there are a few spots that it is unavoidably deeper.

There are some spots where the water is pretty deep.

The slot canyon is beautiful. It narrows down to four or five feet, but what makes this hike unique is the water. Most of the narrow canyons we’ve been to are dry, but Kanarraville Falls is always running.

No matter when you hike, there will be water along this trail.

Eventually, you come to a few waterfalls. The first one has a sturdy ladder that most kids can climb. It has a series of metal rungs screwed on to a log leaned up next to the waterfall. The top rungs rock a bit, but the climbing is easy. There is even a rope fastened to the wall to help you along. Coming back down is a lot harder, though, so be prepared! 2022: This ladder has been replaced with a nice sturdy medal ladder. We can’t wait to go check it out.

This is the first ladder. It was okay for our boys going up, but they were very nervous coming back down because it is so slippery.

There are other obstacles to climb around on this hike. It would be tough for young kids without a little help.

So many waterfalls on the trail. This is a natural waterslide if you want to give it a try.

After the first ladder, the terrain opens up a bit until you come to a second slot. This one is just as narrow and just as wet. At the far end, which is around two miles from the trailhead, there is a second ladder. This one is much more rickety. It is a log with irregularly spaced wooden rungs screwed to it. The wrungs are slippery, loose, and have a gap of about 4 feet at one point. We saw adults helping each other up this ladder, and Dad climbed it easily on his own, but none of our kids wanted to try it. Getting them back down would have been pretty difficult, so we decided to turn around.

We absolutely loved the second slot canyon.

Here is another deep spot. This picture shows our 12 and 9 year-old. Our 6 year-old was chest deep at this spot.

This is the 2nd ladder. It is missing some rungs and is very wobbly. Our boys decided they didn’t want to climb it.

Turning around at the second ladder made this unique hike almost exactly four miles. Others were going further, and Dad rushed up the trail another 75 yards or so and reported that the canyon continues, but we’ve heard it ends after about 2.2 miles (4.4 RT). This was the perfect turn around spot for our family.

Some people are upset that Kanarraville Falls is charging a fee, but don’t let it deter you. This is a great hike to do at least once, and fees help improve the hike and keep the numbers manageable. Don’t miss it, because Kanarraville Falls is one of the most unique and adventurous hikes we’ve done!

Directions

Kanarraville Falls is located in the town of Kanarraville, which is about 10 miles south of Cedar City. The hike begins right in town. If coming from the north take exit 51, and if coming from the south, take exit 42. Head east off the exit toward Kanarraville. Drive about 5 miles toward town. Once in Kanarraville, head east on 100 north. Follow for 3 blocks until you arrive at the Kanarraville Falls parking lot. There are signs to help you find your way in town.

Tips for Families

We recommend this hike for ages 5 and up. This does not mean little ones couldn’t do the hike, but we felt that with the distance, the climbing of ladders and rocks, as well as the hiking in water, it is more appropriate for older kids. You decide what is best for your family. We were so glad our youngest was 6 and a strong hiker.
Go early in the day to avoid crowds. We started our hike at 10:00 am and didn’t see many people on the trail. As we were headed back to our car, we passed a ton of people coming after lunch.
Hike on a weekday if possible to avoid crowds. We went on a Tuesday and it wasn’t very busy at all.
Purchase permits early. They are selling out on weekends. Here is the link to buy tickets. Kanarraville Falls Permits
Wear shoes that are good for hiking, but that you don’t mind getting wet. We planned this for the last day of our trip, so we hiked in our hiking shoes with socks. Then we put on flip flops when we got back to the car for the ride home.
Wear clothes that can get wet. Our boys wore swim bottoms, and we were glad that they did. We were almost completely dry by the time we arrived back at our car. We did hike on a warm summer day.
Bring water and snacks. This is a long hike and you will want both water and snacks to keep the kids going. Treats, too!
Waterproof your phone or camera. Bring a case or bag to put your camera/phone in so it doesn’t get wet along the trail.
Watch the weather. Kanarraville Falls is in a slot canyon, so flash floods are definitely a possibility. If there is rain in the forecast, do not hike.
Hike respectfully. The water in this creek goes into those tanks, which provide water for the town of Kanarraville. Don’t litter or treat the stream as a toilet.
If this hike sounds to adventurous for you, then check out our 20 Easy Waterfall Hikes list.

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