Kanab Utah home base for sightseeing?

[Californiadrea1]

Hello,
We are planning a 10 day stay in Southern Utah in Sept. 2015. Planning one day trips to Zion NP, Bryce Canyon NP, Escalante NP, etc. and one day visit to Lake Powell/Rainbow Bridge. Is Kanab a good home base over Springdale or Glendale Utah? We've never visited the area. Thanks so much for your responses.

[2gypsies1]

It takes less time to break camp then drive many miles back and forth daily. Plus, you're more refreshed after a long day of touring/hiking, you spend less money on fuel, you can come back for a nap midday and take off again. Breaking camp can be very fast if you keep it simple. Don't set out a lot of stuff.

There have been times when we moved a mere 50 miles and sometimes moved within the same campground to get a better site. 🙂 Breaking camp is no issue.

[Majja13]

but when you are CG hopping how much of your vacation do you spend making and breaking camp. Some times a small bit of a drive is much better then having to set everything up every other day.

[BubbaChris]

North Rim of the Grand Canyon is another relatively easy trip from Kanab.

SW Utah really is big enough that pulling your fiver to sites closer to the SIGHTS is advised. Many of these spots are best enjoyed at dawn or dusk.

For example we'll be staying at Cedar Breaks NM soon. Last time we camped there we had a totally different experience than the multiple day-trips we've made in the past.

We did stay at the Kanab RV Corral last year. Small park along one of the main roads, all gravel. But exceptionally well maintained (guy was out Sunday morning taking care of weeds). Good as a home-base, not good for sitting there relaxing.

[Opie431]

We have done the area you want to see several times and have always preferred to change campsites rather than do all of that driving.

[SteveAE]

2gypsies wrote:
I don't understand why you would want to drive excessive miles for touring from one base.

It's easy to move to the specific areas. Stay in the parks and you'll have better surroundings, you'll be a lot less tired and you'll be able to enjoy what each park has to offer. Kanab is way too far to tour all those places. The only things in Kanab worth doing are Best Friends and Coral Pink Sand Dunes (which also has a nice campground). Kanab's RV parks are not great.

I feel the same.

It's a big place and I encourage you to take your time and try to get to know the area a bit before jumping to the next spot. But, I also understand the desire to "see it all". So no matter how you decide to visit the region, I suspect that you will be planning a return trip (perhaps spending more time in one spot) before you even get home.

Have fun.

[2gypsies1]

I don't understand why you would want to drive excessive miles for touring from one base.

It's easy to move to the specific areas. Stay in the parks and you'll have better surroundings, you'll be a lot less tired and you'll be able to enjoy what each park has to offer. Kanab is way too far to tour all those places. The only things in Kanab worth doing are Best Friends and Coral Pink Sand Dunes (which also has a nice campground). Kanab's RV parks are not great.

[4aSong]

Californiadreamers wrote:
Hello,
We are planning a 10 day stay in Southern Utah in Sept. 2015. Planning one day trips to Zion NP, Bryce Canyon NP, Escalante NP, etc. and one day visit to Lake Powell/Rainbow Bridge. Is Kanab a good home base over Springdale or Glendale Utah? We've never visited the area. Thanks so much for your responses.

Kanab is usually used as our base when in the area.

[n7bsn]

Another stop to consider is Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, right outside town.
There are also about half a dozen rock shops in the "greater" area.
Also a fun little film/TV museum in town.
Oh Ya Pink Coral Sand Dunes SP

Ya, we used it as a stop also.

[horizon36]

That's as good as any in the area. Nice town with good restaurants. If you have more time go see Capital Reef. Kodachrome SP is another good stop in the area and so is Pipe Springs Nat. Mon just south of Kanab.