National Monuments and Wilderness Areas

HoufyFeb 12, 20192 min read

National Monuments and Wilderness Areas

Get out and away, Truly off the beaten path!– 7 Awesome Southern Utah National Monuments and Wilderness Areas

Acres and acres of colorful sandstone cliffs, soaring above narrow slot canyons, just in Grand Staircase National Monument alone.Picturesque washes and seemingly endless slickrock, prehistoric village sites, abandoned old Western movie sets and high cool mountains are among the many treasures of these Southern Utah Wilderness Areas near Kanab.

Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument – 5 min.

Vermilion Cliffs National Monument/ The Wave – 30 min.

Pipe Springs National Monument – 20 min.

Dixie National Forest – 35 min.

Glen Canyon National Recreation Area / Lake Powell – 60 min.

Kodachrome Basin State Park – 90 min.
The Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park – 20 min.

Vermilion Cliffs National Monument and Paria Canyon Wilderness, Arizona

Vermilion Cliffs National Monument and Paria Canyon Wilderness, Arizona

This wilderness area includes many plateaus, sandstone formations, escarpments, and slot canyons.While many are lured and wait their turn to visit the famous “Wave” in the North Coyote Buttes, on the other hand, the “White Pocket” area to the east is seldom visited.Maybe because of its remoteness or the requirement of 4WD to access the area. But there are several great Tour companies in Kanab that can take you anytime! Ask me about our favorites.

White Pockets short version

Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Utah

Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Utah

Utah’s Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument encompasses 1.9 million acres of spectacular wilderness. (Note: The Federal Government has recently reduced the size of the actual monument, but so far nothing has changed for us as far as accessibility or activities.)

Camping, hiking, backpacking, mountain biking, off-roading, and photography are popular activities. Visitor center is located in Kanab. Visitors must keep in mind that this is mostly undeveloped territory. The monument covers an area roughly the size of Delaware and was the last region in America to be explored.

Pipe Springs National Monument, Arizona

Pipe Springs National Monument, Arizona

Located near the Utah/Arizona border, adventurous visitors will find one of the best kept secrets of the National Parks system. The monument is a historic pioneer fort located 20 minutes west of Kanab, Utah. See the Kaibab Band of Paiute Indians Visitor Center and Museum, the guided tour and walk the trails.$7.00 per person for 7 days. (Includes a $2.10 per person tribal use fee.) Children 15 years old and under are admitted free. Your Annual National Park pass is good here.

Pipe Springs Monument Website – https://www.nps.gov/pisp/index.htm

Dixie National Forest, Utah

The Dixie National Forest offer great hiking trails that include terrain in slot canyons and high alpine areas. Anasazi ruins, caves and lava fields are some of the more unusual sights to see in this forest region which is an excellent place for camping, mountain biking, horseback riding and photography.

Glen Canyon National Recreation Area