Favorite Local Hike: South Fork

Posted by Becky Glover on Jan 20, 2021 in Just Listed

Living in Kanab means you are located in the most perfect year-round base camp for exploring national parks, canyons, lakes, and desert landscapes. There are endless hidden gems, and there are adventures for everyone! As a Kanab local resident, I get to explore the ins & outs of the landscapes.

This week’s favorite adventure was to South Fork Indian Canyon Pictographs. Located 20 miles away from Kanab, on the outskirts of the Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park, is this beautiful and secret southern Utah hike!

After driving through the canyon walls of HWY 89 and past the views of the Coral Pink Sand Dunes, take a winding dirt road that cruises you to the top of the desert plateaus surrounding the area. Native Americans used to inhabit these canyons, building their own real estate into the sides of cliffs! That’s where this hike takes you.

This trail is 1.5 miles round trip, and winds you back and forth down the side of a cliff. The views are AMAZING!! No photos can do them justice ( I attached some for reference so just keep that in mind). After cliff-adventuring, the trail takes you through a tree canopy before popping you out in a wide alcove. The pathway the BLM has built is perfect for viewing the incredible indian pictographs! It’s so fun to stare & try to interpret what the ancient peoples were trying to convey.

There are no fees to visit The South Fork Indian Pictographs, and the trailhead is at the top of a sandy and rough road which requires 4WD.

I DARE YOU to take an adventure in and around Kanab this week! Whether you’re a local who thinks they’ve seen it all, or a potential future Kanab resident, there is so much to see and do!