Kanab Mission Inn

Western Movies Made Here

by JetlagCity

Because it's right in the middle of so many awesome natural wonders, the Kanab area has become a popular base for Hollywood film crews making western movies. James Garner and Clint Eastwood were known to frequent the town in the past. Westerns filmed in this area include:

Billy the Kid (1941)
Thunder in the Valley (1947)
Green Grass of Wyoming (1948)
Black Bart (1948)
Calamity Jane and Sam Bass(1949)
Red Canyon (1949)
Westward the Women (1952)
Pony Express (1953)
Fort Yuma (1955)
War Drums (1957)
Duel at Diablo (1966)
A Rough Night at Jericho (1967)
Brighty of the Grand Canyon (1967)
Bandolero (1968)
Mackenna's Gold (1969)
The Man Who Loved Cat Dancing (1973)
One Little Indian (1973)
The Outlaw Jose Wales (1976)
Geronimo (1993)

TV programs filmed here include:
The Lone Ranger
Daniel Boone
Gunsmoke
How the West was Won
Wagon Train

Lees Ferry

by BruceDunning

This area is off Hwy 89A, and about 80 miles from Kanab. The intersection of Hwy 89 to Hwy 89A is south of town, and connects. This park is operated by the National Park Service, and mostly used for rafters and kayaks docking here to start a trip, or ending here. It connects with the Vermilion Cliffs region. There are some hiking areas, which I took for 3 miles and old buildings from the time when this was the ferry across the river.
The area and crossing was started as a business in 1871 by John D. Lee, a Mormon. This was one of few that crossing the Colorado on a relatively flat terrain was present. They moved the crossing once to another spot, and therefore have various living quarters. The ferry continued in use until 1910. The ferry is t the confluence of the Colorado meeting the muddy Paria River, and that is why the Colorado gets muddy brown look for quite a way.

Escalante Grand Staircase

by BruceDunning

Kanab is at the southern center of a huge preserved area that is still preserved from tourism intrusion as much as possible. The area is 1.9 million acre; or 2968 square miles; maybe the biggest area in the Government rec areas. It is managed by Bureau of Land Management since 1984 when dedicated to save the territory from destruction. That was over done in my opinion in some regards because the locals used to use three main roads that cut through the area to get to the other north end. That span is averaging around 5-60 miles in most cases. Now that the roads are not maintained by the Government body. the roads have deteriorated to a degree that it is difficult to get through one end to the other. I tried and it is mind boggling how scared you can get when no one is around and you are stranded miles away from any people contact. It is surreal.

A Stop on the Way to/from Grand Canyon

by straehle

"Kanab Overview"

On an Elderhostel photo tour that included the north rim of the Grand Canyon we stopped at Kanab for lunch coming and going. I walked around a little. It appears that the highway binds the town together. There are a number of local stores on the main street and some local and national brand motels. The town is overshadowed by the hill shown in the picture. Between Kanab and the north rim lies the Kaibib National Forest, so this is about the last commercial venture for 40 miles

"First Visit to Kanab"

Our first visit was to the Rocking V for lunch. More comments about the Rocking V in the restaurant review. The restaurant was overrun with 35 people descending upon them for lunch. I wondered what they did on a normal weekday. The Rocking V has an upstairs art gallery which is of some interest. It is a grab bag of local artists, some better than others.

"Frontier Movie Town"

Kanab is known as "Little Hollywood" because of all the western movies made in the area. The Frontier Movietown trades on this with a gift shop, old movie sets, and a "Cowboy Buffet." Two days after oing through on our way to Grand Canyon we returned for lunch and stopped at the Frontier Movietown. I had been set to have another lunch at the Rocking V and was disappointed. My recommendation is to visit the gift shop and the sets, but go up the street to the Rocking V for your lunch.

WANDERS IN THE SAND

by mtncorg

The coral pink sand dunes are a little gem hidden away in the hills of southern Utah. Most tourists sweep by along US 89, in a hurry to get to the traffic jams of Zion, Bryce or the Grand Canyon. Not to say that the park here is not unknown among locals. The dunes are a very popular area for those of the ATV variety. The campground is a popular alternative to the much larger campgrounds of the nearby national parks. Stay here and get up early in the morning so you can wander out among the dunes before the motorized trikes cough into life. The nature trail starts out from the west edge of some of the largest dunes. Take off your shoes and wander among the cool rust-colored grains.

The sand is constantly in a battle for dominance with vegetation that tries to contain and impinge on the world of dunes. Unique grasses and yuccas stake their claim.

In areas where the wind - an ever constant here - has blown the sand away to a bare minimum, even ponderosa pine trees take advantage, sending roots into an aquifier lying not far beneath the surface.

The wind blows the sands into dunes here that reach over a hundred feet in height. But look at also the detail that can be easily overlooked. Ripples are dunes in miniature? Many people have tried to explain how ripples have been formed; they have tried to reduce them to mathematical theory - unsuccessfully. Observe them and formulate your own dunal axioms.

Walk through the dunes and look closely at the sands. Notice that there is evidence of life of all sorts out here - lizards, beetles, mice, kangaroo rats, wildcats - all witnessed in their tracks left behind amongst the rust colored grains.

Walking about in the sands, the old saying, ‘Take only photographs; leave only footprints!’ takes on a special meaning.

Walk through the dunes and look closely at the sands. Notice that there is evidence of life of all sorts out here - lizards, beetles, mice, kangaroo rats, wildcats - all witnessed in their tracks left behind amongst the rust colored grains.

With so many ‘grand’ stops in the neighborhood, sometimes it is nice to step back and take in other sights, which can also amaze and set your mind in motion.