Kanarra Falls: Family-Friendly River Slot Canyon Hike

Have you ever wanted to hike up the middle of a river? I never thought that I would pay money to go on a hike (let’s be honest, for most of my life I never thought you could pay me enough to go on a hike), but the hike to Kanarra Falls was worth every penny we paid.

Kanarra Falls (used interchangeably with the name Kanarraville Falls), in beautiful southern Utah, is an amazing hike and we have never done anything else like it. The Narrows in Zion National Park gets a lot of hype, but this hike has similar scenery and is family-friendly. You don’t want to miss it!

The Kanarra Falls Trail takes you through a slot canyon where you will hike in the river for part of the hike. You will also have the opportunity to climb a ladder and explore above the waterfall. Keep reading to find out everything you need to know to plan this family adventure.

About Kanarraville Falls Utah

Kanarra Creek bubbles up from a spring and has carved its way through the red sandstone creating a slot canyon. The creek then works its way through a wider canyon full of beautiful trees and boulders. It is an amazing hike and can give you a small taste of canyoneering without needing all of the equipment.

I kept seeing pictures of different parts of Kanarra Falls. I also had multiple people tell me that our family needed to try it out. It was on our Bucket List for quite a while and we finally were able to make the stop on our family trip to St. George.

Getting to Kanarra Falls Utah

Kanarraville Falls is just over 1.5 miles off of I-15. It is about 13 miles south of Cedar City and 40 miles north of St. George.

Directions from Cedar City, Utah

From I-15 Southbound, take exit 51 for Kanarraville/Hamilton. After crossing under the freeway, you will follow Old US Highway 91 and then turn left onto 100 N. After going east 0.4 miles, the parking lot will be on the left.

Directions from St. George, Utah

 From I-15 Northbound, take exit 42 for New Harmony/Kanarraville. You will turn right onto UT-144 and then a quick left onto Old US Highway 91. After going north for 4.5 miles, turn right onto 100 N. After going east 0.4 miles, the parking lot will be on the left.

Cost of Visiting Kanarraville Falls

Do you need a permit to hike Kanarraville Falls? Yes. When we hiked it, the Kanarraville Falls permit was $12/person, with ages 3 and under free, but check here for the current price.

There are only 150 permits sold per day, so make sure to purchase your permit online ahead of time, especially during the busy season, April through October. Permits can be purchased at the trailhead if they are not already sold out, but only if there are staff present. There is no cost for parking.

Parking for Kanarraville Falls

There is a nice paved parking lot for the Kanarraville Falls Hike. With only 150 people allowed to visit Kanarra Falls each day, it helps to ensure there are enough parking spaces.

There are flush toilets and drinking fountains at the north end of the parking lot. There are also spigots for washing shoes by the bathrooms. A small pavilion with picnic tables is attached to the bathrooms.

There is additional parking for large vehicles such as RVs and trailers at Center Street and 100 W in Kanarraville.

Best time to visit Kanarra Falls

Kanarra Falls, Utah is stunning any time of year! Our family visited Kanarra Falls in June and it was perfect weather. The water in the canyon is river water, so it is chilly, but it felt nice after hiking in the sun for the first part of the hike.

Summer months often have rain storms (especially in the afternoon), so make sure to watch the weather. You don’t want to be caught in a slot canyon during a flash flood.

In the fall, the weather is a little cooler which can make the hike a little easier. The trees in the canyon are changing colors and add to the beauty of the hike. The river comes from a spring, so the water level stays pretty consistent, even through the fall.

Kanarra Falls in winter is stunning, but you need to make sure you have the right equipment to keep you warm. You will need waterproof socks and shoes to keep out the cold water as you walk in the river.

In the spring the water in the river is a little deeper with the addition of snow melt, so keep that in mind if you have smaller kids. The water temperature is pretty consistent year-round due to the spring water.

Hiking the Kanarra Falls Trail

The Kanarra Falls hike is 3.8 miles round trip. It is considered a moderate to difficult hike due to hiking in the river and having to climb up ladders.

The Road

The first 0.2 miles of the hike is on an old access road. The dirt is fairly level, but it is rock and dirt which can become muddy. This part of the trail is exposed and does not have any shade.

The trail is a steady incline up the mountain, but it isn’t overly steep. This was the hardest part of the hike for our kids because it was hot and boring. The access road ends and you enter the lower part of the canyon.

Lower Part of the Canyon

The lower part of the canyon is nice and open. The trail is packed dirt and easy to navigate still. Some reviews said it was overgrown in places, but we did not encounter that.

The creek wanders through the canyon and the trail crosses the creek a few times. We tried to keep our shoes dry at these crossings because we didn’t want to have rocks and dirt from the trail in our shoes yet. The kiddos, of course, splashed right through the water without a worry in the world about rocks or mud.

As you continue up the canyon, the trail becomes more narrow and it alternates between a dirt path along the river and actually hiking in the river. The river is usually only a foot deep but can be higher in the spring.

Our kids loved being able to hike in the river. Usually when we are hiking, it is a full-time job keeping them out of the water in their tennis shoes. For this hike, they wore Keens and were thrilled when we told them the hike was up the river.

Scary Encounter

We made it through the lower part of the canyon hike with no issues on our way up, but on the way back down I almost had a heart attack.

We were walking down the trail when I heard some rustling in the bushes up ahead. At first, I thought one of the kids had snuck off and raced ahead. But after seeing both of them behind me on the trail, I got really worried.

The rustling got louder and it seemed like it was something big. All the possibilities of what it could be were running through my mind…mountain lion, bear, Big Foot, crazy person there to kidnap us all and hold us for ransom.

I didn’t want to worry the kids, so I hesitantly scooted forward. I did not have a plan of how to protect us, but I had to keep moving forward so I wouldn’t alert them.

We came around a small bend in the trail and there was the monster…a few sheep making themselves comfortable in the bushes. Of all the possibilities my mind came up with, sheep was not one of them. We all had a good laugh and my heart rate eventually returned to normal.

The Waterslide

About 1.2 miles into the hike, there is a small waterslide in the river. Our kids were hot from the hike up from the parking lot and begged to slide down it. They were not in swimsuits and extra clothes were buried deep in the trunk, but YOLO!

They had the best time and were thoroughly soaked. The current was not strong at that point in the river, so I did not have to worry about them floating away after going down the slide.

The Slot Canyon

After hiking 1.5 miles, you enter the slot canyon. It is an amazing experience to be walking in a river with red/orange walls towering above you.

The last few tenths of a mile before the slot canyon are hiking solely in the river, and our feet were numb from the cold. It made it a little bit hard to walk on the slippery rocks and uneven ground in the river, so we were thankful for our hiking poles.

The temperature in the slot canyon was noticeably lower than the rest of the hike. Dallas and I were thankful for that, but our kids quickly got cold because they were still wet from playing on the rock slide.

Kanarra Falls

You can hear the waterfall as soon as you enter the slot canyon. We took a moment to stand in the canyon and appreciate the beautiful surroundings we were in.

There is a sharp turn 0.1 miles up the slot canyon. When you round that corner, the sound from Kanarra Falls is deafening. The water thunders down about 12 feet and echoes down the canyon.

The waterfall cascades over a ledge and you can explore around behind Kanarra Falls. The river gets deeper at the bottom of the waterfall from the erosion and it is difficult to see what you are walking on because of the churning water, so be cautious.

Our kids loved being able to go behind the waterfall, but they didn’t stay long because it was loud and even colder back there.

Kanarra Falls Old Ladder

There is a ladder to the right of the waterfall. The first time our family went, the ladder was a log with metal rungs bolted on. There was a chain attached to the rock wall along the side that you could use to help climb. It was slippery from the waterfall spray and made for quite the adventure getting to the top.

Kanarra Falls New Ladder

That ladder has since washed out of the canyon and has been replaced by a metal ladder with railings. This is much easier to climb, but be careful as it may still be wet and slippery. This is the end of where the trail is maintained, so proceed with caution if you go any farther.

The Boulder

After climbing on top of Kanarra Falls, you can continue to explore the slot canyon and view two more waterfalls. The next waterfall and a large boulder are right after Kanarra Falls. To continue up the canyon, you have to scale the boulder.

There aren’t any hand-holds on the boulder to help you climb, but there is a sketchy log set up to help you. We were pretty sure that we could climb up the boulder, but we were worried about coming back down safely, so we decided to turn around at that point.

2^nd Waterfall

If you brave climbing the boulder, you will have another 0.2 miles to get to 2^nd Waterfall. The water above the boulder is deeper than the rest of the hike. Once you reach 2nd Waterfall, you will have to turn around because it is private land beyond it.

What to Pack

Kanarraville Falls Hike is a long, difficult hike and what you need depends on the time of year that you go. You will definitely need water and snacks for this hike no matter what time of year you are there.

If you are going in the summer, you will need to wear some shoes that can get wet. The kids and I wore Keens, which worked great. My husband wore his waterproof hiking boots, which worked well until the water came in over the top and he had wet socks for the hike back.

We were thankful for our hiking poles when trying to walk in the river. After your feet go numb from the cold water, it gets really hard to navigate the rocks in the river.

In the winter, you want to make sure you have plenty of warm clothes. You will want waterproof socks and shoes. The trail can be snowy and icy, so it is also a good idea to bring spikes. Hiking poles are also a must to help with balance in the river.

Important Information

Watch the weather closely. Slot canyons can have dangerous flash floods with summer rainstorms. Check the local weather here.

Is Kanarraville Falls Worth Visiting?

Absolutely!!!! I never thought that I would pay money to go on a hike, but I would pay to go again.

It was amazing to stand in that canyon and experience the raw beauty surrounding us.

Recreate Responsibly

Please remember to recreate responsibly so that other people can enjoy it after you. Be respectful to the nature you come in contact with and stay on the designated trails. Take only pictures and memories, leave only footprints.

Explore Close By

• Taylor Creek Trail
• Cedar City
• Frontier Homestead State Park
• Ashdown Gorge
• Cedar Breaks National Monument
• Saint George
• Snow Canyon Lava Tubes
• Snow Canyon Petrified Sand Dunes
• Brian Head
• Mammoth Cave

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