How to Hike Peekaboo Canyon Kanab Without a Guide
Kanab is a southern Utah gem that used to be known as the filming location of old westerns, but there are so many other things to do in this one-horse town–mainly adventurous yet affordable activities for families. Our absolute favorite thing to do there was Peekaboo Canyon. Side note – there are two Peekaboo slot canyons in Utah. In this post, we are referring to Peekaboo Canyon Kanab, not the one near Spooky Gulch in Grand Escalante.
Known for: Slot canyon, jeeping, hiking, off-roading, UTV tours
Before you continue reading, make sure to download our FREE printable Utah Bucket List for 100+ ideas of family-friendly adventures in Utah like this one!
What to Expect on the Trail
The only way to get to the canyon is via 4WD vehicle.
Peekaboo Canyon Kanab Tour Options
Guided tours are expensive!
While the guided tours certainly have their merits, they are very expensive for families. There are multiple options – UTV side-by-side, Hummer, or even military transport trucks. Regularly, for a 4-seater UTV tour it’s about $360, so if you have a larger family like us, it adds up. It would’ve been $720 for us – as much as a day at Disneyland! I could see how it might be easy to get lost or stuck in the sand, but we were well prepared. Truth is, you can do it on your own and it’s a well traveled road out there.
There’s an App for that!
You can download the Kanab Trails app, which tracks your GPS location, and follow the map to the canyon. But if you don’t mind the cost, I’m sure the tours are fun!
How to See Peekaboo Canyon Kanab for FREE
If you already drive a vehicle that has 4WD and high clearance, like a Jeep, 4Runner, Suburban, or truck, then you’re set! Just download the free Kanab Trails App and do a self-guided tour. The other option is to hike all the way from the parking lot, but it’s nearly 9 miles on a sandy road, so we wouldn’t recommend that.
How to See Peekaboo Canyon Kanab for $32/person:
Rent a Jeep and do a self-guided tour: The tour companies will tell you it’s “too risky” to venture to Peekaboo Canyon without a guide because well—they want you to pay for a tour. But we did our research beforehand and decided it wouldn’t be too tough to do it ourselves. That’s when we discovered a local car rental company that rents Jeeps for exactly this purpose. They have renters every day that make it safely to and from Peekaboo Canyon on their own. It cost us $189 per day total, which came to $32/person. For a normal rental car that would be outrageous, but for our family it was still more than $500 cheaper than the UTV tour option. Plus, you can do more than just Peekaboo Canyon with it. There are a ton of trails and sites worth visiting near Kanab. You can get through the thick sand and do just as much off-roading and adventuring in a good Jeep. Just make sure you have the tires deflated to 25 PSI.
Fun Facts About Peekaboo Canyon Kanab
- Anasazi indians used to use the canyon to store their grain so keep your eyes peeled for the steps etched into the sandstone.
- Not to be confused with another Peekaboo Canyon farther north near Spooky Gulch in Grand Staircase Escalante, Peekaboo Canyon Kanab is just 10 minutes north of Kanab right off Highway 89.
- This slot canyon looks a lot like the world famous Antelope Canyon but is way less crowded and much cheaper (the only way to see Antelope is to do a guided walking tour that costs $90/person) and it’s just as photogenic.
How to Get to Peekaboo Canyon near Kanab:
You need 4WD to get to the trailhead but the hike itself is less than a mile and was easy enough for my 18 month old to walk. Don’t go past this parking lot unless you have 4WD! You will get stuck in the deep sand. Our trusty AWD Swagger Wagon wouldn’t hack it because the issue is the clearance. You need an SUV with high clearance and 4WD or a UTV. We decided to rent a jeep in Kanab for the day and that really made it feel like an adventure!
Peekaboo Canyon Kanab is located 30 minutes from the East entrance of Zion, so make sure to check out our posts for things to do in Utah national parks.
Peekaboo Canyon Kanab is an adventure!
We felt like we were Indiana Jones in the scene of the Last Crusade where he rides his horse through a slot canyon into Petra. It was totally amazing and the rays of light that hit different areas of the canyon made it a perfect place for photography. My kids loved the deep sand and running through the winding red cliffs.
Download the Kanab Trails app so you can track your GPS location and follow the map to the canyon.
Check out our Instagram Reel to see video of us on the trail.
Bonus tip: Take care of business at the parking lot before going onto the 4WD road cause there are no restrooms near the slot canyon.
This was one of our favorite adventures and I’d recommend it to anyone, so make sure to include it on your bucket list!
🤘🏻
-JJ
Our family is on a mission to experience the best our home state of Utah has to offer and help other families find affordable, kid-friendly adventures in the process. You can follow us on Instagram @theminivanbucketlist or download our free printable Utah Bucket List for a list of the top hikes in the great state of Utah, both for kid-friendly and more adventurous hikes.
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