Campground:
This is a small no frills campground with a down to earth owner. It is not a destination resort, but served the purpose for visiting Kanab UT and the north rim of the Grand Canyon.
The Grand Canyon is still 50 miles away and there is camping there, but it is also 50 miles back. So as we were only planning a day trip to the GC we opted to stay along our intended route through Utah and make it a day trip. This worked out fine. Kanab is a nice little town and welcomes an hour stroll and a meal.
The Colorado River in background
notice the people walking on the top - and the hole in the rock
A storm started to brew up. We rushed to the eastern most overlooks and it started pouring. Most of the few people that were there left. As the showers let up, we got our truck and enjoyed amazing rainbows.
On our way back and just south of Fredonia there is a lookout over the Vermilion and White Cliffs in the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument.
Paria
While traveling with our trailer between Lake Powell and Kanab on Rt 89 (on our way to Bryce), we stoped at what looked like a little rest area with a sign on it. The sign stated that there was an old western movie set further up the gravel road from the parking area and beyond that was a ghost town.Sounded interesting, but we weren't doing it with the trailer. My curiosity was piqued though and we we stayed in Fredonia later we took a drive out with just the truck.
"Down this road..." Ya, right!
This was a very rutted, washboarded and sandy road. I think it was about 6 miles long. The stiff suspension on the truck makes the washboards worse than in a smaller vehicle.
The road starts pretty flat but eventually gets into some hilly country and is quite narrow. One sharp corner at the peak of a high point is nerve wracking to the person on the side of the drop off. When we made the return trip I looked out my window to the road beside my door and noticed a hole in the road. I could see clear to the valley floor! I don't know what was holding the drop off side of the road together and wondered how I got over it on my way in!
(On the return) The road takes a sharp right at the top with a cliff to the left and the road giving away
So after bumping and tossing in the truck to the movie set we arrived at a sign that said the movie set had been burned down by vandals and nothing of it remains. We laughed about it because the scenery was so unbelievable that we didn't care. As these photos attest, these are some of the most colorful rock formations we have ever seen. Every color imaginable.
The Movie set USED to be here
I went exploring anyway - camera in hand
After some photos we tried to drive to the ghost town, but we were too long to navigate the steep sheer drops where the sand road dropped into a dry wash. I had to drive backwards about 100 yards through the rutted road with branches hitting my mirrors to turn around.
As much trouble as it was, I would go back again in a heartbeat. Just be prepared for the road (don't go if rain is imminent), and don't expect a movie set.
Kanab UT
On the main street there are informative signs explaining some of the movie stars and the movies or shows that were done in the Kanab area. Here's a couple.
Downtown Kanab.
