The more I explore southern Utah, the more amazed I feel. Southern Utah has so many things to offer, so many wonderful hikes to do, so many canyons to explore. We went to visit this waterfall about two years ago. I heard this place is always full of crowds. So, I had a clear picture of crowd in my mind what to expect. Luckily, it was a very cold day and we only met one person on our way, who was also leaving. Believe me, we got the whole place to ourselves. It was so amazing to get the whole place, but the same time it was a bit scary though. There were absolutely no people inside the canyon and the day was a gloomy one. As a result, it was already getting dark at 12 pm in the afternoon. Once we reached the waterfalls and started enjoying, we did not even know how the time passed. We ended up spending two hours there. It was an amazing experience.
Kanarraville falls hike is one of the very rewarding hikes where you will follow the Kanarra creek and walk in between the canyon walls and then suddenly when you reach the waterfall you will be blown away by the beauty. I would say this is a fun hike which you cannot complete without getting wet and walking through the creek water. You will start walking from one side of the creek, eventually there will be some turns where the trail ends this side and starts on the other side of the creek, which means creek crossing. This happens a lot of times and this part of the trail is beautiful, full of trees, plants, bushes, and rocks. The creek eventually enters into a slot canyon. Inside the canyon there is water of 3 to 8-inches depth, depending on the time of the year and season. So, basically you have to walk through the water from this part to reach your destination. That’s why I told you this hike is incomplete without getting wet.
The day we went was a very cold day and while walking through the creek water I literally asking myself, why am I doing this? I questioned many times and I got all the answer once I reached the waterfalls after hiking around 1.6 miles. There are two waterfalls. If you just want to see the first waterfall and then go back, that is okay. Otherwise, you have to climb 15 foot using log ladder with metal rungs to hike past the first waterfalls. This log ladder has no handrails but there is a rope for support. Once you are up, walk a little further and there will be a point where you will have to climb a large boulder on the right side of the canyon and water flowing across it. There is no ladder, handholds, or any rope for any kind of support here. This is quite challenging but once you get past it, you will be able to experience natural waterslide and pool about 0.2 miles later. This pool is a shallow one on the top of a rock outcropping. You can’t actually swim in the pool but definitely you can enjoy the beauty of it. Then the last part is a narrow slot canyon and walk through it for around 0.1 mile, the second waterfalls is there in front of you and it marks the end of the hike. This hike is quite something, you get to experience the canyoneering excursion very easily without any kind of special gear or climbing experience.
At a glance/fact
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Hike length: 3.8 miles out and back
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Location: Cedar City, UT 84720
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Co-ordinate:
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Trailhead: 37.537144, -113.175981
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Waterfall: 37.537607, -113.152469
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Difficulty: Moderate but need to cross the creek several times.
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Elevation gain: around 600 feet
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Best time to visit:Spring, Summer, Fall
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Hours: Dawn to dusk
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Permit/Fee: Permit required. Permit fee 12 usd per person, nonrefundable. They allow 150 people per day. So, plan beforehand and purchase the permits online. Permit website:
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Tickets | Kanarra Falls
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Parking: There is parking lot at the trailhead. It has sufficient space unless it gets extremely crowded.
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Amenities: vault toilet at the trailhead
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As there are a lot of creek crossing and hiking through the water (some places knee depth), please bring your water shoe or water-resistant shoe. Using hiking poles also help to keep balance when you cross the creek. So, hiking poles are highly recommended.
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Please check the weather before you go. As this is a slot canyon hike, there is always some flash flooding risk factor involved. Typically, July, August and September are the most common moths when this kind of incident occur. So be prepare for it. Also, the hike may get closed on short notice if there is a heavy rain nearby or thunderstorm threat. So, you should do your part and check the most current weather beforehand.
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This hike is not recommended for children under 8 due to the obstacles, water hiking and slippery surfaces.
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Practice leave no trace principle. Whatever you bring in, please bring it out with you. All of our small effort combinedly will help to make this world a better place to live and make happy memories.
Source
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Kanarra Falls | Kanarraville, Utah
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Hike Kanarraville Canyon Falls | Visit Utah