Hiking To The Sand Caves Near Kanab, UT With Kids

Hey Everyone.  If you’re planning a trip through southern Utah, the Sand Caves 5 miles north of Kanab is a short roadside hike worth checking out.  While it is a man-made cavern, it’s quite an experience to visit since it sits high above Highway 89. 

See The Full Detailed Video Below

Sand Caves Visiting Information

• GPS coordinates:
  • 37.11721185714432, -112.5604624758626
• Dates & Hours:
  • Open 24 hours, but we recommend coming during daylight hours. 
• Price:
  • Free.
• How much we spent during our visit:
  • No cost. 
• Parking:
  • Free parking on a dirt lot. GPS coordinates are 37.113630, -112.555378.
  • They no longer allow you to park in the lot located across the street from the caves. 
• Activities:
  • Hike to man-made sand caves. 
• Time spent:
  • 1 hour.
• Places to eat:
  • Angel Village Cafe (Vegan) – 610 W Seppi Ln, Kanab, UT 84741 – 3.8 miles away
  • Big Al’s Burgers at the Junction – 185 E 300 S, Kanab, UT 84741 – 6.1 miles away
  • Lotsa Motsa Pizza – 164 E 300 S, Kanab, UT 84741 – 6.1 miles away
• Stroller friendly:
  • No
• Restrooms:
  • No but there is a Sinclair gas station (212 W Center St, Kanab, UT, 84741) that is 5.3 miles away. We used our portable toilet and handwash.

Extra info

• What we observed:
  • Make sure you use our GPS Coordinates. We accidentally went to Moqui Cave and paid for admissions thinking the Sand Caves was located there. 
  • You must have hiking shoes with a good grip and take your time going up and down. To prevent slipping, avoid sandy areas when hiking up the rocks. 
  • It’s a 1 mile round trip to get to the caves. 
  • Our girls (Age 5 and 3) were not able to hike this so we had to carry them. We recommend this hike for older kids (age 8 or older) that may need a little assistance.
  • There is a small part area where you will need to scale up the rock to make your way up the caves. 
  • This is a great place for photos. We visited in March 2020 and had the place to ourselves a few times. 
  • Once we got up there, the girls enjoyed playing with the cool soft sand.
  • Do keep your kids close once you reach the caves. It is located on a cliff side and some areas have steep drop offs. 
  • We don’t recommend coming here when it’s raining/snowing. Would not be ideal to hike on wet rocks.

things to bring

• Clothing:
  • Check the weather before you go. The weather can be changeable; layered clothing and good hiking shoes are recommended. 
• What we packed:
  • Good traction hiking shoes, hiking poles, kids carrier, sunscreen, lip sunscreen, bug repellant, snacks, lunch, water, water wipes, portable toilet, and Suds2go portable hand wash.
  • You can get the links to all our travel essentials here: Travel Essentials | Califoreigners
• Where we stayed:
  • We camped at Watchman Campground.
• Ways to save money:
  • Packing your own food, snacks and water. 
• Other places to visit in the area:
  • Utah With Kids – YouTube
• Recommended itinerary:
  • Belly of the Dragon Tunnel
  • Kanab Sand Caves
  • Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park
• Pls pack in, pack out and leave no trace. Also pls don’t carve into the sandstone walls. 
• Follow us on Instagram @thecaliforeigners, Youtube @Califoreigners, TikTok @Califoreigners

What We Said In Our Sand Caves Video

Halfway between Zion and Bryce National Parks, the sand caves are located just south of the Moqui Cave roadside attraction, easily seen from the highway.   

Before our visit, everything we found online said the cave was a family-friendly hike, and it’s somewhat true, but there are plenty of exceptions.  After doing it, we don’t recommend it for families with toddlers.  We gave it a go because we had kid carriers, but even then, it was a lot more stressful worrying about the girls while we were walking the ridge and inside the cave than we would have preferred.  There were just way too many places to slip and steep drop-offs to consider while you’re up there. 

What To Expect

Those warnings aside, the hike is extremely rewarding for how short it is.  After parking on the side of the highway, it’s not a long walk to the rock face that you’ll need to scramble up.  Without kids, most adults wouldn’t have any issues with it as long as they have decent hiking boots.  With kids, you’ll want to take the least steep path that cuts left across the rock face.  

On top, there is one section where slipping could ruin your trip.  So lean into the mountainside and watch your step.  Once you’re past that, it’s an easy stroll to the cave.

Crossing into the cave is impressive.  The temperature is noticeably colder inside, and it’s a great way to escape the heat. The cave’s floor is also covered in cold sand, so we took off our shoes to enjoy. While the girls played in the cave, I went to multiple openings to enjoy the view and take in the drops. The experience inside the cave is memorable, with pitch-black areas and a sweet kids-sized hole for the kids to crawl through.

After about 20 minutes, we headed back down the path back to Cora.  Being extremely cautious, we took our time getting down, and Sand Caves became a major highlight in our adventures in that region. 

Similar Options That Might Interest You

Here are some similar options you might enjoy.

Belly Of The Dragon Mt Carmel, UT

Zion National Park, UT (YouTube link)

See you again with more around California with kids.