A Weekend Of Adventure + Discovery In Kanab, Utah

When you’re invited to an adventure wedding hosted by owners of a local guiding service in Kanab, Utah, you know the weekend will unfold into a series of discoveries about their small town in southern Utah. I road tripped from Colorado to Kanab in mid September for my friend’s fall wedding which allowed me some planned and unplanned excursions. From slot canyons with friends to dancing under the stars on a warm night, to getting a bit more than stuck on a very desolate road, a trip to Kanab awaits many opportunities for adventure.

Along my trip, I visited Bryce Canyon National Park on the way there. Kanab is just over an hour drive from Bryce Canyon and a similar distance from Zion National Park, Lake Powell and the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. Positioned in a unique location, Kanab is an ideal autumn destination for outdoor enthusiasts looking to extend their adventure season because the weather has more stable conditions and is not scorching hot. The fall colors also have a lot of variety between the elevations of nearby locations like Bryce Canyon.

This small town offers loads of opportunities for outdoor recreation away from the crowded national parks since it is surrounded by public recreation land, meaning no adventure is too far away or too busy. Going with a guiding company, like All Ways Adventure, is a bona fide way to check things off your bucket list. They offer canyoneering, luxury SUV off-roading, climbing, hiking, rappelling and multi-day trips with their world-class guides. They are also the only company in the area that does private trips. “We will get you into slot canyons where you won’t see thousands of other people,” says Jillian Mielke, co-owner of All Ways Adventure.

Jillian Mielke and Nathan, her husband, want to showcase all that Kanab offers through their empowering experiences. The foundation of All Ways Adventure is accessibility and access to adventure. “We want all people who always want to go on an adventure to have experiences with us,” says Jillian Mielke. “We try really hard to include everyone by specializing our trips to meet the guests’ needs.”

During my trip, we participated in a slot canyon trip with both youth, elderly, first-timers and experienced group members. Nothing says “getting out of your comfort zone” like sliding into a slot canyon for the first time — the tight awareness of repelling sandstone with awkward climbing moves into unknown depths, and going back up is not an option. “Our goal is to keep things fun for everyone,” says Nathan Mielke.

If going down a slot canyon isn’t your thing, then All Ways Adventure has many other options for exploration. They also offer luxury off-roading in Lexus SUVs. Nathan Mielke designed these for sightseeing and modified them specifically to be graceful in their terrain. These enclosed vehicles are different than other off-roading vehicles because you can get out of the elements. “You’re not getting sand-blasted in your face, which allows a variety of people to have an off-roading experience” he says .

A trip to the desert isn’t complete without checking out some local petroglyphs on the Mansard Great Diverse Trail. This is a moderate 5-mile hike done out and back. I also couldn’t pass up the opportunity for some red dirt mountain biking, so I did a quick lap on Tom’s Canyon Trail before getting ready for the wedding festivities.

More toned-down experiences in the area include seeing dinosaur tracks along a short hike off Highway 89 or the Moqui Cave, a natural history museum. Kanab also boasts a vibrant food scene for such a small town. The Mielkes recommend Sego Restaurant to experience local flavors and ingredients. I tried out Rocky V Café, featuring funky art displays and slow food.

“Kanab is not a tourist town — that’s what I love about it,” Jillian Mielke says. “There is tourism here but it’s still a local community of people who live and work here,” she adds. She believes this influences what it’s like to visit because you don’t see the crazy prices and long lines like other areas. The people who make it to Kanab aren’t the people who are trying to bust out all the national parks, allowing everyone the opportunity to slow down and enjoy their experiences.

By the end of my trip, I made new local friends who showed me the Bull Valley Gorge where a car accident left an old car wedged between the slot canyon walls, as well as left my boots caked in mud after our hike. At Willis Creek Slot Canyon around the corner, I had an unfortunate turn of events which extended my trip to no better of a place than Bryce Canyon City as I waited for my truck to be serviced. This time I explored the town and national park by bike, which was equally enjoyable.