Zion to Page: What to Stop For Near Kanab

The drive from Zion's east entrance to Page is about 115 miles and a little over two hours. Most people do it as a gap between two places they care about.

That is a mistake, and a common one. The road between them, US-89 through Kanab, has more worth stopping for per mile than almost any stretch of the Grand Circle. It is also the only part of the loop where you cross a time zone without a sign telling you.

Here is the drive in order, west to east, with how long each stop really takes.

Before you leave Zion: the tunnel and the mesa

If you are coming from Springdale, you exit the park through the Zion-Mount Carmel Tunnel. Two things to know. The tunnel has hard size limits and no escort: anything over 11 feet 4 inches tall or 7 feet 10 inches wide, mirrors included, is banned outright since June 2026. [1] Most rental SUVs are fine. Most rental RVs are not, and there is no workaround.

Just past the tunnel on the east side is Checkerboard Mesa, a sandstone dome scored into a grid by wind and frost. Pull into the marked overlook, take the photo, get back in. Five minutes.

The full Grand Canyon to Zion routing, including how this leg fits, is in Grand Canyon to Zion: The Complete Drive Guide.

Mount Carmel Junction to Kanab

You leave the park, turn south at Mount Carmel Junction onto US-89, and you are on the road to Page.

Belly of the Dragon (about 20 minutes from the east entrance). Less than a mile south of the junction, a dirt road turns west toward the East Fork of the Virgin River. Follow it to a short tunnel carved under the highway, an old water culvert that erosion has turned into something that looks like a sandstone throat. Kids love it. The walk through and back is under two miles round trip and takes most families under an hour. [2] Free, no facilities.

Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park (a 20-minute detour off US-89). Big, soft, orange dunes you can walk barefoot on. There is a fee, it is a Utah state park, and in fall the sand is cool enough to sit on. Worth it if you have kids or an hour to lose. Skip it if you are pressed.

Kanab Sand Caves (about 33 minutes from the east entrance). Seven minutes north of Kanab on US-89, on the right, just past the Angel Canyon turnoff. A short, steep scramble up slickrock to a row of caves cut into the cliff. [3] Twenty minutes if the parking lot is kind to you. Do not attempt the scramble in rain.

Kanab (about 40 minutes). This is your lunch stop and there is a good reason to linger: Kanab is inside the Wave lottery geofence, same as Page. [4] If you are hoping for a permit for The Wave, you can enter the daily lottery from your phone here, two days before the day you want to hike. You can also do it from our lobby. Either way you have to be physically in the zone. The Wave lottery, explained covers the whole system. Kanab also has Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Angel Canyon, the largest no-kill sanctuary in the country, which runs free tours by reservation. [5] That is a two-hour stop, so decide before you get there.

Kanab to the Arizona line

East of Kanab the road empties out and the country gets stranger.

Toadstool Hoodoos (about 82 minutes from the east entrance, roughly 45 minutes east of Kanab). A signed trailhead on the north side of US-89. An easy 1.5-mile round trip on a dry wash leads to a field of red boulders balanced on white pedestals. [6] This is the best hour of the drive. Flat enough for almost anyone, no fee, no permit, and it looks like nowhere else on the loop. Bring water. There is no shade.

Big Water Visitor Center (about 97 minutes). The Grand Staircase-Escalante visitor center at Big Water has real dinosaur bones from the Kaiparowits Plateau and a floor map you can stand on. Twenty minutes. Good bathrooms, which matters more than it should on this road.

Lone Rock and the Utah line. A few minutes on, Lake Powell appears on your left for the first time, with Lone Rock standing out of the water at the beach of the same name. The road drops toward the lake and crosses into Arizona.

Christian David / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0

The last ten minutes

Wahweap Overlook (about 117 minutes). A signed pullout above Wahweap Marina, on the right as you climb out of the lake basin. Free, no park entry fee, a picnic shelter, and the best wide view of Lake Powell you will get without a boat. If you time the drive so you arrive here at sunset, you will have done the whole day right. Our front desk sends guests here instead of Horseshoe Bend at sunset when they want the view without the crowd.

From here it is ten minutes across Glen Canyon Dam and into town. We are at 150 North Lake Powell Boulevard, on the main street. You will see the sign.

The time zone trap

Utah observes daylight saving time. Arizona does not. From March until the first Sunday in November, Kanab is one hour ahead of Page, even though it is 70 miles away. [7]

This catches people every single day. A tour booked for 8 a.m. in Page is 9 a.m. on your phone if your phone still thinks it is in Utah. A dinner reservation in Kanab is an hour earlier than your Page-set watch says.

The fix: when you cross into Arizona, check that your phone actually changed. Most do. Some do not until they find a signal. From the first Sunday in November through early March the two states match, so if you are reading this after November 1, 2026, you can relax. Until then, do the math.

Should you stay in Kanab or Page?

Both are good towns and both are inside the Wave geofence. Here is the honest split.

Stay in Kanab if your trip is Zion and Bryce heavy and you are heading back west. Stay in Page if you are continuing to Antelope Canyon, Horseshoe Bend, Lake Powell, or Monument Valley, because all of those are ten minutes to two hours from our door and two to three hours from Kanab. Most people doing the full loop sleep in Page for two nights. The 7-day Grand Circle road trip shows why.

Go deeper

• Zion National Park: tunnel restrictions for the current vehicle limits. Check before you rent.

• BLM: Coyote Buttes North daily lottery and geofence map, the official source.

• Visit Utah: The Toadstools for the trail description and directions.

• Best Friends Animal Sanctuary to book a tour.

FAQ

How long is the drive from Zion to Page?
About 115 miles and a little over two hours from the east entrance with no stops. From Springdale add 30 to 40 minutes for the canyon road and the tunnel. With stops, plan a full day.

What is the best stop between Zion and Page?
Toadstool Hoodoos. An easy 1.5-mile walk, no fee, and it looks like nothing else on the route.

Is Kanab worth stopping in?
Yes, for lunch and for the Wave lottery. Kanab is inside the daily lottery geofence, so you can apply from your phone while you eat.

Can an RV go through the Zion tunnel?
Vehicles over 11 feet 4 inches tall or 7 feet 10 inches wide are banned from the tunnel as of June 2026, with no escort option. Most RVs exceed that. Route around via US-89 from the south instead.

Why does the time change between Kanab and Page?
Utah observes daylight saving time and Arizona does not. From March to early November Kanab is one hour ahead of Page.

Which is a better base, Kanab or Page?
Kanab for a Zion and Bryce trip heading west. Page for Antelope Canyon, Horseshoe Bend, Lake Powell, and Monument Valley, which are all much closer to Page.

The Grand Circle Route Planner. Every drive time between every stop on the loop, what to book ahead, and where to sleep each night. One page. Free.

Book direct

We are the only boutique hotel in Page, ten minutes past the Wahweap Overlook at the end of this drive. Renovated rooms are open and bookable now, and more come online every few weeks.

Book direct for our best rate. Two night minimum, free cancellation up to seven days out. Direct only.

Check dates at thewesleyaz.com or call (928) 612-3300.

Written by The Wesley Team, the people who run the only boutique hotel in Page and who have made this drive more times than we can count.

Footnotes

1. Zion-Mount Carmel Tunnel: the escort programme was eliminated June 7, 2026. Vehicles over 11 ft 4 in tall, 7 ft 10 in wide including mirrors, 35 ft 9 in long, or 50,000 lb are prohibited.

2. Belly of the Dragon: about 16 miles north of Kanab, just south of Mount Carmel Junction, dirt road west of US-89, roughly 1.8 miles round trip. Per independent trail guides, verified September 2026.

3. Kanab Sand Caves (Moqui Caverns): on US-89 about 7 minutes north of Kanab, just past the Angel Canyon Road turnoff, short steep scramble. Verified September 2026.

4. Coyote Buttes North daily lottery geofence covers about 3,272 square miles including Page, Big Water, Kanab, Fredonia, Jacob Lake, Mount Carmel, Orderville, and East Zion. Applications 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. two days before the permit date, mobile device only, applicant must be inside the zone. BLM Arizona, verified September 2026.

5. Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, 5001 Angel Canyon Road, Kanab, roughly 5,800 acres, home to up to about 1,600 animals, tours by reservation. bestfriends.org, verified September 2026.

6. Toadstool Hoodoos: signed trailhead on US-89 in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, about 1.5 miles round trip, roughly 45 minutes east of Kanab and 30 minutes northwest of Page. Visit Utah and independent guides, verified September 2026.

7. Arizona does not observe daylight saving time (the Navajo Nation does). Utah does. In 2026, daylight saving time ends Sunday, November 1. Verified September 2026.