Take a scenic ride through the red rock country of southern Utah as we follow U.S. Route 89 from the vibrant gateway town of Kanab to the quiet outpost of Big Water. This 58-mile stretch is more than just a connecting road—it’s a passage through stark desert beauty, steep sandstone cliffs, and the rugged fringe of the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. As we cruise eastward, the landscape unfolds in wide, cinematic frames that feel lifted straight from a Western.
We begin our journey in Kanab, a small town with a big reputation as “Little Hollywood” thanks to its history as a filming location for classic cowboy movies. At the eastern edge of town, US-89 quickly sets the tone: sandstone bluffs rise in layers of ochre and crimson, and the traffic thins to a trickle. As we leave Kanab behind, the road hugs the base of towering cliffs and threads through a series of shallow canyons, with scattered pull-offs for trailheads and viewpoints. The Vermilion Cliffs dominate the southern horizon—this is the western edge of the Colorado Plateau, and the road feels like it’s skimming the edge of something ancient.
About 10 miles in, we approach the turnoff for the Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park, a hidden gem tucked just south of the highway. Though it lies a few miles off the main route, the dunes—created by wind sweeping off the surrounding cliffs—offer a surreal detour for those looking to play in the sand or catch the sunset. Back on US-89, the road begins a subtle climb through a shallow valley dotted with juniper, piñon pine, and the occasional ranch. These uplands provide a brief change in scenery and a cooler air compared to the low-lying desert floors.
Near the halfway mark, we pass the junction with Cottonwood Canyon Road, a rough backway that leads deep into Grand Staircase-Escalante. While not suitable for most vehicles, this unpaved track is a lifeline for the adventurous, offering access to slot canyons, fossil beds, and other geological wonders. From here, the terrain becomes noticeably more eroded, with the road following the Paria River drainage. Eroded badlands and wide benches of rock start to appear along the shoulders, and the road itself descends gently toward the Paria River crossing, a green ribbon of cottonwoods that feels almost miraculous after so many miles of exposed stone.
As we near Big Water, the landscape flattens slightly into a broad desert basin framed by pale cliffs and dry washes. The town itself—little more than a quiet cluster of homes and buildings—sits nestled against the Kaiparowits Plateau. Though modest in size, Big Water is home to a Bureau of Land Management visitor center that serves as a hub for exploring Grand Staircase-Escalante. It’s also known among paleontologists for significant dinosaur fossil discoveries. With Lake Powell and the Glen Canyon Dam just a short drive east, this final stretch hints at the aquatic wonders just beyond the sandstone walls.
This drive from Kanab to Big Water is more than a straight shot across the map—it’s a geological time machine, a visual feast of color, scale, and solitude. In a region where nature still speaks louder than civilization, US-89 carves a graceful path through one of the American Southwest’s most iconic landscapes. Whether you’re en route to the lake, the canyons, or simply chasing the horizon, this stretch offers a journey worth savoring.
🎵 Music:
Revival Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Piano March by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
Artist: http://audionautix.com/
🗺️ Route Map
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