WITH RV Tips for where to RV Camp
Sand Caves – a short and potentially perilous hike
On our way out of Sand Hollow State Park (check out my earlier post), neither Isaac nor I was interested in calling it a day, so we took a “brief” drive to Kanab. “Brief” turned out to be about an hour and a half drive. We traveled over 70 miles through the desert, mesas, and overall lots of nothing. Our route took us right next to Colorado City (think Warren Jeffs), Arizona and then into the Kaibab Indian Reservation of Northern Arizona. I believe, over the entire stretch, we passed exactly ONE grocery store and ONE fuel stop!
As we traveled eastbound, we (eventually) connected with U.S. 89, turned North and re-entered Utah. Shortly thereafter we entered Kanab. We had heard good things about Kanab. Perhaps it was the weather, which had deteriorated from our paddling in Sand Hollow, but neither of us was highly impressed with Kanab!
Isaac took the role of navigator helped greatly in planning the balance of the day. After Kanab, we immediately went to “plan B.” For Isaac, this means “let’s find a place to hike!” It was raining, the temperature was in the low 40’s and neither of us were really dressed for the weather. Typical of ski instructors, both seasoned and relatively new, we did not let the weather hold us back!
The Sand Caves and the story they tell…
According to visitsouthernutah.com, “The Sand Caves are located 5 miles north of Kanab on the right side of the highway. These sand caves are easily accessed and can be seen from HWY 89. The hike itself is a short half mile round trip. These sand caves were man-made when they began mining for the sand in the area. The mining process was short lived and now we have these spectacular caves to explore.”
Isaac shared this narrative with me as we drove North. There’s sufficient signage, so in my shorts and wet floppy sneakers with no socks (yeah, I’m 67, but I tend to live like I’m closer to 15), we “found the spot”, parked, left the car and set out on this brief hike. Despite the drippy weather, there were plenty of visitors to the caves on this weekday afternoon in early April.
Sand Caves and “slick rock”…
The sand caves hike is closer to a half mile each way just to reach the climb that takes you to the entrance to the caves. The climb is short, but it is steep, and SLICK. Given my foot attire and desire to NOT land in the hospital, I opted to remain on flat ground as Isaac climbed to the caves.
Isaac took some excellent photos and videos which are shared in this post. He was in the sand caves for well under 30 minutes. During that time, I had the opportunity to observe others try to work their way DOWN the slick-rock after exploring the caves. Watching these poor souls try to descend confirmed the wisdom in my choice to remain on flat land! Reviewers on Trip Advisor will confirm my assessment here about the challenge and risk involved in making the climb.
RV Camping near the Sand Caves
Should you wish to RV camp in this area, there ARE options.
Best Friends Sanctuary (an animal sanctuary) has RV sites (and cabins) about a mile away from the Sand Caves. They offer full hookups, but according to AllStays (one of my FAVORITE RV campground research tools), there are only 18 sites and they’re NOT cheap! Rates vary by the time of year and membership to the Sanctuary, but they START at about $70 per night.
As an alternative, if you elect to stay near the Sand Caves, the main parking lot had several RV’s in it. I did NOT see a “no overnight camping” sign. I would therefore conclude if you opted to stay overnight in the lot next to the highway, it would be an ok place to stay the night.
Belly of the Dragon – a short, but VERY interesting “hike”
Probably less than 100 yards in length, Belly of the Dragon is worth the visit if only for the name of this place! Located just 11 miles “up the road” (North on 89), Belly of the Dragon is VERY near Mt. Carmel Junction. Belly of the Dragon is essentially a tunnel under US 89. It exists for water runoff from the adjacent mountains. For this reason, don’t engage in this brief hike if there’s any kind of significant rain falling!
RV Camping Near Belly of the Dragon
Horse Camp South (see the Allstays map below) is just 0.2 miles from the parking lot for Belly of the Beast. Sandwiched between the Virgin River to its west and US 89 to the east, it is located on the same access road that takes you to the parking area near Belly of the Dragon. It is a dispersed camping area, there is no fee and there are no services. It is located just 3/4 miles south of Mt. Carmel Junction.
Mt. Carmel Junction as I’ve mentioned in my Zion and Bryce National Park posts is home to the Thunderbird Restaurant along with the Thunderbird RV Parks East and North. We have enjoyed the food at the Thunderbird and it’s apparently quite the icon in this region. The Thunderbird RV Parks I’m quite sure are busy during the summer season.
A note about Allstays RV Camping Tool
Allstays is one of the two tools I use (often) to find and learn about campgrounds nationwide. Allstays is not free, but it’s an incredibly valuable tool to have. You can locate campgrounds, low bridges, and much more. (Allstays is most powerful on a laptop, but it is supported on iPhones.) You can learn more about Allstays and get a subscription HERE.
An OUTSTANDING Mongolian BBQ – “all you can eat”
Ok, its official, Isaac and I visited the “middle of nowhere.” It’s called Glendale, Utah! And… there’s an OUTSTANDING restaurant there, Brink’s Grill and Country Store. Actually, we kinda fell into it. Isaac was manning the restaurant reviews and we were starving!
As you can see from the photos, you create your own plate, turn it in for grilling, and then enjoy the eats! Its all you can eat for about $20 per person. I had 3 plates, Isaac had 5! Neither of us thought of taking photos of our pigout.
Southern Utah is an INCREDIBLE “playground” for RV travel
Much more coming soon…
Closing thoughts and a request…
It’s RV’ing season… NEED ACCESSORIES?
