Kanab is located near the Utah-Arizona border, in the beautiful red rock region adjacent to the Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument. The monument includes 1.9 million square miles of Utah. This region is surrounded by beautiful vistas of the natural high desert Colorado plateau, and among the scenery you'll have access to campgrounds and public land maintained by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). Desert camping involves rules of thumb that should be followed at all times, as well as following rules posted by BLM.
Check your camping and backpacking gear prior to setting out for Kanab, Utah. BLM sites don't offer any amenities such as water or food, so you'll have to bring all necessary survival supplies with you. Ensure that you have at least one to two gallons of water per day per person, sunscreen and first-aid kit, adequate clothing for the season in which you'll be camping, and a jacket is recommended during spring and summer due to the high elevation and strong winds.
Select the BLM site to camp. Currently as of August 2010, BLM maintains two semi primitive campgrounds near Kanab; The Ponderosa Grove Campground near the Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park, and the White House Campground which doubles as a trailhead for hikers entering the wilderness areas to the east. BLM land can be camped on around these areas such as on trails, however a campfire is only allowed in designated fire rings, so bring a small camp stove to cook food if not camping in the campground area.
Pay the camping fee upon entering the BLM site if required. Not all BLM land requires a fee, but land with semi developed campgrounds such as those mentioned above will require a fee of at least $5 per night. Typically, all BLM land uses the honor box system, where you place your money--if required--in an honor box. The maximum length of stay at all BLM land is 14 days.
Observe all BLM ordinances while camping. Campfires are in designated fire-rings only, and pit toilets are available at some semi developed campgrounds. If no toilets area available, dig a "cat hole" at least 8 inches deep on an area away from trails and bury your excrement.
