This narrow canyon is a beginner-friendly hike that also impresses experienced hikers with its stunning rock formations and tall Navajo sandstone walls. (The trailhead is found at a nice little parking turnoff along Cottonwood Road.) About 25 winding miles after turning off US-89, you’ll hit a trailhead worth checking out: the Cottonwood Wash Narrows. The beginning of the drive will take you through a beautifully stark landscape before rolling into the Paria River valley, an oasis in the surrounding badlands. In the spring or after a particularly significant rainstorm, it can become muddy and impassable even for high-clearance SUVs. Please note that the road is unpaved, but it’s generally doable for a hardy 2WD car, although more comfortable in a 4x4.

Top off your fuel tank and drive 32 miles east on US-89 from Kanab, then turn left (north) onto Cottonwood Road at a signpost between mile markers 17 and 18.