The site of an 1870s Mormon settlement abandoned to repeated Paria River floods, set beneath spectacularly banded badland hills striped in red, white, and lavender. The 1960s Western movie set that once stood here burned down in 2006, but the pioneer cemetery, river valley, and candy-striped hills remain one of the region's most colorful, least-visited landscapes.
| Category | Point of Interest |
|---|---|
| Nearest town | Kanab (about 40 miles east on US-89) |
| Top activities | Photographing the striped bentonite badlands, Visiting the old town and movie-set interpretive site and cemetery, Walking along the Paria River bottoms, Solitude and sunset watching |
| Best time to visit | Spring and fall; late afternoon light makes the banded hills glow. Avoid the access road entirely when wet. |
| Entrance fee | Free |
| Permits | None. 5-mile graded clay/dirt road off US-89 between mileposts 30-31; impassable when wet, no services. |
Visitor tip: The 5-mile dirt road from US-89 is fine for most cars bone-dry but becomes greasy, impassable clay with any moisture — check conditions in Kanab and don't push past the overlook if the surface is damp.
More attractions & parks in Southern Utah Build a trip around this