Kanab

Since the 1920s, Kanab has been Hollywood's vision of the American West. Soaring vermilion sandstone cliffs and sagebrush flats with endless vistas have lured filmmakers to this area, which has appeared in more than 170 movies and TV shows, including Stagecoach, My Friend Flicka, Fort Apache, The Outlaw Josey Wales, Maverick, and many others. Abandoned film sets have become tourist attractions, and old movie posters or still photographs are a decorating staple at local businesses, but this town of about 5,000 has prospered more recently because it's a perfect base for visiting three of the nation's top national parks: Zion, Bryce Canyon, and the Grand Canyon (North Rim). It's also an excellent base for visiting Grand Staircase–Escalante and Pipe Spring national monuments as well as the mesmerizing landscapes of the Paria Canyon–Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness. As adventurers from all over the world continue to visit, Kanab has developed a relatively new crop of hip boutique hotels and casually stylish eateries.