Old Paria - Kanab, Utah - Historic Site, Hiking, Camping

Paria Movie Set is located at the bottom of a multi-colored sandstone canyon in the middle of the Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument. Designed and built by the movie industry, this movie set was used to film western movies and TV shows from 1963-1991. Several episodes of Gunsmoke, Sergeants Three, and the famous Clint Eastwood film, The Outlaw Josey Wales, were shot here on location.

The original movie set was ravaged by nature. Flooding left a twenty-foot gully running through the middle of the three-building town. The buildings were dismantled and rebuilt on more stable ground above the original location by local volunteers and the BLM.

You can get to the Paria Set by taking Highway 89 east of Kanab for 35 miles. Turn north on Paria Movie Set Road until you come to a dirt parking lot with a stone monument to the Pahreah Townsite. If you plan on hiking the canyons or camping you will have to get a permit. Check online or in person with the BLM for more information. The BLM Paria Canyon Rangers Station is in Utah, 43 miles east of Kanab on US 89, near milepost twenty-one.

Tips for visiting:

There is a small primitive campground next to the movie set. It has fire rings, tables and pit toilets.

There is no water at the campground or at the site. If you are hiking or camping you will have to bring your own.

You can see petroglyphs and campsites in the area showing how Pueblo Indians traveled the Paria River Canyon more than seven hundred years ago.

Please do not touch the petroglyphs.

Take only pictures and memories from these sites.

A strenuous day hike from the Paria Movie set is going up to Starlight Arch- this hike cuts through a thin dry wash or stream (depending on the weather) to the Vermillion Cliffs. Then it's a long climb up to the arch. This hike is suggested for experienced hikers only.

Mountain Bikes are permitted only on designated dirt roads. The Kanab Visitor Center staff will help you design rides to fit your time and ability.

Off-highway vehicles are permitted within the Monument on designated roads. Cross-country travel is prohibited and OHVs are not permitted on hiking trails. Check at the Kanab Visitor Center or the BLM Ranger's station for maps and information before riding.

From a January 2008 review, "The old/rebuilt movie set had a fire, it might have been rebuilt though. Even if it wasn't, it is worth your time to stop by and check out the scenery. There will be a sign off highway 89. Most maps show the area too. It is probably about 4 miles or so to get back to the movie set area. Head east out of Kanab, probably around 20 miles or so. You will also enjoy the Vermilion Cliffs as you drive. If the road is muddy and you don't have a 4 wheel drive vehicle, you might want to skip it. It is very attractive scenery and not congested either.''