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Everything You Need to Know to Visit Kodachrome Basin State Park (with the 6 Best Kodachrome Hikes)

Kodachrome Basin State Park Campground

This stunning, state park tucked between Bryce Canyon and Grand Staircase Escalante features stunning sedimentary pipes (a total of 67 monolithic stone spires) rising amid layers of sandstone. Kodachrome Basin State Park is a hidden gem that receives a fraction of the visitors of the nearby national parks and makes the perfect stopover for anyone passing through the area. After spending 3 nights in Kodachrome State Park, you can find everything you need to know to visit this amazing state park.

In this guide you will find general information including travel information, where to stay, the best Kodachrome Basin State Park hiking trails, other things to do in Kodachrome Basin and what we did while we were there.

We visiting Kodachrome during out one month road trip in 2021.

Kodachrome Basin State Park: A Quick Overview

Kodachrome Basin State Park opened in 1963 and has been stunning visitors ever since with red spires against sandstone cliffs. During the day check out the best Kodachrome Basin hikes, go horseback riding, or mountain biking, or check out one of the many nearby attractions (like Bryce Canyon and Willis Creek Slot Canyon). At night stay at the Kodachrome campground for tremendous dark skies perfect for stargazing.

The park is at an elevation of 5,800 ft and is located in south-central Utah. Some of the chimneys and spire rise an additional 170 feet into the air, all with multicolored cliffs standing sentinel in the background.

Kodachrome was named when a National Geographic group visited. Since they were partnered with Kodak Film, the park was named Kodachrome after the Kodak film that added color to photography. Kodachrome lives up to its name with a constantly shifting display of colors and shades depending on the rock, the angle and the light. It is a photographer’s dream!

Hiking in Kodachrome Basin State Park
Hiking in Kodachrome Basin State Park

How to Get to Kodachrome Basin State Park

Kodachrome Basin State Park is located just 30 minutes southeast of Bryce Canyon and about 13 minutes from the nearest town of Cannonville. We stopped at Kodachrome State Park as part of our month-long cross-country trip as many people do on our way from Capitol Reef National Park to Bryce Canyon and on to Zion. The drive from Capitol Reef NP is about 2 hours and 20 minutes and is a beautiful drive.

To get to Kodachrome State Park from Cannonville, turn south onto Cannonville’s Maine Street (route 7000) that turns into Kodachrome Rd. After 7 miles, turn left onto Kodachrome State Park. The road leads right to the park through the visitors center. As you come through the park, many of the hikes are straight ahead, or you can turn right to go to more campsites.

When to Visit Kodachrome Basin State Park

Like many of the Utah National Parks, Kodachrome State Park is best visited in the spring and fall months. We were there right in the middle of the summer in early August and it was hot! We were careful to plan your activities for early in the day or late in the evening, and spent the midday driving or hanging in the shade. It did cool off at night which made sleeping comfortable. If you plan to visit Kodachrome State Park in the winter, expect the temperature to drop below zero at night.

Kids playing in the shade in Kodachrome Basin State Park
Staying cool in the Shade in August in Kodachrome Basin State Park

Best Things to Do in Kodachrome State Park

The main activity to do when you’re here is to explore the hiking trails. Read below for more details on hiking in Kodachrome State Park. You can also go horseback riding, mountain biking, star gazing, camping, and there is even a disc golf course.

Horseback Riding: There is a stable right in the state park and use many of the same trails that you can hike on, starting on the Panorama Trail. We didn’t do this when we were in the park, but with all the flat trails, taking a horseback ride through the area is a great idea!

Mountain Biking: We had our own mountain bikes with us when we visited and we used them on the park roads and on some of the trails. The Panorama Trail is a great place to start. Expect sandy, multi-use trails. We enjoyed the ride on the road out to Chimney Rock.

Star Gazing: Kodachrome Basin State Park is part of the International Dark Ski Association and is a perfect place to stargaze or try out astrophotography. Try using the stunning rocks as the foreground for your milky way photos!

Mountain Biking in Kodachrome State Park
Mountain Biking in Kodachrome State Park

Best Kodachrome Hikes

None of the hiking trails in Kodachrome State Park are very long (the longest is 6 miles) and they have very little elevation gain, making them great trails for everyone. You can also see many of the impressive spires right from the road, so you don’t need to go far to see amazing views. As you come through the visitors center, request a map and they can give you some suggestions on the best hike.

If you are visiting Kodachrome State Park for the day, choose a few hiking trails – since they are relatively easy, you can do a few rather quickly. Since we were there for a few days, we did most of the trails at the start and end of each day and also went biking at least one morning.

Our favorite hiking trail was the Panorama Trail, but we also really loved the Grand Parade and the overlook trails.

Best hikes in Kodachrome Basin State Park: Panorama Trail

Panorama Trail

This is a 3-6 mile trail depending on what options you choose. There are several named spires including Ballerina Spire and the Hat Shop. Our kids liked this trail as there was always something new to see around the corner and it was mostly flat.

This is a multi-use trail with horses and bikes (we did bike part of this trail as well). At the end you are rewarded with views of Paunsaugunt Plateau (or Bryce Canyon in the far distance).

best Kodachrome Hikes
Best Kodachrome Hikes: Panorama Trail

Nature Trail

This is a short .5 mile trail – it is an excellent interpretive trail that is worth visiting, especially with kids.

Angel’s Palace Trail

This is a short and fun 1.5 mile trail and you get a view out over the park (you climb about 150 feet). Do this hike at sunset for the best photos and light.

When you hike, remember that the loose stone crumbles easily and avoid getting close to any edge.  We watched a pretty massive rockslide while we were there.  Also never carve into the rocks - this is vandalism and ruins the experience for others.

Grand Parade

This is a 1.5 mile trail that winds around several amazing rock features quite close to the road. There are several places where you can cut back to the road if you don’t want to do the entire trail. This trailhead is in the same spot as several other hikes so it’s an easy place to park and explore several hikes.

Eagle View Trail

This is a short hiking trail of less than 1 mile that looks out over the whole park. Since you do gain about 500 feet it is a bit steeper than some of the other flat hiking trails you find in the park.

Shakespeare Arch – Sentinel Trail

The most important thing to know about this hike is that Shakespeare Arch fell in 2019 and is just a pile of rocks. You can still do the trail and it is a beautiful hike, but don’t expect an arch. To get to the trail, you will have to travel longer on the dirt road away from the other hikes. The hike is is someways more appealing since it is remote and less crowded.

Hiking the Panorama Trail in Kodachrome Basin State Park
Hiking the Panorama Trail in Kodachrome Basin State Park

Best Activities Near Kodachrome Basin State Park

Kodachrome is located close to several other amazing places to visit. You can either add Kodachrome Basin Station Park as a stop on your way through, or stay at Kodachrome Campground and use this as your base to visit these other places. The best nearby places to visit are:

Bryce Canyon: Located just 30 minutes away this amazing National Park features stacked hoodoos in a massive amphitheater. Hike down into these formations for stunning views.

Willis Creek Slot Canyon: This is an easy and fun slot canyon hike about 30 minutes away. This out and back 4-mile trail is mostly flat and follows a stream as it winds through a carved slot canyon. You should check road conditions as the dirt road can get washed out to get there. We loved this hike!

Zion National Park: Zion is a long day trip from Kodachrome (about 1 hour and 45 min) but is a great destination if you are moving on to a new location ad is Capitol Reef NP.

Our campsite at Bryce View Campground, Kodachrome State Park
Our campsite at Bryce View Campground, Kodachrome State Park

Staying at Kodachrome Basin Campground

Kodachrome Basin State Park has 3 main campgrounds with RV hookups and group camping options. There are also several bunkhouses and you can find showers to clean up after your hike. We stayed in the campground for several nights and were one of the only ones there in August. Most of the sites have good shade, feel private, and have stunning views. We stayed at the Bryce View Campground.

The facilities at Kodachrome State Park are excellent and we purchased wood for our campfire right in the campsite. Since there are no stores right outside the state park, you should plan to drive to Cannonville or further to eat, or bring your own food and cook at the campsite. Once you arrive, you won’t want to leave!

The campgrounds are all relatively small and we didn’t see a bad campsite anywhere. Since they are small we didn’t need to worry about being too far from a bathroom, etc.

I will say that the only negative was that right around dusk each night there were a lot of flies. This may have been seasonal or due to the nearby cows, but is worth noting.

You can book your campsite or bunkhouse here.

The View from the firepit at our site at Kodachrome Campground
Kodachrome State Park
Kodachrome State Park: Biking to the Thumb

Where to Stay Near Kodachrome State Park

If camping is not your thing, you can also stay at one of the hotels near Bryce Canyon and visit Kodachrome Basin State Park as a day trip. A few hotels we recommend are:

Best Western PLUS Ruby Inn – Just outside Bryce Canyon National Park with a pool

Bryce Canyon Pines- Located a little further from the park, this hotel has an outdoor season pool and a range of room options.

There are also several campground in Bryce Canyon to consider.

What we did In Kodachrome Basin State Park

We arrived late afternoon from Capitol Reef National Park on our first-night camping at Kodachrome Basin SP. Once it cooled off, we hiked the Grand Parade Trail and the Angel’s Palace Trail. The next morning we got an early start to get to Bryce Canyon for sunrise and we spent the day exploring Bryce National Park.

We made it home by late afternoon and spent some time relaxing in the shade while it cooled off. After dinner, we rallied and did the Panorama Trail (we may have tricked our kids into a hike telling them we were going to a walk). We finished the night with some serious star gazing.

The next morning Dave and I went mountain biking while the kids slept in. We biked out on some of the roads and then on a few of the hiking trails. We spent the day hiking Willis Creek Slot Canyon and came back at the end of the day for one more night at our campsite. We explored part of the Shakespeare Arch-Sentinel Trail before calling it a night.

The next morning we hit the road and headed on to Zion National Park

What we loved: the constantly changing light, the lack of crowds, the easy hiking and biking trails, the facilities, we especially loved staying here instead of with the crowds in Bryce Canyon. This was part of our month-long road trip and felt like a small reprieve in the hustle and bustle of the rest of the trip. We would 100% recommend this state park to anyone coming through the area.

What we didn’t love: the afternoon fly invasion (they didn’t bite but were just really annoying!)

Did we miss anything? Let us know if the comments and we’ll work hard to update this post!

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