Hikes /

How To Visit the Belly of the Dragon Hike

A young girl stands at the entrance to a red sandstone tunnel

What is the Belly of the Dragon?

The Belly of the Dragon “cave” is a human-made tunnel originally created as a water culvert to get water under the Highway 89 in southwest Utah.  However, over the years, the water has carved the sandstone in unique ways that are quite beautiful. This is a very short hike that is family friendly.  Our group ranged in ages from 7 to 70 and our two Bichon Frises, Toby and Nevar, also joined the adventure.

Getting There

The Belly of the Dragon is located about 17 miles north of Kanab, Utah on Highway 89.  The turn from Highway 89 is easy to miss (don’t ask me how I know). It is about 0.5 miles south of the Highway 89 and Highway 9 intersection (the turn to go to Zion).  Proceed up the well-maintained gravel road for only 0.3 miles.

Parking

The parking area is unmarked but has plenty of space for RVs to park and turn around.

A truck with a bumper pull camper parked in a gravel parking lot
Belly of the Dragon trailhead parking lot

Exploring the cave

The entrance to the Belly of the Dragon is a short 100 foot walk up a very slight incline from the parking lot.  The most difficult part of the hike for us was going from the trail into the entrance.  It is a steep 5 foot drop with multiple foot holds carved out.  K was able to climb it without much trouble but our small Bichon Frise pups did need a bit of help. During the middle of the day a flashlight is not needed but highly recommended, as it does tend to get a bit dark in the middle of the tunnel. The tunnel does not really have any elevation gain, but the floor is quite uneven in places so be careful and watch your step. 

A small dog walking through the Belly of the Dragon tunnel
Toby walking through the Belly of the Dragon as others enter the far end

In all, the tunnel is about 150ft long, so take you time and explore.  There did seem to be a lot or carvings in the sandstone. Remember to always leave no trace and leave a place better than you found it.

carving on the red sandstone wall of the Belly of the Dragon tunnel
Some of the carvings people have added to the tunnel

Additional Tips

  • For details on the full hike visit AllTrails
  • The area is free of charge to visit
  • There are no bathrooms on site
  • Keep in mind that this is a drainage tunnel, so I would not recommend visiting during or right after a rainstorm.

The Belly of the Dragon was an intriguing and exciting stop along our journey and we would certainly encourage anyone to take a few minutes to explore this unique feature.

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