Best Friends Animal Sanctuary
4.8(1.7K)google
Wildlife WatchingPet-FriendlyFamilyEducationalInteractive
Overview
Nestled beautifully deep within the red rock formations of Angel Canyon, this inspiring haven stands as the nation's largest no-kill companion animal sanctuary. Visitors can volunteer to walk dogs, pet cute cats, and take scenic canyon eco tours.
Practical Info
Every day8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Suggested Duration2.5-4 hours
Best TimeBest experienced from May to October (Note: As the nation's largest no-kill companion animal sanctuary nestled inside red rock canyons, their signature Grand Sanctuary vehicle tours sell out months in advance; you must pre-book specific guest slots online early via their website). Opt strictly for the 8:30 AM morning arrival when the sanctuary dogs, cats, and horses are energetic.
Getting ThereTucked away inside scenic Angel Canyon north of Kanab at 5001 Angel Canyon Road. Car transit is mandatory: from downtown Kanab, follow the historic highway US-89 N north for 5 miles, and make a sharp right turn onto Angel Canyon Road winding through towering crimson cliffs for 1.5 miles. The welcome center pavilion features an expansive, completely free paved surface visitor lot.
Travel Tips
- Mandatory Advance Guided Tour Bookings: The sanctuary layout is vast and closed to self-guided wandering. Guest entry requires booking a slot on the official Grand Tour or specific animal area tours; walk-ins will be turned away.
- Unpaved Deep Sand Tracks: Service lanes linking individual animal sectors like Dogtown or Catworld are composed of unpaved red sand and dirt. While passable in dry weather, rain creates deep ruts that plague low-clearance sedans or long RVs.
Photo Tips
Photo Rules
- Strict Interaction Codes & Minor Escorts: To secure animal welfare, shouting and flash photography are illegal. Feeding animals through fencing triggers ejection; children under 18 must maintain hands-on parental supervision at all times.
Reviews
Positive
- Nestled deep in America's most beautiful red rock canyons, the thousands-of-acres sanctuary blends grand scenery with animal rescue for immense cultural value.
- The dog villages, cat towns, and horse pastures are kept cleaner than most homes, with highly advanced, spotless accessible paths and restrooms.
- The staff and volunteers exhibit high professionalism, maintaining orderly tours while gently sharing the moving stories behind each rescued animal.
- It is free to enter or charges tiny tour fees, and its on-site vegan panoramic buffet costs just $5, scoring full points for value, altruism, and peace.
Heads up
- Core interactive tours (like petting dogs or pigs) are incredibly popular; without booking months in advance on the website, walk-ins stand zero chance.
- Because the sanctuary is spread out, animal zones are miles apart; lacking scheduled free shuttles, visitors without a car cannot move inside.
- Older non-core sections feature natural sandy dirt roads; high winds cause severe dust storms, creating movement hassles for strollers and wheelchairs.
- To protect animal rest and mental health, core veterinary wards enforce strict capacity limits and no-photo policies, restricting close-up snapshots.