I know I say this a lot about my trips and that’s because everywhere i go I make it fun and memorable but going to Page, Arizona is truly one that I would remember and I’ll tell you why. It’s different from anything I’ve seen before. It’s nature at its best and the views were unbelievably stunning. This city in northern Arizona is surrounded by geographical marvels that you can explore either on foot, on boat, on wheels, or even on horses. It stands at the center of the world renowned The Grand Circle which is a vast region in southwestern America that encompasses portions of Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, Colorado and Nevada. It has the largest concentration of national parks and monuments in America and this is where you will find The Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon, the Zion National Park and of course Lake Powell just to name a few. My main goal on this trip was to see Lake Powell and to see one of the most photographed site on Colorado river, the Horseshoe Bend. I also wanted to see slot canyons so I thought Page would be an ideal base to explore all that i just mentioned. I knew that Lake Powell was going to be beautiful because I did my homework and researched it before I went on this trip. What I didnt know was that there was so much more to see and a lot of them are just within a 10 mile radius.
We drove to Page from Phoenix which is normally a 4 1/2 hour drive but because a portion of HWY 89 which is their main road collapsed last year, they closed that section and we had to go through a detour that added 45 minutes to our travel time. It wasn’t so bad considering what was waiting for us when we got there. We drove through miles and miles of dry flat lands. Tundras on both sides of the road and there was no cellular connection. At least not for Sprint and AT&T so you can’t rely on your phone GPS for directions. Good thing we brought our car GPS with us and it worked. Make sure your gas is full when you start the drive and keep it full every time you see a gas station because you never know when you’d see another one. A hundred miles out and you start feeling like you’re cut off from the rest of the world. We drove by the Navajo Tribal lands and had a glimpse of their communities. I noticed people are a lot more trusting in that area. We saw several local hitchhikers and people give them rides. We almost picked one up but we didn’t have room in the car. We did stop for an authentic Navajo barbecue from a local vendor on the road on our way home and it was nice. That was our true Navajo meal experience.
stunning view of Lake Powell from Lake Powell Resort
There are not a lot of infrastructure in Page so don’t expect a 5 star accommodation when you visit. I hope they keep it that way. They have a few small hotels and one resort right by the lake called The Lake Powell Resort. It’s a nice resort right on the water with sweeping views of Lake Powell. Another great way to enjoy Lake Powell is by renting a houseboat. There are different types and sizes to choose from. They look really fun so I’m thinking of staying in one next time. Lake Powell is actually the best destination for houseboating in America. They say it’s easy to drive one. If you can drive a car you can drive a houseboat. Most people use it as their home base. Very cool. We opted for a Days Inn and I have no complaints. The hotel was very clean with free breakfast, parking and internet. You can’t go wrong with that and the location was perfect. You step outside the hotel and the Glen Canyon Dam Bridge is right across the street and the dam right next to it. We hung out at this nice area by the bridge where you get amazing views of Glen Canyon. We had the place to ourselves and it was great. The Horseshoe Bend is just a mile away and the town is right next to it. We only stayed for 2 days which obviously was not enough but like I said, most of the attractions are so close within each other so we still got see a lot.
We hit the slot canyons first. We booked a tour to see the Upper Antelope Slot Canyon through Chief Tsosie Tours(http://www.antelopeslotcanyon.com/) and it definitely was one of the highlights of our trip. It was beyond breathtaking. I’ve never seen or been in a slot canyon before so I was just blown away. The Antelope Slot Canyon is the most visited and most photographed slot canyon in southwest America so it can get very crowded on a busy day or during peak season which is in the summer. You get to walk inside the canyon and they give you a little bit of time to take photos but you can’t really take your time because there are other tours behind you and they obviously have to make everyone happy. I’d say March is a great time to go. It’s still a little bit cold and windy but I’d rather deal with that than deal with the crowds. It’s a personal preference. It’s definitely a must see though. Crowd or no crowd, it’s amazing!
Antelope Slot Canyon
After the slot canyon tour, we went to see the Horseshoe Bend with so much anticipation. We’ve heard that the best time to go is in the morning so we planned to do just that but we also went in the afternoon the day before so we could compare the two. I would say that the Horseshoe Bend is one place everyone should see before they die. It’s beyond spectacular! It’s so amazing that I have to blog about it separately. It’s a site no one should miss when in Page, Arizona.
on a windy day, you do what you gotta do to get the shot 😉
The Horseshoe Bend around mid-afternoon. Photographing it against the light.
We also did a guided boat tour to Antelope Canyon the next day. It’s an hour and a half tour that departs from the Lake Powell Resort. The tour winds through miles of narrow canyon walls of Antelope Canyon and it takes you to the narrowest part. It’s actually a dead end and it’s so narrow that the boat can’t turn around. The boat has to go backwards to go back. It’s a beautiful boat ride on Lake Powell itself. You get an up close look of the towering Navajo sandstone formations which are stunning and you get to see the Glen Canyon Dam from below. We also went to Lone Rock Beach campground which is right by the boundary of Utah and Arizona. Primitive camping is permitted in the area and it’s accessible to vehicles so you can drive onto the sand, pick your own spot and set up camp. Amazing right? I wish we have a campground like that in New York! So cool! The scenery around the area is beautiful. It looked all white to me and there’s one big rock formation in the middle of the lake that stands out. Obviously it’s how it got its name, Lone Rock Beach.
Overall, Page Arizona is a destination everyone shouldn’t miss. It literally brings you to a different page. If you love the outdoors and want to be at one with nature, this is an ideal place for you. I already have it on my list of places to go back to.
