HOW TO SPEND A DAY IN PAGE, ARIZONA // ANTELOPE CANYON & HORSESHOE BEND
During our two week National Parks road trip, we stopped in Page, Arizona for about 24 hours on the way to Zion National Park from Monument Valley. During our National Parks road trip, we visited seven national parks over the course of two weeks. It was one of the funnest trips we’ve ever done! I’ll be sharing our full itinerary and breaking it down by each stop for those of you that have less time to see all the parks.
GETTING HERE
Page, Arizona is located in Northern, Arizona right on the border with Utah. It sits about a 4.5 hour drive from Las Vegas and about 4 hours north of Phoenix. Page was our third stop on our NP’s road trip. We started our road trip from the Fort Worth, Texas area. If you have less time, I recommend flying into Phoenix or Las Vegas, renting a car and driving.
Page, AZ is located on the AZ/Utah border about 4-4.5 hours from Las Vegas and Phoenix
WHERE TO STAY
There are hotels in every price range in Page including numerous hotels that can be booked with points. Something different I’ve noticed in Page that I haven’t really seen anywhere else, is that you can book rooms with three queen sized beds and a sofa. This is wonderful for families! Another interesting thing we noticed was that the full breakfast we experienced at our hotel was a full English breakfast, complete with beans, sausages, salad and ham and cheese. This certainly let us know how popular this area is with international travelers.
If you’re using points, I recommend the Hyatt Place Page/Lake Powell which has large rooms, laundry facilities and a great outdoor pool (books for 12k points/night). And, you can use your Chase Ultimate Rewards® or your Hyatt annual free night certificate here.
You can read about my favorite card for beginners here!
THINGS TO DO
While there are endless things to see and do in Page, Arizona, we had just two places on our list for this short stop: Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend. We did both in one day
ANTELOPE CANYON
Antelope Canyon is a popular slot canyon that sits on Navajo Nation land. There are two different canyons: Upper Antelope and Lower Antelope Canyon. Upper Antelope Canyon sits at ground level and is accessible for most people as it is flat and there is no climbing in or out. Lower Antelope Canyon sits below ground level and requires climbing up and down a series of ladders to enter and exit.
Book your tour up to six months in advance if you want to see the famous sun beams.
Because Antelope Canyon sits on Navajo Nation land, both slot canyons require booking a guided tour. There is no way to visit the canyons on your own. I really recommend booking your tour early if you want to see the sun beams in the canyon. This happens when the sun is directly above the canyon, typically between 11:30-1:30p. These popular times sell out months in advance!
Because we were traveling with kids and a large group of all abilities, we chose to tour Upper Antelope Canyon. When you arrive at the meeting place, you check in and wait for your tour time. When your group is called, you are loaded into the back of a pickup truck that is modified with bench seating. We drove deep into the canyon on a very long, bumpy sandy road. Take note that there is so much sand blowing around it’s imperative to wear eye protection and I suggest even wearing a bandana or neck gaiter to cover your mouth. We did pass by large vans that were fully enclosed and we thought this would be a better option for those traveling with very small children or older adults.
The sand is no joke on the ride to the slot canyon. Make sure everyone has eye protection!
When we arrived at the slot canyon (eyes and mouth full of sand), we got off the truck and walked right in with our guide. We visited in July so it was a very busy time with multiple tours that can get backed up inside the canyon. Each guide does a good job of keeping the crowds moving but be prepared for backups. Our guide was excellent and took tons of photos with our phones of all the popular formations and even took multiple group photos of us. Make sure you bring extra money to tip your guide! They work very hard to give you a good experience. Another note on sand: sand is just lightly falling like rain as you’re walking through the slot canyon. Make sure everyone in your party is wearing a hat. Sand in the eye is no fun! For more information on how to book, click here.
Upper Antelope Canyon is at ground level so there is no hiking or climbing of ladders
HORSESHOE BEND
Horseshoe Bend is the natural bend in the Colorado River that resembles a horseshoe shape. Reservations are not required to enter, but you must pay $10 to park your car. No State or National Park passes will get you free parking here. We wanted to see the sun set over Horseshoe Bend so we arrived about an hour or so before sunset. We knew it would be busy but we were shocked to find the parking lot full of tour buses! If you arrive to find that there are no parking spots at all, just return a little bit later. Cars are always moving in and out. The parking lot is a short drive from the city of Page.
From the parking lot you’ll begin the .6 mile hike up a fairly steep incline. The trail is hard, packed sand, but it’s fairly narrow so prepare to walk on deeper sand too (like walking uphill at the beach). Make sure that you are wearing sturdy shoes, there are definitely deep sandy parts and you’ll be walking among the uneven, rocky terrain until you reach the edge. We saw visitors wearing heels and sandals from the tour buses and I just don’t think they were prepared for a hike at all!
After climbing the steep trail you’ll be at the top of the hill. From here you’ll continue on until you reach the overlook. There are two shade structures at the top of the hill and the only shade you’ll find on the 1.5 mile round trip hike. Make sure that you wear sun protection because temperatures can reach over 100 degrees (even in the springtime) and bring plenty of water for everyone in your party. When we visited there was no safety fence around the edge. You could just walk right off into the canyon. Since our visit, a new safety railing has been placed around the main portion of the canyon. Hold on to small hands and make sure animals are leashed for safety. The rim will be very crowded with people. We found a spot we liked and hung out and had a snack and waited for the sun to set. It’s absolutely gorgeous and worth the hike.
Just us and the rest of the world watching the sun set over Horseshoe Bend
Pro Tip: I’m not a huge selfie stick fan, but the best way to get a photo of the entire canyon in your shot is by using a selfie stick. Please be mindful of others.
IF YOU HAVE MORE TIME
We only had 24 hours in Page, but there is certainly enough to do if you have more time in your schedule.
VERMILLION CLIFFS NATIONAL MONUMENT
For serious hikers and for those with a high clearance vehicle, taking an extra day to visit the Coyote Buttes of the Vermillion Cliffs. Located about an hour southwest of Page, you will need to enter a lottery system in order to “win” an entry permit. There are two different lottery systems. One is the Advanced Lottery that you can enter up to four months in advance, the other one is the Daily Lottery you can enter two days before your visit, but you must be in the vicinity to enter. More info can be found here.
“The Wave” at the Vermillion Cliffs National Monument
RENT A HOUSEBOAT
Lake Powell was formed with the creation of the Glen Canyon Dam along the Colorado River. It is a popular boating destination where you can rent a house boat for a week and meander through the steep cliff walls. Renting a houseboat on Lake Powell is a vacation unto itself and one that you should definitely put on your list! Keep in mind that recent droughts have dropped the water levels in Lake Powell so low that boating is sometimes impossible. For more information on renting a houseboat, click here.
Rent a houseboat and spend the week cruising around Lake Powell
RAINBOW BRIDGE
Rainbow Bridge is one of the world’s largest natural bridges that is only accessible by boat tour. Low water levels in Lake Powell have made it harder to get to in recent years. This site has detailed information on how to visit.
GOOD TO KNOW
BE WEATHER AWARE: Pay attention to the forecasts when you are visiting and make sure you are prepared. Temperatures can be scorching and the areas we visited were high deserts with no trees for shade. Essentials include a hat, cooling towel, plenty of water and sunscreen.
DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME: Arizona is not on Daylight Savings Time (DST), except for the Navajo Nation, which does participate in DST. Although, the Navajo Nation for the Antelope Canyon tours is on the same time as Arizona. Confused yet? Because Page sits on the border of Utah the clock on our phones and car never switched to the local time so we arrived at our slot tour an hour early. Prayers up on this one!
SAND: We were not prepared for all the sand that would get in our eyes, mouth, hair and clothes during the slot canyon tour. Make sure that everyone brings a hat and plenty of water. I highly recommend the cooling towels, they made all the difference. We had a member of our party get sand in their eyes during the tour and because they wore contacts, they could hardly see the entire tour. We didn’t pack eye drops or enough water. Just prepare for lots of sand. I also suggest building in some downtime after the tour to return to the room to shower, change and even swim to get all the sand off before heading to Horseshoe Bend.
Next Stop: Zion National Park
Happy Travels!
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