I like many others had never heard of the town named Page until I visited it. Actually I have visited this town twice in last 3 years. As I recount , the first time we stumbled on this place was when I injured my back on a road trip and we had to stop for a night to take rest and see a doctor. Not to mention in that trip I could see the potential in this town but could not enjoy it. On my second time , I added this town specially in my itinerary because there was just so many things to see , that it deserved a couple of nights stay. Sitting on the edge of Navajo Nation and Lake Powell a few miles from the border of Utah , Page is a small town that will blow you away with its beauty and variety of things to see. So without further ado, here is a complete list of – Things to do in Page Arizona .
Horseshoe Bend :
If you ask me , what is that one sight that we must not and should not miss – my answer will be Horseshoe Bend. Horseshoe Bend features a 270 degree curved view of the Colorado River. You will enjoy the river bend admist the tall red cliffs standing on the edge. Since this place is quite popular I will suggest to go early in the morning or in the evening. Please note that there are no guard rails, just a very steep drop off from a very high cliff. And of course to get the perfect photo, you have to stand right on the edge with your wide angle lens so be very careful. A minor slip and you will fall off the cliff which I am sure will be fatal.
Tip : For photography lovers early morning or evening will have the best light. I visited the place early in the morning and sun was behind us. I think the shots would have come more dramatic in the evening.
Address : Horseshoe Bend, US-89, Page, AZ 86040
Fees: None
Lower and Upper Antelopes :
There cannot be enough words to describe the beauty of this place. The craftsmanship of water and lighting effects of sun -> final product is antelopes.
This place is so heaven like. While both upper and lower canyons are beautiful , but if you have time for just one – chose lower antelopes. I visited upper antelopes in the evening and lower antelopes in the morning and I found lower antelopes prettier. But before you go keep following things in mind :
a)This is a guided tour. You will have to book your tour well in advance. You can find all about booking a tour here and here .
b)Plan your trip before noon. Preferably between 9:30 am – 11 am . The light will be perfect for the photos.
c)You will not be alone in antelopes. There will be hundreds ( yes you heard it right) of people with you.
d)If you want to visit the antelopes exclusively for photography , book a photography tour.
Address : GPS Coordinates: 36.54.04.7 N 111.24.37.7 W
Fees : $20 per adult , $12 per child , plus a cash fee of $20 per car
Lake Powell :
Incredibly beautiful and massive. Lake Powell is the second-largest man-made lake in America. When full. it is 186 miles long with over 90 side canyons. A sunset at Lake Powell is something you will never forget. Head to Lake Powell Marina where you will see a shore lined with beautiful house boats and sun setting in red rocks. You can walk around the marina or you can rent a boat and take a tour of lake Powell. You can also enjoy a meal at marina restaurant but be ready to pay for the view 
Monument Valley :
Now Monument valley is not in Page but is just 1.5 hrs away from here . Located on the Utah-Arizona border, Monument Valley is part of the Colorado Plateau. Now ofcourse you can take an entire day or two to explore Monument valley , but if you are on time crunch here are few things you can try :
a)My absolute favorite point was forrest gump point. The view from here is absolutely amazing.
b)We just missed by few minutes the Tribal Park Loop but that is absolutely must. The loop is more or less a dirt road and requires a 4 AWD. It closes at sunset , so plan to be there a bit early.
c)The view from the parking lot itself is to die for. At sunset you can get some amazing photos.
Glen Canyon Recreation Area :
Glen Canyon recreation area is beautiful. Now I did not hike in the area but a boat tour and a visit to Rainbow Bridge are absolute must. I happened to catch a sunrise and sunset in Glenn Canyon and indeed it was very photogenic. For Rainbow bridge , you will have to make pre bookings and you can find all the information here.
The Grand Escalante National Monument :
The Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument covers over 1.8 million acres of pristine wilderness in Southern Utah. “Grand Staircase” describes a unique geologic formation consisting of layers upon layers of various rock strata. One of the most easy and worth doing hikes in this area is Toadstools Trail. A 45 mins round trip hike has an excellent view of hoodoos and some very photogenic spots along the trail. It gives you a true essence of how earth has eroded with time making a true natural staircase kind of rock formations. There is a small parking area at the start of hike but keep in mind that there is no water or shed or any kind of canteen type facility around this hike. I will highly advise to attempt this hike in morning . Do not forget to carry water with you.
Address : South Highway 89A, Kanab, Utah 84741
Fees – Free
Glenn Canyon Dam :
You can enjoy the dam from a wonderful visitor center. In Visitor Center you will find lots of interesting info, tours of the dam, exhibits, video shows, a relief map of the entire Glen Canyon area, very helpful rangers and a nice selection of souvenirs. Outside the visitor center there is a nice sitting area where you can enjoy the wonderful views of the dam. There are also some tours of river rafting and dam overviews that run from visitor center which can be booked there itself.
There were two things that I really missed on my this trip to Page so may be next time but if you are lucky and time permits then do not miss :
1) Rainbow bridge – Requires an entire day and a trip to be booked.
2) The “Wave” – You need to apply for pass months ago to visit the “Wave”. It is one of the most beautiful places in area that require quite a lot of hiking. If you miss applying for pass by due deadline, the only other way is a lucky draw .. so GOOD LUCK ..
Where to stay in Page :
Whatever your favorite hotel chain is, chances are they have a place in Page. On my first visit to page in 2014 , we stayed in Holiday in Express. It was recently remodeled and was very comfortable. It was located near the main downtown area so all the restaurants were at walking distance. On my second visit (2017), we stayed in Sleep inn suites right next to Glen Canyon Dam. I personally liked this location more because of the view and accessibility to dam museum etc. .
So if you happen to stumble upon this amazing place , do visit some or all of the sites I have listed above. Do let me know in comments below how many of these iconic places did you tick off your bucket list. Thank you so much for stopping by .
Leave a Reply