Page, Arizona

Page, Arizona is a small town of around 8,000 people located in Coconino County, near Lake Powell. Going to Page was never on my to-do list (honestly, I had never even heard of it) but after researching weekend trips that I could do from my new home in Las Vegas, it quickly became very desirable. 

Lake Powell is the nation’s second-largest manmade lake and it’s sparkling water combines with sharp red rock formations to offer breathtaking views. Lake Powell, the slot canyons of Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend are the top reasons many people choose to visit Page, and we managed to see them all in a quick weekend trip.

Antelope Canyon is known for incredible photo ops that’ll be sure to have people in awe over your IG posts. Most commonly people hike Upper Antelope Canyon which allows for amazing photographs due to the beams of light coming down into the canyon that light up the slot canyon’s red hues.

Much of Antelope Canyon is on protected Navijo land and can only be accessed legally by going with an authorized, guided tour group. If you’re interested in checking out the upper canyon, you can access authorized tour info here.

Because of the pandemic, when we visited Page the Navijo guided tours were not running, so I put in research to find another way to visit the canyon. It turns out that if you enter the lower portion of the canyon from the water, you don’t reach the Navijo lands, meaning you don’t need to go with an authorized tour group!

You can do this by paddleboarding or kayaking on your own or joining a tour. We joined a tour, but if I were to do it again I would rent the boards and go on my own. Nothing against our tour company at all- they were FANTASTIC! However, being from Florida I’m very comfortable on the water and I would have been faster on the water and would have been able to explore more, if I wasn’t waiting for the rest of the group. 

At the time we were visiting there were two companies in town offering rentals to use independently as well as guided tours of the water access to the lower canyon. The company we used was Lake Powel Paddleboard & Kayak. We loved our guides, the reservation process was easy, and pricing was reasonable. 

After paddling we enjoyed a local BBQ meal at Big John’s Texas BBQ which I would highly recommend. It’s casual & affordable, serving up huge portions that you can enjoy on their patio with occasional live music!

Before leaving Page, Horseshoe bend is a must see, we stopped here after lunch before leaving town. Horseshoe bend is part of the Colorado River located on the east rim of the Grand Canyon, in the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. Parking at horseshoe bend is $10 per passenger vehicle and goes up in price for larger vehicles. You don’t need much time to view Horseshoe Bend, but it is absolutely worth the stop to walk around and check out the views.