12 BEST Things to do in Page, Arizona (Must’s & Hidden Gems)
With its skinny red sandstone slot canyons, turquoise blue Lake Powell, and miles of otherwordly desert landscapes, the small town of Page, Arizona is so worth a visit!
In this article I’m sharing my favorite things to do in Page, including the Via Ferrata through an Antelope slot canyon (canyoneering-esque adventure), some lesser known but otherwordly hikes near Page, a must-see Native American dinner show, a variety of ways to experience Lake Powell, rafting through the Colorado River’s famous Horseshoe Bend, and more!
The Best Things to do in Page, AZ & Nearby
1. Via Ferrata through Antelope Ridge
You’ve inevitably seen photos of Antelope Canyon, the firey red Page slot canyon with towering walls adorned with wave-like striations formed by years of erosion. There are many different sections of Antelope Canyon, but all can only be visited with a Navajo guide (Navajo tours of each section: Upper, Lower, Antelope X).
But instead of walking through Antelope Canyon with every other tourist (it gets really crowded), we opted for an adventurous slot canyon Via Ferrata—which involved fun rappelling, light rock climbing, tight squeezes, and plenty of slow wanderings through the canyon.
And we got the entire slot canyon to ourselves—just the two of us, our guide, and one other fellow adventurer! We spent 2 hours in the canyon and it was absolutely stunning—and the Via Ferrata was one of my all-time favorite travel experiences.
Via Ferrata (which means the iron way in Italian), is similar to canyoneering—you navigate through the slot canyon along iron rungs and cables, which makes it possible to venture into parts of the slot canyon that would otherwise be inaccessible!
If Via Ferrata isn’t your thing, there are plenty of other ways to explore Page’s otherwordly slot canyons, just know that you have to make a reservation with a Navajo guide (no exploring slot canyons by yourself):
- Upper Antelope Canyon (the most famous, but more expensive these days)
- Kayak Lake Powell to Antelope Canyon (Lake Powell and slot canyon all in one!)
- Waterhole Canyon (less crowded slot canyon)
- Buckskin Gulch (longest slot canyon in the world, across the border in Utah!)
⏰ Arizona Travel Tip: Page is on the edge of the Navajo Nation, which is in a different timezone than the rest of Arizona! Check time zones if you plan to explore both in and out the Navajo Nation.
2. See Horseshoe Bend
A 10-minute drive outside of Page, Horseshoe Bend is one of the most recognizable southwest landscapes, and for good reason!
From the top of 1,000-foot cliff, you can watch the emerald green Colorado River meander around a giant sandstone cliff, creating a perfect horseshoe shape.
While Horseshoe Bend is popular and busy, I don’t think its overrated—and there is plenty of space along the cliff to get an unobstructed view (and photos).
There’s a large parking lot and it costs $10 per car. The 1.2-mile roundtrip trail is well maintained and open from sunrise to sunset daily! There is no shade whatsoever, and no water (besides at the parking lot).
3. Boat, kayak, and swim in Lake Powell
Sparkling turquoise water surrounded by white and orange sandstone cliffs, the massive Lake Powell is actually a man-made reservoir, controlled by the Glen Canyon Dam. The lake sits along the border, with parts of it in Utah and Arizona.
For our time in Page we stayed at the (surprisingly affordable) Lake Powell Resort at Wahweap Marina, with views of the lake from our room and the hotel’s pool bars—and we LOVED it!
There are a handful of ways to get out on the water. Going on a kayak tour to Antelope Canyon is one of the more affordable (plus you get to see Antelope Canyon and Lake Powell in one), or you can do a speedboat ride to Antelope Canyon instead.
Lake Powell Resorts offers boat rentals as well as dinner cruises, or if you bring your own boat, you can explore the lake on your own.
4. Go Rafting Through Horseshoe Bend (and the Colorado River)
To experience Horseshoe Bend from a different perspective, join this 5-hour rafting adventure down the Colorado River, which includes stops along the way where you can see ancient petroglyphs carved into the canyon walls!
Photo via Viator
The raft ride ends at the historic Lees Ferry, where you get into a bus with some refreshing AC and drive back with views of the famous Vermillion Cliffs, Marble Canyon, and Navajo Bridge along the way.
5. Native American Dinner Show
Page is located on the edge of the of the US’s largest native American reservation, the Navajo Nation. At Page’s nightly Native American Dinner Show, you can experience traditional Navajo dancing, drumming, and storytelling while eating Navajo frybread tacos!
Photo via Viator
This is quite a privilege, as native culture, art, and food is unfortunately not celebrated in most parts of the US to this day. If you’re able to fit the dinner show into your schedule, I’d highly recommend it—both for Americans who feel disconnected from our country’s roots, and visitors who are curious about the country’s culture and history.
6. Glen Canyon Dam & Visitor Center
Page’s Glen Canyon controls Lake Powell and provides water for approximately 40 million people in the southwest. And if you’re driving between the center of Page to the nearby Wahweap Marina at Lake Powell, you’ll drive over the dam!
The dam is also home to the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area’s Visitor Center where you can learn about the history, geology, and science behind Lake Powell, Glen Canyon, and the dam itself. It’s free to visit and worth a short stop!
There are also a few hiking trails along the edge of Glen Canyon, with views of the dam, including the Hanging Garden Trail—which gets its name from the green foliage that clings to the cliffs here!
7. Hike Cathedral Wash
A 45-minute drive from Page takes you to one of the most fun and unique trails I’ve ever hiked! The 3.4-mile roundtrip Cathedral Wash Trail takes you through the meandering dried-up stream bed of wild layered, bubbling limestone formations, all the way to the Colorado River!
We did this hike as a short detour on our drive from Page to the Grand Canyon, but its easily accessible from Page—and I’m SO GLAD we added it in to our itinerary. The experience was so much fun—involving some careful and creative scrambling up and down the unique rock formations.
And the trail ends at the Colorado River. When we visited, there was a shallow, calm area that would have been perfect for a refreshing swim if we’d brought swimsuits!
Although the hike is short and not super challenging, it does require quite a bit of scrambling, and there are spots where you could easily slip and hurt yourself. Bring plenty of water and do not hike if it has rained (or will rain) since this is a natural drainage system where flash floods happen!
The trail is located inside Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, and you’ll either need a $30 day pass (purchased in advance), or get the annual America The Beautiful Pass, which also will get you entry to the Grand Canyon and all other national parks in the US!
8. Walk Across the Historic Navajo Bridge
On the way to the Cathedral Wash trail, you’ll pass the Historic Navajo Bridge, a 1929 bridge over the Colorado River. We enjoyed stopping here on the way to the trail, to soak in the views and spot several endangered condors resting on and around the bridge.
There’s also a small interpretive center here, as well as bathrooms—worth a stop since there are no bathrooms at Cathedral Wash!
9. See the Wave at Vermilion Cliffs National Monument
If you thought the striations of Antelope Canyon were cool, wait until you see the Wave at Vermilion Cliffs National Monument! Visiting this stunning site requires some advance planning, luck, and a hike.
First, you’ll need to win a lottery permit for Coyote Buttes North (The Wave), which opens up four months in advance, and daily. Read this guide on the Bureau of Land Management site for more details.
Photo via Carol Highsmith on Unsplash
If you are able to get a permit, keep in mind that the hike starts in Utah, at the Wire Pass trailhead, about an hour drive from Page. Then the 6.8-mile roundtrip hike actually takes you into northern Arizona and then back!
10. See the Toadstool Hoodoos
Another unique landscape across the border in Utah, the Toadstool Hoodoos are only a 30 minute drive from the center of Page! (On the way to the trailhead for both the Wave and Buckskin Gulch).
Photo via Joshua Gresham on Unpslash
These unique mushroom-shaped rock formations are located within Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument and accessible via 1.8-mile roundtrip hike. Parking and hiking here is free!
11. Hike Buckskin Gulch (Longest Slot Canyon in the World)
Starting at the Wire Pass Trailhead 1 hour away from Page in Utah you can hike through the world’s longest slot canyon, Buckskin Gulch!
We considered this hike, but instead did Cathedral Wash since it was closer and we were short on time—but the trail looks straight out of a movie!
Permits are required and cost $6 per person—reserve on Recreation.gov. Unlike the slot canyons in Page, you can hike Buckskin Gulch without a guide, but there is an excellent hiking tour if you prefer!
12. Day trip to Grand Canyon
If you’re in the area and haven’t visited the Grand Canyon before, it’s a must day trip (or better, overnight trip) from Page!
Both the popular South Rim and less visited North Rim are a little over 2 hours from Page. A visit to either part requires a day pass or the annual America The Beautiful Pass which grants you access to all the US national parks and more.
When we visited, the North Rim was closed, so we stuck to the South Rim and wow… it was MIND BLOWING! The Rim Trail along the top of the canyon is an easy, enjoyable walk, but our favorite was hiking into the canyon via the South Kaibab Trail to Skeleton Point.
More Arizona Travel Guides
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