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Page: what to see, where to stay and how to get around

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Almost everything worth seeing around Page was cut by water, most of it in sandstone that started as desert dunes. The slot canyons were carved by flash floods, the Bend by the Colorado, and the toadstools by rain working on soft rock under a hard cap. Book Upper or Lower Antelope for late morning, when sun reaches the floor, and keep Horseshoe Bend and the toadstools for the evening. Bring water: there is little shade anywhere on this route.

A short history of Page

Page did not exist until 1957. That year the federal government set up a camp for the workers building the Glen Canyon Dam on the Colorado River, on land obtained in an exchange with the Navajo Nation, and named it after John Page, head of the Bureau of Reclamation. The dam was completed in the 1960s, and behind it Lake Powell slowly filled, one of the largest man-made reservoirs in the United States. The town was incorporated as a city in 1975. The coal-fired Navajo Generating Station, which employed many people in the area, closed in 2019. Today most visitors come for Antelope Canyon and the river bend at Horseshoe Bend, both close to the town.

The ten best sights in Page

  1. John Wesley Powell Museum
    1
    John Wesley Powell Museum

    Small museum on the one-armed major who first ran the Colorado through these canyons in 1869; it also books local tours

  2. Carl Hayden Visitor Center
    2
    Carl Hayden Visitor Center

    Tours inside Glen Canyon Dam start here; no bags allowed through security, so leave them in the car

  3. Lees Ferry
    3
    Lees Ferry

    Mile zero of every Grand Canyon rafting trip; the only place for 600 km where a car can reach the river

  4. Lonely Dell Ranch
    4
    Lonely Dell Ranch

    Stone cabins and an orchard of the ferry families; pick fruit in season, it is allowed

  5. Horseshoe Bend
    5
    Horseshoe Bend

    Pay the city parking fee at the gate; the walk is short but has no shade, so not at noon in summer

  6. Upper Antelope Canyon
    6
    Upper Antelope Canyon

    Entry only with a licensed Navajo-approved tour; book weeks ahead for the midday light beams

  7. Lower Antelope Canyon
    7
    Lower Antelope Canyon

    Narrower and longer than Upper, with steep metal stairs; better for those who don't mind climbing

  8. Waterholes Canyon
    8
    Waterholes Canyon

    A quieter slot canyon south of town; it is on Navajo land, so a permit or guide is needed

  9. Antelope Point Marina
    9
    Antelope Point Marina

    Kayaks launch here into the flooded end of Antelope Canyon, the way to see it without a ticketed tour

  10. Wahweap Marina
    10
    Wahweap Marina

    Lake boat tours and houseboat rentals leave from here; book the Rainbow Bridge cruise in advance

sleepntripWonders of the world12 wonders, and a hotel near each

For every wonder: a nearby city, a route and a hotel up to $80.

To the wonders

What is an audio walk?

Tours in Page →

A guide in your headphones: open the walk on our site, walk from stop to stop, and at each one your phone tells its story. No guide, no group, and free. This is the first walk in Page:

Carved by water

Free walking tours in Page

Carved by water

Almost everything worth seeing around Page was cut by water, most of it in sandstone that started as desert dunes. The slot canyons were carved by flash floods, the Bend by the Colorado, and the toadstools by rain working on soft rock under a hard cap. Book Upper or Lower Antelope for late morning, when sun reaches the floor, and keep Horseshoe Bend and the toadstools for the evening. Bring water: there is little shade anywhere on this route.

  1. Upper Antelope Canyon · The Navajo name, Tsé bighánílíní, means 'the place where water runs through rocks'. The famous beams of light only reach the floor from about late March to early October, around midday.
  2. Lower Antelope Canyon · In August 1997 a flash flood from a storm miles away swept through this canyon and killed eleven hikers. Since then tours run only with guides, and the metal stairs and a flood warning system were added.
  3. Waterholes Canyon · Highway 89 crosses this slot on a bridge just south of town, and most drivers never notice the crack below them. Inside it narrows to shoulder width in places, much like Antelope without the crowds.
  4. Horseshoe Bend · The river loops 270 degrees around a sandstone spur about 300 metres below the rim. Visits grew so fast after the photo spread online that the city built a car park and a railed viewing platform in 2018.
  5. Page Rim View Trail · Page is built on top of Manson Mesa, and this trail of about 16 km runs all the way round its edge. The mesa was Navajo land until a 1958 land swap gave it to the government for the dam workers' town.
  6. Toadstool Hoodoos · Each toadstool is a pillar of soft pale sandstone kept alive by a darker, harder boulder on top. When the cap falls, the pillar below wears away within years.

The dam and the river below

Page did not exist before 1957: it was founded as a camp for the workers building Glen Canyon Dam. This route tells that story and then follows the Colorado downstream to Lees Ferry, where the Grand Canyon begins. The museum and the dam fill a morning; Lees Ferry is about 70 km away by road. In summer start early and keep the afternoon for the cool water at Lees Ferry.

  1. John Wesley Powell Museum · Powell lost most of his right arm in the Civil War and still led the first known boat trip through the canyons in 1869. Lake Powell, the reservoir behind the dam, is named after him.
  2. Glen Canyon Dam Bridge · The steel arch was finished in 1959, before the dam, so trucks could reach the far side of the canyon. It stands about 210 metres above the river; walk onto it for the view of the dam face.
  3. Carl Hayden Visitor Center · The dam is 216 metres high. The last concrete was poured in 1963, and Lake Powell took seventeen years to fill, reaching full level for the first time in 1980.
  4. Lees Ferry · Named for John D. Lee, a Mormon who ran a ferry here from 1872 while hiding from the law; he was executed in 1877 for his part in the Mountain Meadows massacre. Every Grand Canyon rafting trip still starts from this beach.
  5. Lonely Dell Ranch · Emma Lee, one of John D. Lee's wives, ran the ferry and the farm and gave the place its name. The stone house and the orchard they planted are still here.
  6. Navajo Bridge · The old bridge of 1929 was the first road crossing of the Colorado for hundreds of kilometres; the new one beside it opened in 1995. Condors released at the nearby Vermilion Cliffs since 1996 like to perch under it.

Lake Powell from the shore

Lake Powell is a flooded canyon system, not a round lake, which is why it has so many bays and so much shoreline. This route goes round its edges by car and by boat, from the marinas to a beach in Utah and the stone arch that you can only reach by water. The Rainbow Bridge cruise takes most of a day; the rest fits around it. For Monument Valley, about 200 km east, keep a separate long day.

  1. Hanging Garden Trail · Rain soaks into the porous sandstone and seeps out where it meets a harder layer. That trickle keeps maidenhair ferns and monkeyflowers alive on a rock wall in the middle of the desert.
  2. Wahweap Marina · When full, Lake Powell has nearly 3,200 km of shoreline, longer than the whole US west coast, because the water fills dozens of side canyons. Houseboats rented here sleep up to a dozen people.
  3. Rainbow Bridge · One of the largest natural bridges in the world, about 88 metres high. It is sacred to the Navajo, and visitors are asked not to walk under it.
  4. Antelope Point Marina · The marina sits on Navajo Nation land at the mouth of Antelope Canyon. From here kayaks paddle up the flooded lower end of the same canyon that tours walk through upstream.
  5. Lone Rock Beach · The rock standing in the bay is a sandstone butte left alone in the water when the lake rose. The beach is just across the Utah line, one of the few on the lake you can drive onto.
  6. Glen Canyon Dam Bridge · From the bridge you see the lake on one side and the river on the other. The water released from the bottom of the dam is cold all year, so trout now live in a river that once ran warm and muddy.
sleepntripMystery worldPlaces whose story is not over yet

The moai, the Nazca lines, Göbekli Tepe and more.

To the mystery world

Getting to Page and getting around

  • Page Municipal Airport · Scenic flights over Lake Powell and Monument Valley take off here; worth it if the drive to Monument Valley is too long
  • Antelope Canyon Tours office · Upper Antelope tours leave from offices in town by open truck; arrive 30 minutes early with only a phone and water

Cheap eats in Page

Page is a small town that feeds tour buses, so the food is American and quick: barbecue, burgers, Mexican, and a supermarket deli. Portions are big and most places close by nine. On Navajo land around town you may find frybread and the Navajo taco, frybread topped with beans, meat and cheese.

  • Big John's Texas BBQ · Brisket and ribs in an old gas station, about $15-25
  • Slackers · Burgers and shakes, about $10-16
  • Ranch House Grille · Big breakfasts before the canyon tours, about $12-18
  • Fiesta Mexicana · Mexican plates, about $12-20
  • El Tapatio · Burritos and enchiladas, about $12-18
  • Safeway deli · Sandwiches and fried chicken for the road, about $7-12

Museums in Page

  • John Wesley Powell Museum · Powell's 1869 river trip, maps and boats
  • Carl Hayden Visitor Center · Dam exhibits and guided tours inside the dam
  • Lonely Dell Ranch · Pioneer stone house, orchard and cemetery
  • Navajo Bridge Interpretive Center · Exhibits on the bridge, and Navajo jewellery stalls outside

Nature and day trips near Page

  • Horseshoe Bend · Sunset is crowded; sunrise is empty and just as good
  • Toadstool Hoodoos · Short walk in Utah, best late in the day
  • Hanging Garden Trail · Easy desert walk to a dripping fern wall
  • Lees Ferry · Cold clear river for wading; trout fishing from the bank
  • Waterholes Canyon · Slot canyon with fewer people; permit needed

Things to do in Page with kids

  • Lone Rock Beach · Shallow lake water and sand for the afternoon
  • Antelope Point Marina · Kayak or paddleboard rental on calm water
  • Navajo Bridge · Look for condors with binoculars
  • Wahweap Marina · Short boat tours for those who can't do a full day

Where to eat in Page

  • Rainbow Room · Lake Powell Resort dining room with lake views; come for sunset
  • State 48 Tavern · Burgers, beer and big screens on the main street
  • Strombolli's · Pizza and pasta on a terrace
sleepntripFree with every roomThree audio walks in every city

A guide in your headphones, stop after stop.

To the walks

Frequently asked questions about Page

What is there to see in Page?

The top sights in Page are John Wesley Powell Museum, Carl Hayden Visitor Center and Lees Ferry. The full list on this page has 10 sights, each with a photo and a short note.

How many days do you need in Page?

Three to four days are enough to see the best of Page without rushing, including at least one walking tour.

Is there a free walking tour in Page?

Yes. sleepntrip has 3 free audio walks in Page, with no guide and no group: your phone tells the story at every stop. The first one: Carved by water.

How do you get to Page and get around?

The main ways are Page Municipal Airport and Antelope Canyon Tours office. Full details are in the transport section on this page.

Where to stay in Page, and for how much?

sleepntrip shows only rooms in Page that meet nine conditions: a good location, high guest scores, cleanliness, and a price of up to $80 a night for two. Pick your dates and see what is free.

Looking for a hotel in Page for your dates?

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