Things to do in Page
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Page
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Best overall. Warm days, cool nights, excellent slot light and crowds below summer peak. Early October is the single best window.
Peak crowds, peak heat and peak lake life. Hikes are dawn only. July and August monsoon brings storms and flash flood closures.
Beams return to Upper Antelope, spring break crowds build, lake still cold and wind affects kayaks and flights.
Quiet, cold and cheap, underrated for photography. No Upper beams, shorter hours and lake activities shrink. January is worst for lake trips.
What's on
- Page Lake Powell Balloon Regatta & Street Fair first full weekend of November (Thu-Sun)
Dozens of balloons launch at about 7:15am from Lake Powell National Golf Course, with a Saturday night Balloon Glow and street fair.
Best things to do in Page
Upper Antelope Canyon
The famous slot canyon for midday light beams, on a flat guided walk with no ladders.
Lower Antelope Canyon
A brighter, more physical slot canyon with ladders and stairs, and better value than Upper.
Antelope Canyon X
A quieter slot canyon in the Antelope wash with small capped groups and unhurried time inside.
Horseshoe Bend
A railed cliff viewpoint over a near complete meander of the Colorado River, best at sunrise.
Glen Canyon Dam
A huge concrete arch dam with a free visitor center and a separate overlook for the close view.
Lake Powell
Shoreline overlooks, beaches and swimming coves that let non boaters experience Lake Powell well.
The New Wave
A free slickrock wander through striped sandstone near the Rimview Trail and Hanging Garden.
Wahweap Overlook
The classic free sunset panorama over Lake Powell and Wahweap Bay, followed by dark skies.
Where to stay in Page
North Navajo Drive and Lake Powell Boulevard corridor, Page
first trip, all-round base
Newer in town hotels close to restaurants and tour offices, with everything else a short drive.
Wahweap, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area
lake access and boat itineraries
Staying at Wahweap puts the marina, boat tours and beach at your door, 10 minutes from town.
Big Water, Utah corridor
scenic splurge as a destination
Destination resorts outside Page that work as the trip itself, not as a one night Antelope base.
Highway 89 south entrance, Page
budget base with a car
Functional chain and motel stock at the south entrance, often cheaper than the newest in town hotels.
Think twice about
- Isolated highway motels well south of town on US-89
Not dangerous, but desolate and poorly lit at night with no food within walking distance.
- Highway 89 and Lake Powell Boulevard at night on foot
Wide, fast and dimly lit in stretches with few sidewalks outside the centre. Drive instead.
Best restaurants in Page
BirdHouse
Page best reviewed restaurant, serving essentially one thing: excellent fried chicken and sides.
Big John's Texas BBQ
Oak smoked brisket, ribs and pulled pork in a converted gas station with a dog friendly patio.
Bonkers Restaurant
A family run Italian American steakhouse that locals defend as Page best proper dinner.
Rainbow Room
Lake Powell Resort dining room included for its floor to ceiling lake views and sunset tables.
State 48 Tavern
A hotel gastropub with craft cocktails and a terrace holding one of Page best sunset views.
El Tapatio
Page most consistently recommended Mexican kitchen, with large portions and proper margaritas.
Slackers Quality Grub
A downtown institution for charbroiled burgers, Navajo tacos and sweet potato fries.
Ranch House Grille
The best breakfast in Page, a family run spot for chicken fried steak and pork chili verde.
Outdoor things to do in Page
Lake Powell National Golf Course
Page only golf course, an 18 hole desert layout with lake and canyon views on most holes.
Lake Powell Adventure Co.
Guided kayak and hike trips from Antelope Point into the flooded water entrance of Antelope Canyon.
Wilderness River Adventures
A flat water raft float from Glen Canyon Dam around Horseshoe Bend from below to Lees Ferry.
Wahweap Marina
Powerboat, wake boat and houseboat rentals for exploring Lake Powell side canyons from Wahweap.
The Wave
The iconic striped sandstone swirl in Coyote Buttes North, reached only with a BLM lottery permit.
White Pocket
Swirling white and pink brain rock with no lottery, reached by deep sand tracks or a guided tour.
Wire Pass Trailhead
A short tight slot that leads into Buckskin Gulch, the longest slot canyon in the Southwest.
Lees Ferry
Historic Colorado River crossing with Navajo Bridge nearby and frequent California condor sightings.
Best hotels in Page
Amangiri
A defining luxury desert resort set in 600 acres, with a pool carved around a rock escarpment.
Under Canvas Lake Powell - Grand Staircase
Safari tent glamping overlooking Lake Powell, where the night sky and sunrise are the product.
Hyatt Place Page / Lake Powell
The consensus best in town stay, with canyon views, breakfast, a pool and a praised restaurant.
Hampton Inn & Suites Page - Lake Powell
A highly rated chain stay with hot breakfast, an indoor pool and boat and RV parking.
Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Page
A smaller, quieter and well reviewed in town stay that often undercuts Hyatt and Hampton on price.
Lake Powell Resort
The only stay on the lake at Wahweap Marina, booked for its setting despite dated rooms.
Lake Powell Motel
A small owner run motel with kitchenette units, popular for longer and self catering stays.
Wahweap Campground & RV Park
A developed campground with RV hookups and tent sites and lake views near Wahweap.
Is Page expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | $110 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | $200 a person |
| Splurge | $500 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Upper Antelope Canyon: months ahead
- Lower Antelope Canyon: months ahead
- Wahweap Marina: weeks ahead
- The Wave: months ahead
- White Pocket: weeks ahead
- Wire Pass Trailhead: a few days ahead
- Bonkers Restaurant: a few days ahead
- Rainbow Room: a few days ahead
- Book Upper, Lower or Canyon X slots 1 to 2 months ahead for spring, fall, holidays and weekends.
- Boats, raft trips and White Pocket tours need 2 to 6 weeks in season. Summer houseboats book months ahead.
- Bonkers and Rainbow Room window tables need reservations in season. Eat at 5:30pm or after 8pm elsewhere.
Is Page safe?
- Carry a gallon of water per person per hiking day, with electrolytes, hat and sunscreen.
- Never enter any slot with rain forecast anywhere upstream. All slot tours cancel in rain.
- Colorado River water below the dam is about 50 degrees. Cold shock is real even in August.
- Watch for deer, coyotes and free range cattle and horses on dark highways at dawn and dusk.
- Arizona, the Navajo Nation and Utah can show three different times nearby in summer. Confirm Page time or Navajo time with your operator.
Page travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Doing both Upper and Lower Antelope is poor value for most people. Pick one and spend the slot on water or Wire Pass.
- Third party resellers mark up slot tours. Book direct with the named Navajo operators.
- Midday Horseshoe Bend in summer has the worst light, heat and crowds. Go at sunrise.
Getting around Page: public transport and more
- You need a car. There is no meaningful public transit and rideshare supply is thin at tour times.
- Horseshoe Bend is 10 minutes, Wahweap 10 minutes, Lees Ferry 45 minutes and Monument Valley 2.5 hours.
- Fees stack up: Horseshoe Bend city parking, Glen Canyon pass, Navajo fees in slot tours and BLM permits.
Who Page suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Great |
| Couples | Good |
| Bachelor parties | Good |
| Families | Great |
| Bachelorette parties | Good |
Make Page your trip
Swearby drafts the days from places people swear by. Swap any stop, then invite the crew by text, even friends without the app. Vote on dates, track costs as you go, and everyone gets one number at the end.
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