24 Hours in Page | Arizona
24 Hours in Page| Written by Brian Callender | Photography by Julie Boyd
In what has quickly become an annual tradition, Julie and I hit the road at the end of December in search of adventures in the Southwest.
With winter weather making most of our favorite destinations either inaccessible for hiking, or fully functioning ski resorts, we turned to the desert for a second consecutive year.
At the end of 2017, we spent time in Zion and Bryce Canyon National Parks and planned to visit the three additional National Parks in Utah on this trip. Before venturing into Utah, we stopped in Page, Arizona, a small town on the border between the two states.
24 Hours in Page: Getting There
Page is located at the very northern tip of Arizona, nearly in the center-most portion of the state. Because of its location, you can expect do some driving from whichever airport you decide to fly into. From either Phoenix or Las Vegas, the drive is about 4 hours, and just under 300 miles.
We decided to go the Phoenix route and spent a night in Flagstaff, which is about halfway from Page, making the drive much shorter. This also allowed us the opportunity to visit Sedona beforehand. Coming from Las Vegas, we recommend staying in St. George, Utah, or making a side trip to Zion National Park.
24 Hours in Page: Visiting Lake Powell
Lake Powell is the quintessential summer destination, so visiting it in winter, amidst the government shutdown meant there wasn’t much for us to do. We spent some time driving around to various viewpoints and enjoying the eerie solitude while walking through the Lake Powell Resort. On a future trip, we would love to hike to Rainbow Bridge or Reflection Canyon.
24 Hours in Page: Horseshoe Bend
Horseshoe Bend is an immensely popular destination (over-popular, thanks to social media) along the Colorado River. From our hotel in Page, the parking lot is just a short ten minute drive, followed by a 0.75-mile walk to the overlook. When we first arrived in Page, we noticed the parking lot for the trailhead was full, and the only option was to park further down the road and be shuttled back to the main lot. From the research we did, we decided it would be best for both avoiding crowds and doing photography to arrive early in the morning.
We woke up at 5:30 a.m. on New Year’s Day and drove straight to the trailhead. There were a couple of other cars in the parking lot, but we were the first ones to hit the trail. With the recent snowfall, we were happy to make the first tracks out to the viewpoint, followed closely behind by a few other early risers.
Catching the rising sun over a snowy Horseshoe Bend was easily one of the more memorable experiences from this trip. The calm atmosphere and beautiful dawn light confirmed that this was the best time to visit. Unfortunately, it wasn’t long before the crowds started to file in, and we took that as a signal that it was time to pack up and leave. For a location this popular, we HIGHLY recommend getting there for sunrise as the overlook was crowded within an hour of our arrival.
24 Hours in Page: Slot Canyon Tour of Secret Canyon
Coinciding with a visit to Horseshoe Bend, the other big ticket item on our list for our trip to Page was a slot canyon tour. While Antelope Canyon is easily the most popular and well-known slot canyon in the area, we were not able to get a reservation on short notice. Julie had tried calling a tour operator who was less-than-friendly, and was told they did not have availability (despite it showing so online).
On a whim, I decided to walk into the Horseshoe Bend Slot Canyon Tours office, as we had stopped in their parking lot while we plotted our next step. I spoke with Tim, who was friendly, and offered me a couple of options for a tour the next day. After chatting it over with Julie, we decided to go with the dual Horseshoe Bend/Secret Slot Canyon tour at 10:00 a.m., giving ourselves a second visit to Horseshoe Bend in one day.
Following our morning visit to Horseshoe Bend, we arrived for our tour and waited alongside a family of four who would also be joining us. One of the aspects that immediately attracted us to this particular tour company was that they only take small groups of 15 or less out at a time. For Julie and I, the smaller the group, the better, particularly since we are not big fans of tours, and generally like to see destinations at our own pace. We piled into the open air truck, which had plastic covers around it since it was 20+ degrees outside, and were on our way at 10:00 a.m.
The ride out to Horseshoe Bend took a bit longer than our trip earlier that morning thanks to their ability to drive nearly all the way to the edge of the overlook. Their special access viewpoint is just to the west of the main overlook, so it was nice to see the bend from a different perspective. More importantly though, our small group of nine, including two tour operators, was no doubt far less people than were at the main overlook at that same time.
After everyone had taken the opportunity to snap photos to their heart’s content, we were back on the road, this time headed to Secret Canyon. As the exclusive tour company for Secret Canyon, we were assured to be the only ones at this canyon, something Julie and I were very excited about. The drive was a bit bumpy as we headed down a dirt road that had seen a fresh dusting of snow the night prior, but we felt comfortable with Tim knowing the area so well. Once we had covered the six-mile drive and arrived at the entrance to Secret Canyon, it was time to head in and see how much snow had made its way down the canyon walls.
We spent about an hour in the canyon exploring it from end to end. It’s truly incredible to see how these canyons are shaped, and the way the light hits the walls at different angles throughout the day. Before long, it was time to jump back in the truck and head back to the Horseshoe Bend Slot Canyon Tour office. Julie and I had such a great experience on this tour, and we highly recommend it to anyone who is looking to see two amazing destinations in Page without the crazy crowds!
Have you been to Page? Let us know about your trip in the comments!
More tips and inspiration for Southwest Road Trips:
24 Hours in Bryce Canyon National Park
Hiking the Narrows of Zion National Park
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Wow, I love how the snow looks on the canyon walls and at Horseshoe Bend, you took some really gorgeous photos. It sounds like the tour you took to Secret Canyon is the way to go, how nice that they have exclusive access and you didn’t have to contend with large groups.
Thank you Brianna! I was so lucky to be able to photograph the contrast between the snow and desert landscape. Yes! We really enjoyed the more intimate feel of the small groups.
What a way to start the year! I LOVE this as a plan for New Years day! Although I am surprised to hear it still became crowded a little later! I sort of expected you to have that epic view to yourselves in the snow.
I would love to walk in this area, but I always thought it sounds a bit hot. Hiking in the snow (with microspikes) sounds like the perfect solution!! Plus your photos are simply stunning with the contrast between the snow and orange rocks.
Thanks Josy! It was probably my best New Year’s morning to date! Social Media has really impacted to popularity of this once unknown location, and I was especially surprised that the tour buses showed up so early. Definitely go when the weather is cooler! It amazes me that so many people go to these desert location in the summer when the temperatures are in the triple digits!
I associate Arizona with desert heat, but as your photos remind me, it can get cold and snowy there too. I’d love to see both sides of this gorgeous state. I just pinned for later!
The extreme temperatures in the desert are definitely interesting to experience. The first time I went to Page it was 115F, and on this trip it was 10F one morning.
Page in Arizona looks like a must see destination. Horseshoe bend and the rock formations look stunning especially in the snow!
Thanks Jayne! It was beautiful to see in person.
I have never imagined traveling in the southwest during winter time to be so magical until now — WOW! Your photos are absolutely breathtaking, especially the Horseshoe Bend one. I also had never heard of the Secret Canyon and your tour experience is something my husband and I would love to do in the future. We also do not like going to destinations trying to fight off the crowds. Thank you so much for the inspiration!
The area with the snow looks very special! I visited during spring, it was nice as well. Would love to have another 24 hours in Page Arizona…
Thanks Annalisa! Me too! I would love to go in Spring next time and take a boat out on Lake Powell.
Thank you so much Christina! It was so special being there in the snow! We prefer going to desert locations in the winter to avoid the heat of summer, and crowds. Lol. I hope you have a great trip in the future!
Thanks for posting great information about Page, Arizona! These photos are stunning!
Thanks Amanda!
OMG — it all looks so amazing in the snow! I live in Arizona and even though I’m from Chicago, I HATE driving in the snow, so I tend to avoid northern Arizona in the winter. I have been to all of the spots in your posts, but red rock always looks better with snow!
Being from California, we were so nervous to drive in the snow, but the Jeep made it a breeze. By the end of the trip, we were completely comfortable going off-road.
Whoa! i always seen pictures of Page Arizona from summer, the snow is quite unique here. I love your pictures and this guide is super useful
Thanks! The snow was a very special surprise. Our guide in the canyon said he had lived in Page his whole live and never seen that much.
Looks like an amazing place for an outdoor adventure, We are hoping to move to Vegas soon,, so we can get to these places faster!
Val
There are so many incredible places to explore in the Southwest. Every time I go, I come back with an even longer list of things to do and see.