One Day in Page, Arizona

Page is a small town in Coconino County northern Arizona – and a great pitstop along your next Arizona road trip. Read below for our recommendations on how to spend one day in Page to make the most out of your trip.

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1. Upper and Lower Antelope Canyon

Upper Antelope Canyon and Lower Antelope Canyon are slot canyons on the Navajo Nation Reservation, only a ten minute drive from Page. The Navajo Nation Reservation covers more than 25,000 square miles and several U.S. states, with its own laws and policies governed by the Navajo Nation Government. This is important to note because depending on the time of year that you visit, Navajo Nation may be operating on a different time schedule than its surrounding areas. Navajo Nation territory, and thus the two Antelope Canyons, run on Mountain Standard Time (MST) and observe daylight savings. The town of Page, Arizona, however, does NOT observe daylight savings. From November 3rd to March 9th, Page runs on Mountain Standard Time (MST), but from March 10th to November 2nd, Page runs on Pacific Standard Time (PST). This means that depending on the time of year you visit, your accommodations in Page may be an hour behind Navajo Nation’s time zone.

Since they are located on the reservation, the only way to access the Upper and Lower Antelope Canyons is through a guided-tour with one of the Navajo tourism agencies: Antelope Canyon Tours, Antelope Slot Canyon Tours, or Adventurous Antelope Canyon Tours. Unlike other national parks in the area, you will have to book this one in advance. Tour groups are kept to relatively small sizes to accommodate the narrows halls of the slot canyons, so tours do fill up quickly. Make your reservations at least a few weeks in advance for assured availability, farther ahead if it is the busy season.

There are typically four time slots offered daily for each company: two in the morning and two in the afternoon. Upper Antelope Canyon and Lower Antelope Canyon tours are offered separately, so if you would like to see both you will have to make two reservations. According to our guide, a tour through Upper Antelope Canyon provides more photo-ops as it gets more sunlight, while Lower Antelope Canyon provides a bit more adventure as it involves scaling down some ladders. All of the photos in this section were taken in Upper Antelope Canyon.

Widely photographed, Upper Antelope Canyon is often the more popular choice – especially during the summer months when its famous “light beams” shine through the canyon (May ~ September). The mid-morning tours (10:30-12:00) tend to offer the best sunlight for photos, so if you would like to visit both canyons we recommend touring Upper Antelope in the morning then proceeding to Lower Antelope in the afternoon. Whatever time slot you choose, remember that the tour agencies may be in a different time zone than your Page hotel is in, so be sure to show up according to your tour agency’s schedule (MST).

As with all slot canyons, good weather is crucial for a successful trip to the Antelope Canyons. A rainstorm even miles away can run down the terrain and cause a flash flood. To ensure the safety of both the guides and visitors, tours may be cancelled if there is a chance of rain – so do keep that in mind if you are not planning your trip during the dry season.

Pricing for each tour will vary by company, but typically hovers around $90-100 US dollars per canyon.

2. Horseshoe Bend

An iconic landmark to the area, the Horseshoe Bend lookout in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area is another popular spot to visit while in Page. Carved out by a bend in the Colorado River, the cliffs at Horseshoe Bend drop down about 1000 feet before hitting the bottom of the canyon. Keep that in mind if walking out onto the ledges for photos – while there is a railed lookout area built in at the end of the trail for safety, much of the surrounding rock is undeveloped and can become slippery/unstable.

To visit Horseshoe Bend, pull off of US Highway 89 between mile-markers 544 & 545. The trail from the parking lot to the Horseshoe Bend lookout is roughly one and a half miles roundtrip and has only a slight incline – hikers of all skill levels should be able to complete this trail with ease.

The entrance fee to visit Horseshoe Bend is $10 US dollars per vehicle.

3. Lake Powell

To end your day, enjoy a meal by Lake Powell while watching the sunset. The lake is within the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area’s bounds, and entrance to the reserve costs $30 US dollars per vehicle. If this is only one stop of many on your national park tour, you can also gain entrance to Lake Powell using the annual U.S. National Park Pass. This pass costs $80 US dollars and grants you access to any national park in the United States for a year.

Where To Stay

• Popular: The Garner by IHG Hotel
• Luxury: The Desert Ranch House
• Budget: The Red Rock Motel

Frequently Asked Questions:

1. Is Page Arizona worth visiting? Definitely! Page is the only place to stay when visiting Upper and Lower Antelope Canyon – and to be honest I think those are worth a trip to Arizona in and of themselves.

2. How many days should you spend in Page Arizona? Most of the time I’d say this depends on your travel style, but I think just one day in Page should be sufficient for most visitors. A day will give you plenty of time to see all of the tourist spots around the area as well as explore downtown Page.

3. Can you do Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend in one day? Yes! Quite easily. The entrances to each attraction are located less than ten miles away from each other, and neither requires more than a few hours at most to enjoy fully.

Check out our guides for the best ways to spend a day in Sedona, Williams, and the Grand Canyon to complete your Arizona road trip!

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