It turns out that December was a perfect time to take in the sites in Page, Arizona. Page is a small town in northeastern Arizona, just outside of the Grand Canyon. It’s off the beaten path, yet it has numerous chain hotels and fast food restaurants to accommodate the tourists. Lake Powell is just to the north, so in the spring and summer the boating crowds take over. But in December it’s relatively easy to find an affordable hotel room and get a reservation for one of the popular tours of the nearby slot canyons. Plus, in December you aren’t dealing with the heat of the desert.
Our first stop just to the south of Page was Horseshoe Bend. This is an iconic view of the Colorado River as it winds its way between Lake Powell and the Grand Canyon.
The City of Page opened an improved parking area in 2019 and there’s a small fee to maintain the facilities, including toilets. After parking, you’ll walk just over a half-mile along a maintained path to the viewpoint. Hold on to children’s hands here – the drop to the river is about 1000 feet and can be unnerving. If you want to enjoy more of the desert, you can continue hiking to the north and scramble on the sandstone formations. To learn more about accessing the site, visit the City of Page’s website: https://cityofpage.org/hsb
There are several guided tours of various canyons in the area, but the most popular are Upper and Lower Antelope Canyon. We did both in one day and it was worth the splurge. This is a world-class slot canyon and the only way to visit is on a guided tour. You’ll climb stairs and some ladders, but it’s not a terribly strenuous hike.
We used Antelope Slot Canyon Tours for our tour of Upper Antelope Canyon: https://antelopeslotcanyon.com and Dixie’s Lower Antelope Canyon Tours for Lower Antelope Canyon: https://www.antelopelowercanyon.com. Both were excellent adventures with guides who helped us take photos and had stories that made the experience more special.
The Well-Traveled Fridge 