Southwest Roadtrip: Page

Hidden cliffs, native lands, and oh-so-dusty roads — Welcome to Page, AZ

The New Wave

This post is a continuation of my overview post on my recent Southwest trip. If you’ve just come to visit, start there before reading onward.

Here’s a reminder of my itinerary:

1. Sedona, AZ
2. Page, AZ
3. Escalante, UT
4. Moab, UT

This post will cover, in detail, all things done in Page.

Page

Lots of firsts for this leg of the trip. First trail lottery, first off-road driving of the trip, and first time getting happily drunk with a bunch of senior citizens — Page was a blended mixture of high/low surprises and expectations.

Lottery

I allocated three full days in Page because I really wanted to take a chance at the Wave lottery. Formally known as Coyote Buttes in the Paria-Canyon Vermillion Cliffs Wilderness, this infamous and much sought after trail is on every hiker’s dream list to conquer.

And it’s no joke. If you don’t do the “wake early, reserve a spot three months in advance” thing, then you have to take a chance at the daily lottery which you can only partake within a specific geofence. But that’s not all. You have to reserve three days to fully ensure access to this trail.

In qualifying order:

• Day 1: Get notified of lottery results.
• Day 2: Wake at 8:30 AM and be at the BLM offices for a required overview and safety talk.
• Day 3: With the permit procured by the lottery and mandatory training completed, one may finally hike the 6.7 mile hike to the visually stunning rock formations in the Paria-Canyon Vermillion Cliffs.

Hikes

Despite the time I just spent explaining lotteries and BLM, I did not get chosen to hike the Wave during my stay. Not too bad a deal since there’s so much to do and see in Page.

Horseshoe Bend — Glen Canyon: Not really a hike but a 1.5 mile path leading to a very real fear inducing viewpoint of the canyon below. Plenty of space to spread out and get a good selfie but seriously, watch your step. Pro tip: Go at sunset since the views of the Bend are looking towards the West.

Lower Antelope Canyon: Located on recognized Navajo Lands, visitors must visit these canyons from within a tour group — typically run by the native Navajo people. Please be respectful and adhere to their rules.

There were two things that I purposefully researched for this tour:

1. Location
2. Time of day

For those unaware, there are two types of Antelope Canyons: lower and upper. Both are slot canyons but differ in the way that each canyon was formed. For diversity in photography and rock formations, I chose the lower Antelope Canyon.

As for time of day, I wanted to capture some light beams that strike their way down onto the canyon floor. You need bright, direct sunlight for that and since the openings of the canyons are literally straight above you, noon, or thereabouts, is best.

I generally dislike crowds but the tour that I went on was very well thought through and they limit their numbers to around 10. Tours are staggered and through the entirety of our time down there, we didn’t feel rushed nor did we see groups ahead or behind us. Our guide was well informed of the history of the canyon, knowledge of geographic formations, and cultural relevancy on some infamous Nat Geo photographs. Most surprising to me were the actual rock formations that looked like famous people or animals.

The New Wave Trail: A 1.0 mile loop with cresting hillsides, similar wavy rock formations to The Wave, and easy to follow pathways. I ended up trailing running it a few times and I appreciated how close it was in proximity to where I was staying.

Wire Pass Trail to Buckskin Gulch: A 5.6 mile slot canyon out and back which you can easily tack on more distance since it meets up with Buckskin. Free to enter and much lesser known — it’s one of the best ways to continue seeing some amazing slot canyons minus the crowds. Hiking this trail also let me see some of my first petroglyphs of the trip.

Page is fairly diverse in microclimates. One day I’m wearing shorts busting out the sunscreen, the next day I’m throwing on a sweater and pants. I’m glad to have packed appropriately but you can see in my photos above that it truly depends on where you’re at to dictate what to wear.

Sand Caves: A 1.5 mile out and back off the side of Route 89 on the border of Arizona and Utah. I hiked both Wire Pass and the Sand Caves in the same day since they’re close in proximity. If you have more time, stop by the Moqui Cave for extra cave adventures.

Accommodations

I stayed at the Lake Powell Resort. It’s located within Glen Canyon so there’s lots of lake activities and viewpoints within the park. They have a pool and restaurant on-site which I definitely took advantage of. I met a lot nice people and appreciated the friendly staff.

If I had more time…

• Hike The Wave: If I actually visit this part of the country again, I will definitely try my best to procure one of the Wave permits before hand.
• Hike White Pocket: I was actually set to do this hike but after a debit card/ATM debacle, I ended up canceling last minute. If I come back again, I’ll also ensure an evening or night camp out for astrophotography opportunities.
• Hike Toadstool Hoodoos Trail: Another close and interesting way point with cool rock formations.
• Check out the Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park: Maybe have a Mad Max moment.

One thing I learned and only after I came to Page, was that the car that I rented was not ideal, especially trying to navigate on BLM roads. If I ever come to visit again, I would get a 4WD vehicle.

When I didn’t win the lottery, I was worried that I wouldn’t find things to do in this area but after just a bit of research, there’s actually a lot of great activities to see and do. It was my first exposure to Grand Staircase — Escalante, which now is one of my favorite parks to visit. I’m certain I’ll be back to this diverse area once again.