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| Horseshoe Bend - Colorado River |
With all of that beauty stored in our cameras, it seemed right to share some of it with you!
If you haven't visited this part of Arizona, you really must!
Page is within driving distance of Utah and its numerous parks (Bryce, Zion, Arches, Canyonlands, and more).
It is also within driving distance of Monument Valley (made famous as the backdrop for many Westerns).
Lake Powell and the surrounding landscape also appear in numerous movies. But, for those of us who love nature, there's nothing like seeing it for yourself!
We arrived in Page in the afternoon and stayed that night and the following night. In that time we were able to see some beautiful sights.
- The Horseshoe Bend Overlook on the Colorado River
- Sunset over Lake Powell and the surrounding area
- Boat trip to explore beautiful Lake Powell
- Photography Tour of Upper Antelope Canyon
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| Rock Formation at Horseshoe Bend Overlook |
Page, AZ is an interesting town. The town originally housed the people who built the Lake Powell Dam in the nineteen fifties and sixties.
Today, it is a tourist town that is surrounded by the Navajo Nation.
80% of the children in the local high school are Navajo and many of the tourist services are provided by Navajo who live on the reservation.
The dam at Lake Powell supplies power to surrounding states, but not to the Navajo Nation.
The Navajo Generating Station stands tall over the Page landscape. It is a coal-fired power plant that provides power to surrounding states and localities but NOT to the reservation.
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| Waiting for Sunset |
The Wahweap Marina offers private boat rentals and tours of the lake.
There are numerous chain hotels in the area and a beautiful resort on the water.
We stayed in the old housing district, which is comprised of buildings that housed dam workers. These buildings have been modestly updated to serve as motels.
The rooms are simple but functional and provide efficiency accommodations with kitchens, linens, dishes, etc.
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| Navajo Tapestry Along Lake Powell |
We took a short boat tour of Lake Powell and saw a sampling of the surrounding rock formations that were once the walls of Glen Canyon, named by the explorer, John Wesley Powell.
If you have the time and the inclination, you can rent a boat and explore the many side channels and tributaries around the lake, and pull your boat up onto an outcropping or small beach to enjoy the sun and the view.
The surface of the lake is 350 feet above the floor of the original canyon.
Far and away the most arresting sights in this wonderful area are hidden away in slot canyons.
We took the morning photography tour in Upper Antelope Canyon.
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| Entrance to Upper Antelope Canyon |
These tours are only available through tour groups because the canyon is on tribal land. Your tour price will include a permit fee to gain access to tribal land.
The hike into Upper Antelope Canyon is all at ground level so anyone can enjoy the sights.
As long as you are able to walk on your own, you can participate in this trip.
There were several small children and infants who took the tour, so there doesn't seem to be any restriction on age.
The upper canyon photography tour doesn't require climbing or challenging physical conditions BUT, it is a bit chaotic.
In order to get the best pictures, you'll want to listen carefully to the guide when he/she provides instructions about camera settings.
If you want to get the most out of the visit, move quickly when the guide tells you to HURRY.
The light beams appear at a specific time and they shoot into the canyon like laser beams!
The native guides will move you back and forth throughout the canyon, timing the light beams with exact precision.
They will throw sand up into the light beam to better highlight the rays so you can get good pictures. They know their stuff!
Because of the increase in international travel marketing and all of the beautiful pictures of Antelope Canyon on the internet, the canyons are now crowded with visitors.
We were there in May (summer is busier) and the canyon was filled with people. We heard accents from all over the world!
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| Light Beams in Upper Antelope Canyon |
Every group has a guide and each group will maneuver around the other groups to be sure that every visitor sees what they came to see. You'll also pass tours that are not focused on photography, and while they are not wielding cameras, you will have to deal with the additional crowding.
In some areas, the slot canyon is only wide enough for two people to pass, so it can be a bit tight but somehow the Navajo guides get it done - moving the groups back and forth with precise timing.
Lower Antelope Canyon is also tribal land, and your tour price will include a permit fee. But, here you must pay by traveler's cheque or cash.
This hike is also on flat ground. We were told that it is more strenuous than the upper canyon, because you have to climb down ladders that are bolted to the cliff face in order to get to the bottom.
Once there, the hike is supposed to be an easy walk, but we can't confirm this because we weren't able to go.
Our sources also said that Lower Antelope Canyon is wider on top so you won't get the same light beams and stunning array of shadows, but they say it is very beautiful and well worth your time. We hope to return to take this hike at a later date.
The trip to Page and the surrounding area is rewarding, and you will make some great memories there, even if you aren't an avid photographer.
