Page
On my cross-country road trip, my aunt and I wanted to see the Grand Canyon and Zion National Park. When planning for it, my friend Ellen told us we HAD to go to Page after seeing the Grand Canyon on our route, and we HAD to see Horseshoe Bend and Antelope Canyon. I had never heard of these places, but since visiting, I know I’ve seen these pictures before. This area was a highlight of our trip.
The town of Page is 2.5 hours northeast from the Grand Canyon’s South Rim, and 16 miles south of the Utah/Arizona border. From here we went to Zion National Park in Utah.
What to Do
Antelope Canyon
The beauty of Antelope Canyon comes from erosion and flash flooding, which would take the layers of Navajo Sandstone with it. Over time, it created magnificent artistic flowing shapes. In 1997, there was a flash flood that killed 11 people in the Canyon, although they were warned by the ticket-taker to not go inside. Due to this, Antelope Canyon is now a guided tour.
We used this Antelope Canyon tour, and we chose to see the Upper Antelope vs Lower Antelope due to time restraints from our cross-country trek.
Horseshoe Bend
About 5 million years ago when the Colorado plateau lifted, the rivers were trapped in their pathways, which cut through many layers of sandstone. Horseshoe Bend portrays the Colorado River curving 270 degrees, about 1000 ft deep. There is a fairly easy 1.5 mile trail to get to this incredibly scenic view.
On this road trip, my breath was taken away a few times, and one of which was at Horseshoe Bend. The magnificence of it is unreal. My aunt said that Antelope Canyon was more spectacular. Which is your favorite?
Glen Canyon Dam & Bridge
The Glen Canyon Dam Bridge “bridges” the gap between Arizona and Utah. It is one of the tallest bridges in the U.S. The Carl Hayden Visitors Center is located at the Dam and should be able to provide you with more information for hikes and other ways to adventure.
*Road trip route from here: Prior to Page, we visited the Grand Canyon. After Page, we headed to Zion National Park.