City Page Antelope Canyon Tours Horseshoe Bend Glen Canyon Dam<< >> We only visited the city of Page az because we wanted to do one of the Antelope Canyon tours on our way from Zion National Park to Monument Valley and we had heard of the Horseshoe Bend trail. Page itself is a small pleasant town but it is just a basic small town built around the Glen Canyon Dam. We stayed in a fairly basic Motel and we ate in fast food cafes but … our visit was wonderful. We pre-booked a tour to Antelope Canyon and it was every bit as beautiful as the famous photographs. It is in the Navajo Nation and it was a locally run business that we booked our tour with. We went in the back of an open truck with huge wheels as we were going across desert. Our Navajo guide was very knowledgeable and explained geological reasons for the canyon. Its twisted walls were formed by torrents of water running through and swirling around. The results are awesome and the photo opportunities abound. The guides know all the best places to take photographs as you would expect, but you will be very lucky to get one with the famous shaft of light shining through. Also we learned that there are still times of flooding and they happen at a moment’s notice.
Page is situated on the southern shore of Lake Powell, which is the second largest man-made lake in the United States. It has one thousand nine hundred and sixty miles of shoreline and there are an amazing ninety-six canyons and so not surprisingly the best way to experience it is by boat. In many cases it is the only way as roads are quite scarce. You don’t have to hire a boat, as there are plenty of larger boats to take you to see the fabulous scenery without having to worry about navigating the lake. One fun way is to take a powerboat ride and skim over the water through tight, water filled, side canyons.
One of the best things we did was to get up early, about daybreak, and find our way to a small, not very well signed parking space. It doesn’t look much but a short ten-minute trail walking slightly uphill brings you to a sheer drop of red sandstone cliff and you have one of the best views you will ever see. It is Horseshoe bend. In the morning as light has just broken and the sun is low, it is stunning. Way below you is the spectacular horseshoe bend of the Colorado River. I suppose it wouldn’t be a favourite visit for anyone with vertigo. The boats on the river a just like dots and you can just make out a small cabin on the beach. This bend is below Glen Canyon Dam and can be visited by boat, a super place for a picnic. Much as I loved Antelope Canyon I would say that the view of Horseshoe bend was a highlight.
There are many activities in this area including horse riding and of course plenty of water-based sports. If you love messing about in boats this is the place to be. << |
