Page & Marble Canyon
Page and nearby Marble Canyon sit at the crossroads of several remarkable desert landscapes and together form one of the best bases for exploring canyon country.
To the west lies the blue water of Lake Powell carved into the depths of Glen Canyon, while to the east and north stretch the pale badlands and open desert beneath the Vermilion Cliffs. Just beyond, the landscape begins to transition toward the sculpted terrain of southern Utah.
With so many varied environments within easy reach—from narrow slot canyons to wide open desert and river corridors—it’s a place where you can shape your days in very different ways, often without traveling far.
Hotspots like Horseshoe Bend and Antelope Canyon are famously busy, but it doesn’t take much to step beyond the crowds. On most days exploring the surrounding desert, I find myself often encountering no one at all.
While there are vast landscapes nearby that deserve their own time and deeper exploration, there is more than enough here—between Page and Marble Canyon—to fill several days with meaningful, varied experiences.
Exploring and Hiking
Page Slot Canyons
Antelope Canyon was my very first slot canyon experience, more than 20 years ago—and the beginning of my love affair with canyons.
Today, visiting Upper or Lower Antelope Canyon is a very different experience. It’s undeniably crowded and expensive, and yet… it’s still worth seeing at least once. The sculpted sandstone, the shifting light, the way the canyon seems to glow from within—it’s something you don’t forget.
That said, Antelope is just one piece of a much larger landscape.
→ For a full breakdown of visiting Antelope Canyon—including Upper vs. Lower, what to expect on a tour, and how to time your visit—see my detailed guide.
Beyond Antelope Canyon
If you’re drawn to slot canyons but want something a little less touristy, there are other excellent options nearby.
Canyon X offers a similar experience with smaller groups and a more relaxed feel. While I haven’t visited personally, friends I trust have gone without Antelope reservations and came away just as impressed—their photos were nearly indistinguishable.
Waterholes Canyon has long been one of my favorite alternatives, with beautiful narrows and a more adventurous feel.
→ See my Waterholes Canyon guide for details.
You’ll also find other lesser-known slot canyons and sculpted desert pockets throughout the area, many of which offer a sense of discovery that’s harder to come by in the more well-known sites. The tribe's website offers a pretty comprehensive list of tour operators.
Horseshoe Bend without the crowds
Yes, it is possible to experience this Southwest icon without the crowds! Horseshoe Bend is busy every day of the year, it seems. But there is lots to explore around the bend away from all the people. The Nine-mile Draw is a drainage just north of the Bend that you can hike to the mouth of and explore its swirling red slick rock depths. See the AllTrails route below as this is not a marked trail, but it’s one of those places it is fun to get lost in!
Lee’s Ferry
Lee’s Ferry sits beneath the towering Vermilion Cliffs where the Paria River joins the Colorado. The setting here is both scenic and historically significant, serving as the launch point for Grand Canyon rafting trips.
It’s also one of the best places in the area to experience the Colorado River up close. On calm evenings, the cliffs glow in the fading light, and during a full moon, the walk from the campground down to the river can feel almost unreal.
Though it sits a bit removed from the main Page area, the landscape and access to the Vermilion Cliffs make it well worth the drive.
From here, you can also explore Cathedral Wash, which offers a more varied canyon hiking experience. The lower section has a more enclosed, sculpted feel, while the upper reaches open into a quieter landscape of taller, more fragile sandstone walls and branching side passages that invite wandering.
→ See my Cathedral Wash guide for route details and navigation.
Featured Hikes
Things to Know
• Flash flood risk: Slot canyons can flood even when storms are many miles away. Always check the forecast before entering narrow drainages.
• Road conditions: Some trailheads near Page are reached via sandy or rough roads. While many places are accessible with a passenger car, high clearance can be helpful after storms.
• Cell service: Service is generally reliable in Page itself but becomes limited or nonexistent once you head out into the surrounding desert.
• Fragile landscapes: Many of the hoodoos and sandstone formations in the area are surprisingly fragile. Stay on established paths and avoid climbing on formations to help preserve them.
• Desert exposure: Shade is minimal and the air is very dry. Even in cooler months, carry plenty of water and sun protection.
• A National Park Pass is required for entrance to Lee's Ferry and the Wahweap Marina.
When to Visit
It's best to visit Page during the off-season, fall through early spring. The area gets very busy (and hot and expensive) when season starts for Lake Powell activities.
Where to Stay
Assuming you visit during the cooler off-season months, one of the nice things about staying in Page is that there are so many hotels built to service Lake Powell tourism that rooms can be found at very reasonable rates when hiking conditions are actually best. I’ve stayed at the Comfort Inn and Suites several times because they have a great Jacuzzi suite and indoor pool. The Sleep Inn and Suites is another reasonable and reliable choice with a clean and not-too-cold indoor pool and soothing hot tub.
The Lake Powell Resort is an atmospheric place to stay if you have a National Park Pass (otherwise you’ll pay the Glen Canyon entrance fee). The rooms are somewhat dated, but the outdoor hot tub and pools are wonderful when open in season.
Camping is also available at Wahweap Marina, which offers lake access and amenities, though it has become fairly expensive in recent years.
Alternatively, you can camp just across from the marina entrance at the newer Beehive campground near the Beehive trailhead. The downside is that you sit right above Highway 89 and will hear road traffic, and the area can be somewhat exposed—better if you are enclosed in a vehicle.
For a much more remote setting, the campground at Lee’s Ferry sits beneath the Vermilion Cliffs along the Colorado River. It’s a beautiful place to spend the night, though the area can be windy and the first-come campground sometimes lively with rafting groups. Rustic motel-style lodging is also available nearby, the preferred one being the farthest from Lee's Ferry but worth the extra couple miles to stay at the Cliffdwellers Lodge, which also has a surprisingly good restaurant.