Hikes Around Page

Dam Overlook is a short and easy 940 ft (286m) round trip hike down stairs and over sandstone. From Hwy 89, turn west on Scenic View Drive, 1.5 miles (2.4 km) south of Carl Hayden Visitor Center. Take the first road to the right, and park in the parking area at the end of the road. Trailhead: 36.93698, -111.48288 Hanging Garden Trail is an easy and moderate 1-mile (1.6 km) round trip hike over rocky and sandy terrain. Turn off is one-quarter mile (.4 km) east of Glen Canyon Bridge (the opposite side from the Carl Hayden Visitor Center) off Hwy 89. Trailhead parking is 500 yds (455 m) off Hwy 89. Trailhead: 36.93674, -111.47595 Rimview Trail is a 9.8-mile loop hiking and biking trail that is in and around the city of Page, Arizona. It is within Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. This is good for all skill levels. There is parking along the trail. Trailhead: 36.92173, -111.46407 The Chains. Lake access is available from this point depending on current lake levels. The lake is very deep here and good swimming skills are required. Prior to reaching the east side of Glen Canyon Dam Bridge on Hwy 89, take the dirt road heading north. Follow the road to its dead end. Walking is required to get to the shoreline. Trailhead: 36.94626, -111.48387 Path Through Nine-Mile Draw is a hiking trail in Page, Arizona. From the Horseshoe Bend viewpoint, hike north, or upstream, along the sandstone for a few miles until you reach Nine-Mile Draw, a significant side canyon. Hiking near Nine-Mile Draw offers opportunity to see carved sandstone in varied forms, including forms similar to The Wave in Coyote Buttes, only not as intricate. It is 1.6 miles long and begins at 4,080 feet altitude. Traveling the entire trail is 2.2 miles with a total elevation gain of 465 feet. The trail ends near the Viewpoint Escarpment, Viewpoint Colorado River, and Viewpoint Horseshoe Bend. Trailhead: 36.87627, -111.50328 The Ropes. Old, abandoned park service trail. No crowds. Lots of vert. Distance: 3.5 miles, elevation loss 800 feet. The Ropes Trail is an old hiking trail below Glen Canyon Dam that has long since been abandoned by the park service. It is also one of the few trails that leads down the steep walls into the canyon. Getting there: Take Highway 89 from Page going north and take the old radio tower road, a dirt road on your left, and follow it to the end of the road and park in the dirt parking lot. From the parking area just off of US89, descend into the wash between two sandstone ridges, trending southwest. The eastern ridge will be topped with transmission towers. After clearing the end of both ridges, head southeast. The route down to the river will start in a depression underneath a set of power lines. As you approach the rim, you will notice a series of metal poles with eyelet-type fixtures on the top. These mark the way to the river. The upper sections of the Ropes Trail has had the cable removed, so you will have to scramble down/up this section without aid unless you string your own rope. You will have to descend through a joint in the rock (again following the poles) and then a slickrock bulge before reaching the river. Some consider the last section of the trail to be the most strenuous portion of the trail. You will need the cable to help you back up this stretch, though perhaps not for the descent, depending on your skill level. The trail ends at The Ropes Campsite, one of the dedicated places to camp within lower Glen Canyon and a pretty spot. You can pack down your camping gear, but remember that unless you hitch a ride with a boat, you'll have to pack it back out too. Trailhead: 36.9400, -111.5000 HWY 89 NORTH – NORTH OF LAKE POWELL Wiregrass Canyon is a 6-mile round trip moderate hike through sandy washes and over rocks. From Page, drive north on Hwy 89 approx 12 miles (19 km) to Big Water, Utah. Between mile posts 7 and 8 (at the Big Water Visitor Center), turn right. Turn right again .3 miles (.5 km) from the junction of Hwy 89 – there is a sign at the intersection that reads “Glen Canyon National Recreation Area – State Highway 12”. Drive 4.6 miles (7.5 km) to “Wiregrass Canyon Trailhead”. Park in pullout. Walk down the canyon. Trailhead: 37.04395, -111.35216 The Toadstools. The Trailhead is located off Highway 89, 45 miles east of Kanab and 12 miles west of Big Water. Located in the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, this precious area is a great place to play and explore a land of balanced rock formations which look like mushrooms. The Toadstools area is accessed via an easy to moderate 1.5-mile round-trip hike. It is a photographer’s paradise, as well as fun for kids to use their imaginations to make up tales to go with the forest of toadstools! There is no shade on this trail so plan accordingly. Trailhead: 37.10834, -111.86745 Blue Pools Wash and Arch is a 1-2 hour easy hike on sandy terrain. Turn south between mile marker 3 and 4 onto unmarked dirt road. Approx 50 feet off the road is a metal gate which you will have to open. Drive through, close the gate and park. Turn left (away from the highway) and follow the wash about 1 mile. Near the end, the wash will climb up and connect to a dirt road. Follow this around the corner and look up. You will see the arch. You can continue following the wash to the right (away from the highway) as it goes around the ridge into a level area with trees and shade (this portion adds 1 hour). Trailhead: 37.021435, -111.365966 Buckskin Gulch & Wire Pass. Heading north on Hwy 89 from Page, near mile marker 26, turn left onto House Rock Valley Road (a dirt road that heads south). The most popular entrance is approx. 8.5 miles (13.7 km) from the beginning of House Rock Valley Road. Wire Pass trailhead is here. There is a car park, self-pay fee point for a $6 day use fee and restrooms. Trailhead: 37.073477, -111.583656 White Pocket Trailhead (The Wave Alternative). White Pocket trailhead is accessed from the House Rock Valley Road (BLM 1065). To get to House Rock Valley Road from Kanab, UT, take Highway 89 east for 38 miles. From Page, AZ, take Highway 89 west for 36 miles. The south end of House Rock Valley Road intersects Highway 89A 13.5 miles east of Jacob Lake, AZ. From House Rock Valley Road (BLM 1065) 23.5 miles south of Hwy 89 or 9.3 miles north of Highway 89A, turn onto BLM 1017. Drive east on BLM 1017 for 6.2 miles, and then proceed northeast on BLM 1087. Continue on BLM 1087 until it splits into BLM 1086. Stay left to follow BLM 1086 to the White Pocket Trailhead. Leave all gates as you find them. Trailhead: 36.955011, -111.893296 Difficulty: Moderate Paria Canyon is a bit of an unsung hero in the Southwest. Often outshined by adjoining Buckskin Gulch, this narrows, which cuts deep through 195 million-year-old Navajo Sandstone, is not to be missed. Though the hike in total covers 38 miles to the end point at Lee’s Ferry, an excellent day-hike option is to start the trail at the White House Campground and hike to the Buckskin Gulch confluence. As you enter the canyon, the Paria River flows wide and shallow. After approximately mile four, the river bends sharply and the walls of the canyon seem to grow rapidly as you continue walking. Here, they become much steeper—nearing 200 feet in height. You’ll remark at the gorgeous sandstone cliffs and how they’ve been sculpted by uncountable flash floods over time. The hike will require wading through water at times, and how deep that is depends on the season and the precipitation in the days leading up to your hike. Hike through the deep narrows for approximately three miles, eventually coming to Slide Rock Arch on the left canyon wall just before mile seven. Finally, you reach the Buckskin Gulch confluence. Turn around here after you’ve taken a rest and re-enjoy the narrows. For a 14-mile hike, this one goes by quite quickly. Permits are required for day hiking ($6) and overnight backpacking ($5). These can be obtained online or in the Bureau of Land Management office in Kanab. Day hike permits can be obtained at the trailhead. There is a limited number of overnight permits with only 20 available per day, and these can sell out in advance. Dogs are allowed in Paria Canyon, but there is a $5 fee per dog. This hike is best enjoyed during spring and fall, from April to June or September to October, to avoid harsh temperatures and the chance of flash floods. All slot canyons are inherently dangerous for flash floods, so check the forecast before you hike. Trailhead: 37.079953, -111.889677 Difficulty: 3 (due to length, if hiked to the confluence with Buckskin Gulch) GRAND STAIRCASE-ESCALANTE Calf Creek Falls is one of the most enchanting areas of the Grand Staircase-Escalante area, a verdant oasis amid tumbled stone monoliths. Walking between mineral-streaked cliffs of Navajo Sandstone, hikers pass beaver ponds and pre-historic rock art sites en route to the paradisiacal pools. The trailhead is located at the Calf Creek Campground on Highway 12, 11 miles south of the town of Boulder, and 15 miles east of the town of Escalante. The highway follows the route of the creek for most of the distance, atop the bluff to the east of the canyon. Trailhead: 37.794049, -111.414733 Trail Type: Hiking Length: 5.84 roundtrip Difficulty: Moderate Devil’s Garden Trail has all of the ingredients for a perfect hike in Arches National Park. If you hike the entire 7.8-mile loop, you get to see eight arches! You can also pick and choose portions of this hike. You can hike round trip to Landscape Arch (1.6 miles round trip). From the main trail there are two spur trails that detour to more arches. You can hike back out the way you came in. Finding the Trailhead: Drive north into the park on the main road for 19 miles and park in the large parking area at the Devils’ Garden Trailhead. The trailhead is at the end of the road where it makes a small loop. Be sure to stay on the loop instead of turning into the Devil’s Garden Campground. Trailhead: 38.782876, -109.594996 Hole in the Rock begins at mile 55.5 at Hole-in-the-Rock road on Highway 12, just southeast of the town of Escalante, and ends at the edge of a cliff. The hike is down the side of the cliff and is just over a quarter of a mile long. It is very steeply sloped, and descends only 600 feet now, owing to the water level of Lake Powell. Trailhead: 37.25652, -110.901321 Difficulty: Strenuous Length: 0.6 mile roundtrip Spooky Gulch and Peek-a-Boo Canyon. This three-mile hike will give you stellar views and a new perspective of slot canyons in Southern Utah. Unlike many of the Escalante-area slot canyons, Peek-a-Boo and Spooky Gulch require zero technical gear or know-how—although it requires some navigational and rock-scrambling skill. Peek-A-Boo is a slot and corkscrew, and Spooky Gulch is a narrow slot canyon. It is worth noting, due to the restrictive nature of the some of the spaces in Spooky, this canyon is better suited for smaller body types. From the pull-off at Highway 12, head down Hole-in-the-Rock Road for 26.3 miles to Dry Fork road and the trailhead — set and watch your odometer to be sure. Make sure you have a full tank of gas and lots of water as there are no amenities down this rough dirt road. Trailhead: 37.476782, -111.220040 Coyote Gulch. Located in the vast Grand Staircase-Escalante desert, Coyote Gulch is strenuous, 11.5 mile round trip hike through a winding, semi-narrow canyon that snakes its way down through incredible red rock country, and joins with the Escalante River just above Lake Powell. The hike is long, best suited for an overnighter, though it can be hiked in one day by those satisfied with a march instead of a casual exploration. Hikers will pass a good number of arches, as well as the hardy wetlands that thrive within the shade and moisture of Utah’s desert oasis. Trailhead: 37.389971, -111.034848 LEES FERRY AREA Spencer Trail is a 2-mile route that climbs to a plateau above the steep cliffs of Kayenta and Navajo sandstone that border the north side of Lees Ferry, giving excellent views south down the river and northeast across Glen Canyon towards Page and Lake Powell. It is within Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. It is two miles long and begins at 3,137 feet altitude. Traveling the entire trail is 4.1 miles with a total elevation gain of 2,159 feet and takes approximately 2-3 hours. The Lee's Ferry parking is near the trailhead. There are also a bench, restroom, and piers. The trail ends near the Spencer Trail Lookout viewpoint. Trailhead: 36.86948, -111.58557 Cathedral Wash is a 3-mile round trip moderate hike over a rocky wash that requires some scrambling. From the Navajo Bridge area on Hwy 89A, turn onto Lees Ferry Road to a Geology Wayside pullout for parking. Then walk across the street to enter the wash. The hike up the wash is also interesting. Trailhead: 36.495976, -111.382609 River Trail/Lees Fort is a 2-mile round trip easy hike over sandy ground. The trail starts at the launch ramp parking area at Lee’s Ferry and follows the old wagon road past the fort to the upper ferry-crossing site. Trailhead: 36.86598, -111.58646