If you’re searching for things to do near Page, AZ, you’ve landed in one of the strangest, most photogenic corners of the country — red rock on one side, a 186-mile reservoir on the other, and some of the best slot canyons on earth within a half-hour drive. Most people show up for one thing and leave wishing they’d budgeted three extra days.
Quick answer: The best things to do near Page, AZ include Antelope Canyon, Horseshoe Bend, and Lake Powell within town limits, plus day trips to The Wave, White Pocket, Monument Valley, and the Grand Canyon’s North Rim — all within a 45-minute to 2.5-hour drive. Whatever your pace, there are things to do near Page, Arizona for a single afternoon or a full week.
Things to Do Near Page, AZ: Quick Wins in Town
You don’t need a car to start — several of Page’s best spots are a short drive from any hotel downtown.
Antelope Canyon is the one everyone’s seen on a screensaver. The Upper Canyon gets the light-beam shots between roughly March and October, while the Lower Canyon requires more scrambling but usually has thinner crowds and cheaper tours. Either way, you need a Navajo-guided tour to enter — there’s no independent access.
Horseshoe Bend, about five miles south of town off US-89, is a 1.5-mile round-trip walk on packed dirt to a cliffside overlook of the Colorado River curling around a sandstone bluff. Go at sunrise or late morning if you want the canyon lit without harsh shadows, and expect a full parking lot by mid-morning most of the year.
Glen Canyon Dam Overlook is the most underrated stop on this list. It’s a five-minute drive from most hotels, involves a short paved-and-stone walk, and gives you a sunset view of the dam and canyon walls that most visitors skip entirely because it isn’t as Instagram-famous as the other two.
Quick takeaway: If you only have half a day, pair Horseshoe Bend at sunrise with the Dam Overlook at sunset, and book an Antelope Canyon tour for whatever daylight hours are left.
More Things to Do Near Page, AZ: The Best Hikes
Beyond the two headline photo spots, there are a handful of hikes locals actually recommend over the crowded classics.
The Hanging Gardens Trail is short, scenic, and easy to reach — a good option if you want a real hike without committing a half day to it.
Cathedral Wash, near Lees Ferry in Marble Canyon, is a scramble-heavy slot canyon hike that ends at an overlook of the Colorado River. It sees far fewer visitors than Antelope Canyon because it’s less advertised, but it demands sturdy shoes and comfort with uneven rock. Lees Ferry itself, where the Colorado River enters Marble Canyon, is also one of the better spots in the region for kayaking, fishing, or simply watching rafting trips launch.
Watch the sky before any of these hikes. Flash flooding is a real risk in slot canyon terrain around Page — if there’s a storm anywhere upstream, postpone.
Things to Do Near Page, AZ on the Water: Lake Powell
Lake Powell is the reason Page exists as a town, and it’s one of the most popular things to do near Page, Arizona, worth treating as its own day rather than an afterthought.
Wahweap Marina is the main hub for boat rentals, guided lake tours, and the scenic overlooks lining US-89 just north of Glen Canyon Dam — Wahweap Overlook, Wahweap Viewpoint, and Navajo Mountain Viewpoint all offer different angles on the lake and the buttes beyond it, and the first is free to access.
Lone Rock Beach, about 12 miles north of Page, is the go-to spot for swimming, camping, and casual water time. There’s no boat launch ramp there, so plan your boating day around Wahweap instead and treat Lone Rock as the place to camp and cool off.
The Wave: A Bucket-List Thing to Do Near Page, AZ (And What to Do Without a Permit)
The Wave, technically called Coyote Buttes North, is the sandstone formation with the swirling red-and-yellow bands you’ve probably seen shared a thousand times. It sits inside Vermilion Cliffs National Monument, about 45 minutes from Page via US-89 and House Rock Valley Road.
How the permit lottery actually works
The Bureau of Land Management caps daily access at 64 permits, and demand has historically run into the tens of thousands of applicants per year — in one commonly cited year, roughly 200,000 people applied for just over 7,000 annual permits, putting the odds under 4%. Since March 2022, the walk-in process has moved to a mobile geofence system through the Recreation.gov app: you apply two days before your desired hike date, between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m., from within a defined zone that includes Page, Kanab, and the surrounding area. Desktop applications don’t count — it has to be a mobile device inside the geofence. If you win, you pick up your permit and attend a safety briefing the next morning, either in Page or Kanab. There’s also a four-month advance lottery through Recreation.gov if you’d rather not gamble on short notice.
Permit-free alternatives: White Pocket and Buckskin Gulch
If the lottery doesn’t go your way, don’t skip the trip — the alternatives are genuinely worth doing on their own merits, not just as consolation prizes.
White Pocket, also inside Vermilion Cliffs National Monument, requires no permit at all, though you’ll need a 4WD vehicle or a guided tour to reach it, and it’s about 1.5 hours from Page. The banded, brain-like rock formations rival the Wave visually, and there’s no daily visitor cap.
Buckskin Gulch, accessed via the Wire Pass trailhead on House Rock Valley Road, is one of the longest slot canyons in the Southwest and needs no permit for a day hike. Park at Wire Pass rather than the Buckskin Gulch lot itself — locals note this is the correct trailhead for most day-hike routes into the canyon. As with Cathedral Wash, flash flood risk is the main hazard here, so check the forecast before you go.
Day Trips: More Things to Do Near Page, AZ Worth the Drive
Once you’ve covered Page itself, a few farther-flung stops round out the best things to do near Page, AZ and justify a full day on the road.
Monument Valley is about a two-hour, 120-mile drive through the Navajo Nation on US-160, and it’s the classic Western-movie backdrop most people picture when they think of “Arizona.” It’s on Navajo Nation land, so plan for tribal park entrance fees and respect any posted photography or access rules.
The Grand Canyon’s North Rim is roughly 2.5 hours from Page and gets a fraction of the crowds the South Rim does. The Ooh Aah Point trail is a manageable way to get canyon views without committing to a full-day hike, and it works well if you’re already routing toward Flagstaff or Sedona afterward.
Kanab, Utah, sits about 45 minutes northwest of Page and functions as the other basecamp town for Wave permits and White Pocket tours. It’s also the closer jumping-off point if you’re continuing on to Zion or Bryce Canyon National Park, both of which are commonly combined with a Page stay on a longer Southwest road trip.
Planning Things to Do Near Page, AZ: What You Need to Know
A rental car is close to mandatory here — public transit options are minimal, and most of what makes this area worth visiting sits outside easy walking distance from town.
| Destination | Distance/Time from Page | Permit Needed? |
|---|---|---|
| Horseshoe Bend | ~5 miles / 10 min | No |
| Glen Canyon Dam Overlook | ~5 min | No |
| Antelope Canyon | ~20 min | Yes (guided tour only) |
| Lone Rock Beach | ~12 miles / 20 min | No |
| The Wave | ~45 min | Yes (lottery) |
| White Pocket | ~1.5 hrs | No (4WD/tour needed) |
| Buckskin Gulch (Wire Pass) | ~1 hr | No |
| Kanab, UT | ~45 min | No |
| Monument Valley | ~2 hrs / 120 mi | Tribal park fee |
| Grand Canyon North Rim | ~2.5 hrs | National park fee |
Late spring and fall bring the mildest temperatures and the best light for photography; summer is workable but hot, and afternoon monsoon storms raise flash-flood risk in every slot canyon on this list.
Before you finalize your trip, browse our Southwest USA travel guides for additional tips and destinations.
FAQ: Things to Do Near Page, AZ
What is there to do near Page, AZ besides Antelope Canyon?
Horseshoe Bend, Glen Canyon Dam Overlook, Lake Powell’s Wahweap Marina, and hikes like Cathedral Wash are all within a short drive and don’t require the same advance booking Antelope Canyon does.
How many days do you need in Page, Arizona?
Two to three days covers the in-town highlights plus one day trip. A single day is enough only if you pick one photo stop and one hike.
Can you hike the Wave without a permit?
No — entering Coyote Buttes North without a BLM permit risks a fine. White Pocket and Buckskin Gulch are the closest permit-free alternatives with similar scenery.
How far is Page, AZ from the Grand Canyon?
The North Rim is about 2.5 hours by car; the South Rim is farther and typically not done as a day trip from Page.
Is Page, AZ a good basecamp for Zion or Bryce Canyon?
It works for a multi-stop road trip, but Kanab sits closer to both parks if that’s your main focus.
What’s the best month to visit Page, AZ?
March through May and September through November offer the mildest weather and the clearest light for photos; midsummer is hot with afternoon storm risk.
Do you need a car to see things near Page?
Yes. Nearly every attraction on this list, aside from a couple of in-town overlooks, requires driving.
Is Monument Valley part of a National Park?
No — it’s Navajo Nation tribal land with its own park fees and rules, separate from the National Park Service system.
