While visiting Arizona, my friends and I definitely wanted to get some exceptional kayaking in. We had a relatively cramped schedule, so we figured our best option was to head north to the Arizona-Utah border to check out Lake Powell.
Getting to Lake Powell
While there is a small municipal airport in Page, Arizona, we flew into Las Vegas, which is the nearest major airport and just under a five-hour drive. Page is quite small, but there is plenty of economic lodging and even a few campgrounds just miles from the Glen Canyon Recreation Area (Lake Powell’s launching point).
Choosing the Right Trip
There are a few options when it comes to kayaking Lake Powell. After a few phone calls and some intense web research, it seemed as though Hidden Canyon Kayak would fit our laidback itinerary and get us to some sweet sites. Hidden Canyon Kayak runs anything from half-day trips to five-day overnights, and even lets you custom create kayak tours. They provide everything for the trip including food and sleeping accommodations.
Hidden Canyon Kayak is a relatively small outfit, and Dave and Clint, the guys who seem to head up the entire operation, were all about letting us decide how much we wanted to do. They were really knowledgeable about the geological history of the area but weren’t interested in boring or overwhelming us.
The group included only four of us, plus the two guides Dave and Clint. We started with a short boat ride to a small beach where we launched the kayaks from, a place near Padre Bay (and for Britney Spears fans, it was the site of one of her music videos). Because it was relatively early in the season, there wasn’t another boat in sight. During peak tourist season, Aramark Tours loads up dozens of tourists and drives them to Rainbow Bridge, but even they were nowhere to be found.
The tour consisted of a six-mile kayak along the lake and through narrow slot canyons, as well as a two-mile hike through another slot canyon. Some slots were so narrow, it was impossible to turn around in the kayak, but the crystal waters contrasting the Navajo sandstone made for some stunning photography and Facebook profile pictures.
Other Activities In and Around Page
If you’re looking to hike…
Antelope Canyon is known for its dark, cave-like trails of smooth red rock, contrasted by sporadic beams of sunlight that seem to shoot down creating surroundings that seem almost spiritual. The Upper Antelope Canyon has the best light beams and is a completely flat trail that lasts only a quarter of a mile.
Horseshoe Bend is a breathtaking spot, and less than a mile hike. The greenish-blue Colorado River travels in a horseshoe shape around the rusty red rocks; an image that has become a bit of an icon for Page.
Wahweap Hoodoos are interesting Dakota and Entrada sandstone formations, which appear almost white and are a nice change from the other red Navajo sandstone landscape. The trail is slightly over nine miles round-trip.
Buckskin Gulch is the deepest slot canyon in the Southwest and is about 25 miles round-trip.
If you’re looking to stay on the lake…
Houseboats are a popular accommodation on Lake Powell. They can be a bit pricey when considering the price of gas, so most people gather big groups and turn them into party boats.
If you don’t mind a drive…
Zion National Park is just a two-hour drive away. We recommend hiking the Zion Narrows.
For more on the area, visit the last in our series of Arizona posts: Adventure in Arizona, Part III: Day hiking the Grand Canyon.
