4 days from the Grand Canyon to Page

A first look at the canyon. A viewpoint where most visitors first see it, a museum with the rocks laid out, a short way down the most-used trail, then sunset at a point that sticks far out.

1. Breakfast

   A big breakfast before the rim

   Eggs, hash browns and strong coffee at a table near the park, to set you up for a day of walking at altitude.

   Local tip Water first: the air is dry and high, and many people feel it on the first day.
2. 1
   MorningWorth the time

   Mather Point

   The first big view for most visitors, a few minutes from the main visitor center. The canyon opens in front of you in layers of red and cream, and the river is a thin line far below. Stay behind the rail.

   Go when Morning, or first thing after you arrive, to take it in slowly.

   Local tip Keep behind the rail and keep children close, because the drop is sudden and the rim is uneven. It is crowded at midday, so early or late is calmer.

   

   About 13 min walk0.6 mi
3. 2
   MiddayWorth a short stop

   Yavapai Geology Museum

   A small museum on the rim with big windows and models that explain how the canyon was cut and what its rock layers are. A good stop in the heat of the day or when the weather turns.

   Go when Midday, when the light is flat and the heat is high.

   Local tip It helps to read the rock layers here before you walk anywhere. Check ahead on opening.

   

4. Lunch

   A picnic on the rim

   Sandwiches, fruit and nuts eaten on a bench with the canyon in front of you.

   Local tip Take all your rubbish with you, and never feed the squirrels or ravens.

   About 10 min by car or transit1.6 mi
5. 3
   AfternoonA short way down

   Bright Angel Trail

   The most used trail into the canyon, starting near the old buildings of the village. Walk down a short way for a different view, and turn back early. Going down is easy and coming up is the hard part.

   Go when Afternoon, or early morning before the heat.

   Local tip A little way down is enough, because the climb back is steep and slow. Carry water, wear shoes with grip, and turn back at the first sign of tiredness. Do not try to reach the river and return in a day.

   

   About 9 min by car or transit1.3 mi
6. 4
   EveningWorth the time, go early

   Hopi Point

   A viewpoint on the western rim drive that juts far into the canyon, popular for sunset. Arrive early for a place at the rail, and stay behind it. Check ahead on how the rim road and shuttle run.

   Go when Sunset, with an hour in hand for a place at the rail (about 6:35 PM).

   Local tip It fills up well before sundown. Bring a warm layer, because the rim cools fast, and stay behind the rail. Check ahead on how the shuttle and rim road run.

7. Dinner

   A late supper after the sunset

   Something warm in the village, such as stew, chili or a grilled steak, once the sky has gone dark.

   Local tip The kitchens near the rim close early, so check ahead.

The long way east. A drive along the rim with its viewpoints, a stone tower at the end, then about two and a half hours north across open desert to Page and a river bend at sunset.

1. Travel from Hopi PointAbout 32 min by car or transit10.7 mi

   Where Day 1 ended.
2. Breakfast

   Coffee and a pastry for the drive

   Something warm and sweet to carry along the eastern rim.

   Local tip Pack water too, since services are few on this drive.
3. 1
   MorningWorth the time

   Grandview Point

   A rim viewpoint on the eastern drive with a wide view over the central canyon. It is quieter than the village, and the old trail down from here was once the way in for miners.

   Go when Morning, when the east rim is quiet.

   Local tip A quieter viewpoint than the village. The trail down from here is steep and rough, so look from the rim unless you are an experienced walker.

   About 29 min by car or transit7.9 mi
4. 2
   MiddayWorth the time

   Lipan Point

   A broad viewpoint where the canyon opens up and the river bends in a long stretch of rapids far below. A good place to sit and look for a while.

   Go when Midday, when the canyon is fully lit.

   Local tip A good place to sit and look at the river bend below. Keep behind the rail and watch your footing on the rocks.

5. Lunch

   A snack at the tower

   A simple lunch of sandwiches and a cold drink at the east end, before the long drive north.

   Local tip Fill the tank before you leave the park, because fuel is far apart.

   About 10 min by car or transit1.7 mi
6. 3
   AfternoonWorth the time

   Desert View Watchtower

   A tall stone tower at the east end of the rim, built in the 1930s in the style of old Pueblo towers. Climb inside to see the painted walls and the long view of the canyon and the desert beyond.

   Go when Afternoon, before the long drive north.

   Local tip Climb the stairs inside for the painted walls and the view. Check ahead on opening, and leave in time for the drive, since it is about two and a half hours to Page.

   

   About 1 h 32 min by car60.4 mi
7. 4
   EveningWorth the time, go at dusk

   Horseshoe Bend

   A tight bend where the Colorado curls around a rock tower, seen from a rim path above. The best light is near sunset. The rim has no rail in places, so keep well back from the edge.

   Go when Sunset, when the light reaches the bend (about 6:35 PM).

   Local tip The short walk from the car park is open and hot in the day. The rim has long drops and no rail in places, so keep well back from the edge, especially with children.

   

8. Dinner

   A Southwest dinner in Page

   Slow-cooked beef or pork with beans, corn and fry bread, in a town of lodges and diners.

   Local tip Kitchens in Page close early outside the summer, so check ahead.

The day around Page. A giant dam, a slot canyon on Navajo land, a lake in the desert, then the quiet crossing where the river was once ferried. Page to Lees Ferry is about an hour by road.

1. Travel from Horseshoe BendAbout 17 min by car or transit4.2 mi

   Where Day 2 ended.
2. Breakfast

   Pancakes and eggs in Page

   A plain, filling breakfast before a day in the desert.

   Local tip Start early, since the tours and the heat both begin soon.
3. 1
   MorningWorth a short stop

   Glen Canyon Dam

   A concrete arch dam on the Colorado that created Lake Powell. A visitor center above it explains how it was built and what it changed, and a bridge nearby gives a view down to the river.

   Go when Morning, before the heat builds.

   Local tip The visitor center explains the dam and the river it changed. Check ahead on opening and on any tour of the dam.

   

   About 29 min by car or transit8.0 mi
4. 2
   MiddayBook ahead

   Antelope Canyon

   A narrow sandstone slot canyon on Navajo land, with smooth curving walls lit by beams of light. Visits are on guided tours only. Book ahead, and know that tours stop when storms threaten, because flash floods run through slot canyons.

   Go when Midday, when light can reach into the narrow walls.

   Local tip Visits are on Navajo land with a guide only, so book ahead. A storm miles upstream can flood the canyon with no warning, so tours stop in bad weather, and you should never go without a guide.

   

5. Lunch

   A cold lunch by the lake

   A cooler of fruit, sandwiches and cold drinks eaten at the shore.

   Local tip There is almost no shade, so take a cover for the table.

   About 33 min by car or transit11.3 mi
6. 3
   AfternoonAn easy stop

   Lake Powell at Wahweap

   The big reservoir in the desert, a sheet of blue water among red cliffs. Walk the shore at Wahweap or take a boat trip, and bring sun protection, because there is no shade.

   Go when Afternoon, as a cooling pause after the canyon.

   Local tip Bring sun cream, a hat and plenty of water, since there is almost no shade. Water levels in the lake change from year to year, so the shoreline varies.

   

   About 32 min by car or transit10.6 mi
7. 4
   EveningAn evening stop

   Lees Ferry

   The quiet place where the Colorado runs cold and green below the dam, and the one easy spot for hundreds of miles to reach the river from both banks. A short walk shows old stone buildings and the boat ramp.

   Go when Early evening, in the low light (about 6:35 PM).

   Local tip A quiet place with old stone buildings and cold green water. The river here is very cold all year, even on hot days.

   

8. Dinner

   A simple dinner near the river

   Grilled chicken or trout, a salad and a cold drink, at a small place near the gorge.

   Local tip Choices are few and close early, so check ahead.

The long drive south. A high bridge over the river gorge, the red wall of the Vermilion Cliffs, a ruined pueblo on the plain and a black cinder cone at the end. Navajo Bridge to Wupatki is about two hours, with stops.

1. Travel from Lees FerryAbout 17 min by car or transit4.0 mi

   Where Day 3 ended.
2. Breakfast

   Coffee and a roll at the bridge

   A quick warm breakfast before the long drive south.

   Local tip Fuel up too, because there are long gaps between stations.
3. 1
   MorningWorth the time

   Navajo Bridge

   Twin steel arch bridges over the Colorado gorge at Marble Canyon. Walk across the old one for a view a long way down to the river. Condors are sometimes seen around the bridge, but they are never promised.

   Go when Morning, when the gorge is in shade and the bridge is quiet.

   Local tip Walk across the old bridge and look straight down. Keep children close, since the railing is low for the height. Condors are sometimes seen, but never promised.

   

   About 23 min by car or transit6.1 mi
4. 2
   MiddayWorth a short stop

   Vermilion Cliffs

   A long wall of red and orange cliffs that rises above the road south of the bridge. A pull-out gives a good look, and the monument behind it is wild country where some trails need a permit and good planning.

   Go when Midday, when the colours are strongest.

   Local tip View the cliffs from the pull-out by the road. The backcountry behind them is remote and needs a permit and good planning, so check ahead before going in.

   

5. Lunch

   A picnic on the plain

   Sandwiches and fruit eaten in the shade of a pull-out under the red cliffs.

   Local tip Carry extra water, since there are few places to buy any.

   About 2 h 9 min by car91.2 mi
6. 3
   AfternoonWorth the time

   Wupatki National Monument

   A set of ancient Pueblo homes built of red stone on an open plain, set among cinder fields. A short path winds through the largest one, with many rooms around a central court.

   Go when Afternoon, when the stone glows.

   Local tip Stay on the path and do not touch or climb the walls. The ruins are sacred to the descendants of the people who built them. Check ahead on opening and on any road closure.

   

   About 35 min by car or transit13.1 mi
7. 4
   EveningWorth the time

   Sunset Crater

   A black cinder cone, the youngest volcano in the region, with a trail across the lava flow at its foot. Walk the trail and look up at the red rim. The cone itself is closed to climbing.

   Go when Evening, with the low sun on the black cinders (about 6:35 PM).

   Local tip The lava trail is short and rough, so wear shoes with grip. The cone is closed to climbing, so look from the trail.

   

8. Dinner

   A last dinner in Flagstaff

   A mountain-town dinner of steak, a burger or a bowl of green chile stew, to end the trip.

   Local tip Flagstaff has many options, and tables fill on weekends.