6 Wow Things to Do at Lake Powell in Page, Arizona

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At Lake Powell in Northern Arizona, you can take in vivid sunsets, tour stunning natural formations, and enjoy exciting recreational opportunities.

Lake Powell and the town of Page in northern Arizona are fantastic jumping-off points for visiting the Grand Canyon, Monument Valley, and some of the most historic and photographed areas of the American Southwest. Many are discovering that the Lake Powell area is a destination where you can take in vivid sunsets, tour stunning natural formations, and take advantage of a full range of exciting recreational opportunities. Come along and explore six wow things to do at Lake Powell in Page, Arizona.

Explore Lake Powell by Houseboat

Over the years, houseboating on Lake Powell has been a favorite thing to do for a family vacation. As the years have passed, houseboats have become more amenity-rich and exciting. You can reserve everything from a 46-ft economy boat with a full kitchen, bedroom, and bath to the amazing 75-ft Excursion with five elegant staterooms, two baths, a huge kitchen, and an outdoor hot tub. This is the type of houseboat where you can tie up at a beach and throw a lavish party, inviting others over for the evening.

Picture yourself exploring Lake Powell on a two-level luxury houseboat. Photo courtesy Lake Powell Resorts and Marina

Once you start plying the waters of this enormous lake, you can explore the canyons and formations of Lake Powell and see the famous Rainbow Bridge National Monument, which is one of the world’s largest natural bridges.

It’s a short hike from the beach to Rainbow Bridge. Photo by Elizabeth R Rose

Lake Powell is one of the best places in the world for water sports. Most bring along a smaller boat with their houseboat so they can go water skiing, wakeboarding, and travel into the small canyons to hike.

Lake Powell is so large you can find yourself alone with majestic cliffs and canyons as you explore the lake. Photo by Elizabeth R Rose

Fly Over the Sights

Taking a one-hour flightseeing trip from the airport in Page is an ideal way to begin or end your stay at Lake Powell. It wasn’t until I took a sightseeing trip with American Aviation that I was able to put together the pieces of what we had seen in this beautiful area and understand how rivers created canyons, how the various layers of the Colorado Plateau—exposed in many places—were once part of a seascape, and how the Glen Canyon Dam created the multi-fingered huge body of water that is Lake Powell.

An American Aviation plane flies over Lake Powell. Photo Courtesy American Aviation

Raft the Colorado River

Lake Powell is the reservoir created by damming the Colorado River. And just past the massive Glen Canyon Dam, the river flows on. While I’ve never had the nerve to raft through the Grand Canyon, there are raft trips for people like me who want to see awesome canyon vistas, look into the deep blue waters of a beautiful river, and do it all without a hint of fear.

I discovered Wilderness River Adventures offers one of the most spectacular Colorado River rafting tours available anywhere on the beautiful Colorado River. They provide half and full-day smooth water float trips that are perfect for the entire family.

A float trip down the Colorado starts at the base of the Glen Canyon Dam. Photo by Elizabeth R Rose

You’ll drift downstream and stop at Petroglyph Beach, where you can see 5,000-year-old carved images of bighorn sheep and other ancient canyon dwellers. The float trip then takes you through iconic Horseshoe Bend, and on the way, you may see hawks, ospreys, and great blue herons. Be sure to take plenty of sun protection and good water shoes.

Photograph Antelope Canyon

Slot canyons, like Antelope Canyon near Page, are surprising crevasses in rock with walls marked by the passage of water over time, a favorite subject of photographers. Guided jeep and photo tours are available from Page, and due to the popularity of the tours, reservations are recommended. You can also see Lower Antelope Canyon, Horseshoe Bend, and Lake Powell via tour from Las Vegas.

The stunning Antelope Canyon needs no filters, no matter the time of day. Photo by Elizabeth R Rose

We took the Native-owned tour (Antelope Canyon is on Navajo Nation land) with Antelope Canyon Tours at the end of the day. I was concerned that the canyon wouldn’t have enough light to get good photographs, but I was soon proven wrong. Arden Redshirt, our Navajo guide, not only shared the canyon’s story, but he made frequent stops as we explored the narrow passageway and taught us how to get spectacular photos using our iPhones.

He then surprised us with a little hike through another close-by side canyon to end our tour just as the sun started setting and the sky glowed with brilliant stripes of yellows and oranges.

Arden Redshirt takes advantage of that special time of day when the light beams hit the canyon floor just right. Photo courtesy Arden Redshirt, Antelope Canyon Tours

Antelope Canyon Tours also offers small-group tours specifically for professional photographers (no iPhones allowed on this one.)

Visit Glen Canyon Dam

The Carl Hayden Visitor Center at the massive Glen Canyon Dam is off Highway 89A. The visitor center offers interactive exhibits, introductory films, a relief map of the Glen Canyon area, a life-size model of a slot canyon, restrooms, and a bookstore.

As you look up from the base of the Glen Canyon Dam, you can see the Visitor Center perched on the edge of the cliff. Photo by Elizabeth R Rose

The Glen Canyon Natural History Association, a non-profit educational organization, in cooperation with the Bureau of Reclamation, provides guided tours through Glen Canyon Dam year-round. Tours are approximately 45 minutes long, and the charge is $5 per person. Reservations may be made up to 24 hours in advance and must be reserved and paid for in person at Carl Hayden Visitor Center, so it’s ideal to stop by the day before to make sure you can get on one of the 20-person tours.

Play Golf with a View near Lake Powell

The Lake Powell National Golf Course is the place to play golf with a view of immense Lake Powell. You can see to Glen Canyon Dam and the Vermillion Cliffs. This is an 18-hole championship facility with multiple tee boxes ranging from over 7000 yards to 5000 yards. There is a cozy clubhouse where you can relax with a brew and a burger after you play.

There are stunning views at the Lake Powell National Golf Course. Photo courtesy Lake Powell Resorts and Marina

When You Go to Lake Powell

The John Wesley Powell Museum on North Lake Powell Boulevard is great for learning about Page and the area. You’ll learn about Native American history and Major John Wesley Powell, the one-armed Civil War veteran who explored the Glen Canyon area by boat and ultimately went on to the Grand Canyon.

You can fly and/or drive to Page-Lake Powell. No public buses or passenger trains go between Flagstaff or Phoenix and Page-Lake Powell. Many visitors, especially the increasing number of international travelers, get to the area on a private bus tour.

Flying into Page over Lake Powell, Arizona. Photo by Elizabeth R Rose

The Page Municipal Airport (KPGA) has an Avis Car Rental, and Flagstaff and Phoenix airports have many car rental options. Contour Airlines flies into Page-Lake Powell. Charter services and air tours of the area are provided by American Aviation, Grand Canyon Airlines, and Westwind Aviation. For more information on traveling, dining, and adventuring in Arizona, see these articles by Wander writers.