Page, Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend from the Grand Canyon: route, tours and fees in 2026

Page, a small town on the shore of Lake Powell near the Utah border, is the base for three of the most photographed places in the American Southwest: Horseshoe Bend, Upper and Lower Antelope Canyon, and the lake itself. From the South Rim of the Grand Canyon it is a drive of about two and a half hours, leaving the park through Desert View. This guide covers the route, what each sight costs and how it works as of October 2026, the time-zone trap that catches many visitors, and where to sleep.

Fees, tour prices and opening hours below come from the National Park Service, Navajo Parks and Recreation and the tour operators, as listed in the sources. They change: check before you go.

The short answer

• Distance: about 130 miles (210 km) from Grand Canyon Village to Page, roughly 2.5 hours without stops, via Desert View Drive (AZ-64) and US-89 north through Cameron.
• Horseshoe Bend: $10 per car for parking, paid to the City of Page. National park passes do not cover it. The walk to the overlook is 1.5 miles (2.4 km) return.
• Antelope Canyon: guided tours only, with authorised Navajo operators. The Navajo Nation entry fee is $15 per person, usually built into the tour price. Book weeks ahead in summer.
• Time zones: Page runs on Arizona time, which has no daylight saving. The Navajo Nation, which surrounds Page, does use it. Check which clock your tour time is on.
• Day trip or overnight: a same-day return to the South Rim is possible but long. One night in Page makes the trip easier.

Getting there from the South Rim

The route east along the rim is the scenic one. From Grand Canyon Village, Desert View Drive (AZ-64) runs 23 miles (37 km) to Desert View, where the Watchtower stands at the eastern edge of the park. The ground-floor view room is open 8 am to 6 pm daily as of October 2026, and the upper floors open when staffing allows, with free timed tickets and a limit of 25 people at a time. There is a 24-hour pay-at-the-pump petrol station at Desert View, but no overnight lodging.

Beyond the East Entrance, AZ-64 drops 25 miles (40 km) to Cameron on US-89. Here you are on the Navajo Nation, and the trading post at Cameron is the usual stop for fuel and food. From Cameron, US-89 runs north across open desert to Page.

Leaving through the East Entrance does not cost anything extra: you pay the park entrance fee once, and it is valid for seven days. For the 2026 fees, including the $100 charge for nonresidents, see Grand Canyon entrance fees in 2026. If you have not seen the eastern viewpoints yet, our guide to South Rim viewpoints covers the stops along Desert View Drive.

Time zones: the detail that matters

Arizona does not use daylight saving time, so the Grand Canyon and the town of Page stay on Mountain Standard Time all year. The Navajo Nation, which covers much of northeastern Arizona, does use daylight saving time, to stay in step with its communities in Utah and New Mexico; in 2026 it moved its clocks forward on 8 March.

In practice, from 8 March to 1 November 2026:

• Cameron and the land around Page are an hour ahead of the Grand Canyon and Page itself.
• Tour operators state which clock they use, and they do not all use the same one. Antelope Canyon Navajo Tours, for example, says it runs on Phoenix time, which has no daylight saving, even though the canyon is on Navajo land. Read your booking confirmation carefully, and set the time zone on your phone manually if in doubt.

Missing a slot can cost you the tour: the operators listed below do not refund late arrivals.

Horseshoe Bend

Horseshoe Bend is a meander of the Colorado River about 5 miles (8 km) south of Page, off US-89 between mileposts 544 and 545. The overlook is in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, the trail crosses Navajo land, and the car park belongs to the City of Page, which is why the fee is a parking charge.

• Parking (as of October 2026): $10 per car, truck, SUV or RV, $5 per motorcycle, charged once at entry. The America the Beautiful pass is not accepted. Cards and cash are taken on normal days.
• Hours: the gate opens at sunrise and stops admitting cars at sunset, every day of the year. Overnight parking is not allowed.
• The walk: 1.5 miles (2.4 km) return on a hardened, accessible path. There are two shade shelters on the trail, none at the overlook, and no water or toilets beyond the car park.
• The edge: the drop to the river is about 1,000 ft (305 m), and railings exist only at the viewing platform. Keep children close.

Midday in summer is hot and shadeless; early morning or the hour before sunset is more comfortable. Drones are not allowed in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area without written permission.

Upper and Lower Antelope Canyon

Antelope Canyon is in the Lake Powell Navajo Tribal Park, on Navajo land just east of Page. It is not part of the national park system, and your national park pass does not apply. Navajo Parks and Recreation is clear on the main rule: guided tours are mandatory, and only authorised operators may take visitors in.

Upper Antelope Canyon is the wider, A-shaped canyon, with more room to walk at the bottom. It is the easier of the two. Operators include Antelope Canyon Tours, Antelope Canyon Navajo Tours, Adventurous Antelope Canyon Tours and Tse Bighanilini Tours. Tours start with a short 4x4 ride from the park entrance off AZ-98, about 3 miles (5 km) east of Page.

Lower Antelope Canyon is narrow and V-shaped, entered by steep metal stairs. Navajo Parks warns that it is not suitable for anyone who is claustrophobic. The two authorised operators are Ken's Tours and Dixie's Lower Antelope Canyon Tours.

Antelope Canyon X and several smaller slot canyons nearby are also guided-only, run by their own operators.

What to expect, as of October 2026:

Midday departures can cost more: the same operator charges $120 for its 11:40 am slot. Navajo Parks warns that the canyons may close in bad weather, so keep the day flexible if rain is forecast. Lower Antelope tours with Dixie's run from about 6:15 am to 4:45 pm in summer and from 8:45 am to 2:45 pm in winter, and summer slots fill weeks ahead. Upper Antelope is not wheelchair accessible: one operator notes about 150 stairs back to the vehicles. Book directly with an operator listed on the Navajo Parks site to be sure the tour is authorised.

Lake Powell and Glen Canyon Dam

Lake Powell, the reservoir behind Glen Canyon Dam, begins at the edge of Page. The Carl Hayden Visitor Center, beside the dam on US-89, was open daily from 9 am to 5 pm for the 2026 season. Entry to Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, needed for Wahweap, Lone Rock and the other lake areas, is $30 per private vehicle for seven days as of October 2026; the America the Beautiful pass covers it, and payment is by card only. The park's fee page does not list the $100 nonresident charge that applies at the Grand Canyon.

Water levels are low. In September 2026, the National Park Service was still moving and extending boat ramps as the lake dropped, so boat tours and launches depend on current conditions. Boat tours run from Wahweap Marina and Antelope Point Marina, and smooth-water raft trips run on the river from Lees Ferry up to Horseshoe Bend and back. Check the park's changing lake levels page before planning time on the water.

A day trip or a night in Page?

A same-day return from the South Rim means about five hours of driving plus a timed tour, so start early and book the Antelope Canyon slot first, then build the day around it. A realistic plan:

1. Leave Grand Canyon Village early and stop at Desert View.
2. Fuel at Cameron.
3. Take a late-morning or early-afternoon Antelope Canyon tour.
4. Walk to Horseshoe Bend in the late afternoon.
5. Drive back to the South Rim, in the dark for part of the year.

One night in Page is more comfortable and lets you see Horseshoe Bend at sunrise or sunset. It also suits a longer loop: from Page you can continue to Monument Valley or head south to Sedona via Flagstaff.

Where to stay

Page has a compact choice of chain hotels and motels in town, and Lake Powell Resort stands by Wahweap Marina, inside the recreation area. If you plan to stay in summer, book the room at the same time as the canyon tour.

This guide focuses on the Grand Canyon bases. If you are visiting Page as a day trip, Tusayan, at the South Entrance, is the closest base outside the park for an early start along Desert View Drive; see our comparison of Tusayan, Williams or Flagstaff. If your trip continues south after Page, Flagstaff is the natural next stop on US-89. All the areas are compared in where to stay for the Grand Canyon and Route 66.