Page is perfectly located for you to experience some of the most celebrated attractions in the world during your stay at Lake Powell Budget Inn. Page-Lake Powell is at the heart of the Grand Circle, the Southwest's center of premier natural wonders. Within easy driving distance, travelers can visit popular Arizona points of interest, including: Lake Powell, Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon, Monument Valley, Canyon De Chelly, Bryce Canyon, Rainbow Bridge National Monument and Zions National Park. Just be sure to pack your camera and sense of adventure!

Page/Grand Circle Overview

Amid a Circle of premier natural wonders, Page-Lake Powell may be considered the jewel. With visitors from all over Europe and Asia, Lake Powell is internationally renowned for its beautiful sparkling blue water nestled among majestic red-rock canyon walls and lined with sandy beaches.

Lake Powell Overview

Lake Powell is 186 miles long and has 1,960 miles of shoreline, which is longer than the entire west coast of the continental United States. There are 96 major canyons to explore, though you'll need a watercraft for the majority of them since access is limited because there are few roads.

Boats and personal watercraft can be rented from businesses in Page and at each of four marinas, with tour boat cruises from one hour up to seven hours offered year-round at Wahweap and Bull Frog marinas. Dangling Rope Marina is only accessible by boat and is ¾ of the distance from Wahweap Marina to Rainbow Bridge National Monument. Once you travel by boat a few miles from any of the marinas, you'll find yourself in another world with a skyline unmarred by signs of civilization.

Other lake activities include swimming, fishing, SCUBA diving, snorkeling, and waterskiing, hiking and sightseeing. Photographic opportunities abound. You can even take a scenic flight by plane or helicopter over the lake, which provides a bird's-eye view of how far some of those 96 canyons extend from the main channel.

Around early June, the lake's waters begin to warm and stay that way well into October, with clarity unrivaled by other fresh water lakes. While the climate is arid and humidity is generally less than 40 percent, Lake Powell is classified as a "high desert" area due to its 3,700-foot elevation. Water temperatures cool significantly in the winter then rise into the high 70s in the summer. When it does snow at Lake Powell, the contrast of the white against red-rock cliffs and azure blue waters makes for beautiful photographs and memories.

Rainbow Bridge National Monument

Rainbow Bridge has deep religious and spiritual significance to area Native American tribes. The Navajo people called it "Nonnezoshi", or the "rainbow turned to stone." Special prayers are offered before passing beneath the bridge and failure to do so is believed to bring misfortune. In 1995, the National Park Service began requesting that visitors refrain from passing under the monument in an effort to respect the longstanding beliefs of the Native American people.

By far the most popular destination on Lake Powell, Rainbow Bridge stands approximately 290 feet high creating an awe-inspiring sight. It is made of Navajo Sandstone at the top and Kayenta Sandstone at the base and was formed when the drainage in the stream bed broke through to the other side of a meander creating an ever widening hole in the ancient cliff face. In 1910, the geological significance of the monument caught the attention of the public and the site was named a national monument by President William Taft. The largest natural bridge on earth, Rainbow Bridge is one of the seven natural wonders of the world.

Boat and air tours are offered daily throughout most of the summer season. Visitors in private and rental boats may also use the courtesy dock at the monument, and then walk less than a mile along improved trail to the viewing area. A portion of the trail to the first viewing area is accessible to most wheel chairs.

Organized tours welcome special needs passengers, however, advance notice is requested. National Park Service Rangers are on hand to answer questions, educate the public and protect the site. Visitors are requested to stay on the trail and refrain from walking over the land around the monument. Swimming, fishing, rock throwing, or taking pets on the trail at Rainbow Bridge are prohibited.

Glen Canyon Dam

Lake Powell is named for Civil War veteran Major John Wesley Powell, who explored the Green and Colorado rivers in 1869 down through Grand Canyon. In August 1869, Powell and his eight companions passed through the site of present-day Glen Canyon Dam. Extending nearly 1/3 of a mile across from canyon rim to rim, the dam created the reservoir known as Lake Powell.

The lake, which lies partly in Arizona and mostly in Utah, is more than 500 feet deep in places. While Utah has the lion's share of Powell's crystal-clear water, Arizona lays claim to the most important part: the dam. It took 17 years, from March 13, 1963 to June 22, 1980, to fill to the planned level of 3,700 feet above sea level. Lake levels fluctuate depending on the spring runoff from the mountains and the releases needed to produce electricity from the dam's eight generators.

Carl Hayden Visitor's Center - 928-608-6404

Page Loop & Rim View Trail 

The eight-mile trail circling Manson Mesa offers fantastic views of Lake Powell and ample opportunities to explore the slick rock and desert flora. From Lake Powell Boulevard, take North Navajo Drive toward Lake View Elementary. At the end of North Navajo Drive, you will find the beginning of the Nature Trail, which will take you to the Loop Trail. The trail takes travelers along a sandstone cliff high above Lake Powell. A casual bicyclist should be able to complete the loop in approximately two hours.

Lake Powell National Golf Course

The only Golf Digest 4-star rated course with greens fee under $50 in Arizona. Lake Powell National Golf Course is referred to as the "Crown Jewel" of golf in Northern Arizona. Visitors to the championship 18-hole golf course are treated to spectacular scenery, excellent services, and a challenging yet fair golfing experience. Carved out of the hills above the shimmering waters of Lake Powell with its natural rock outcroppings, desert flora and fauna and breathtaking views, this golf course is set in one of the most spectacular environments in the Southwest.

• Lake Powell National Golf Course

Some of the Other Must-See Attractions in the Area:

If your idea of the Old West is the scenic beauty from Hollywood films, then a stop at Monument Valley should be included on your itinerary. John Ford made the tribal park a popular film location in the 1938 production of "Stagecoach." Since then, other films were made here - in whole or in part - including the 1988 sequel to the blockbuster, "Back to the Future III."

Located on the Arizona-Utah border, red buttes and spires defy gravity, rising hundreds of feet into the sky, separated by miles of untouched desert. Millions of years ago, layers of sandstone, silt and shale were deposited here, buried for a few more million years, then uplifted, folded and shaped by relentless winds into living sculptures. While each formation carries a unique Navajo name, most are referred to by their English counterparts such as the Mittens, Elephant Butte, Three Sisters and of course, John Ford's Point.

Visitors to the park enjoy the culture and tradition of the Navajo Native Americans, who offer a variety of guided tours. For generations, the Navajo have herded sheep and grown crops in the area. Monument Valley is considered one of the most scenic areas of the Navajo Nation and well worth the visit.

A nominal fee is charged to enter the park; however, National Park Service Golden Eagle and Golden Age passes are not accepted. Lodging, camping, dining, RV hook-ups and fuel are available at nearby Goulding's Lodge.

Antelope Canyon - 5 Miles

One of the most breathtaking sites on Earth, Antelope Canyon was carved from the Navajo sandstone over the course of countless millenniums. You must have an authorized guide to the Upper and Lower areas of Antelope Canyon. Learn more about this incredible place and make reservations here.

Canyon de Chelly - 160 Miles

Reflecting one of the longest continuously inhabited landscapes of North America, the cultural resources of Canyon de Chelly - including distinctive architecture, artifacts, and rock imagery - exhibit remarkable preservation integrity that provides outstanding opportunities for study and contemplation. Canyon de Chelly also sustains a living community of Navajo people, who are connected to a landscape of great historical and spiritual significance - a landscape of places infused with collective memory. Canyon de Chelly is unique among National Park service units, as it is comprised entirely of Navajo Tribal Trust Land that remains home to the canyon community. NPS works in partnership with the Navajo Nation to manage park resources and sustain the living Navajo community. Learn more about Canyon de Chelly here.

• National Park Service - Canyon de Chelly

Grand Canyon National Park - North Rim and South Rim - 140 Miles

Within a few hours' drive from Page is the Grand Canyon's North Rim, as well as the South Rim - two of the most popular scenic spots in the world.

Travelers will find a variety of activities in and around the park, including hiking, rafting, ranger programs, scenic air flights, bus and train tours, horseback riding and fishing. Grand Canyon National Park hosts approximately 5 million visitors each year, so advance reservations are a definite must. During the peak visitation months of March through October, one can expect crowds. Although winter can bring snow and road closures, it also offers an opportunity to see the South Rim in a different setting. The North Rim is closed from mid-October through mid-May. The Visitors Center is located 6 miles north of the south entrance station. The center offers information about the park, as well as maps, brochures and educational materials.

• National Park Service - Grand Canyon National Park

Bryce Canyon National Park - 150 Miles

Colorful pinnacles, spires, fins and water-carved walls greet the visitor to Bryce Canyon National Park, which began as Utah National Park in 1924 and was renamed in 1928.

Erosion has shaped colorful Claron limestones, sandstones, and mudstones into thousands of spires, fins, pinnacles, and mazes. Collectively called "hoodoos," these colorful and whimsical formations stand in horseshoe-shaped amphitheaters along the eastern edge of the Paunsaugunt Plateau in Southern Utah.

The 37-mile road through the park winds along the edge of the plateau then loops back to the park entrance. Thirteen overlooks provide an opportunity to stretch your legs and snap some photos. Horseback rides and ranger-lead walks, talks and campfire programs are available throughout the summer. In the winter, activities include cross-country skiing. Bryce is cool even in the summer because of its higher elevation; however, as you hike the trails into the canyon below, bring water and wear long sleeves to avoid dehydration and sunburn.

• National Park Service - Bryce Canyon National Park

Zion National Park - 117 Miles

Zion is an ancient Hebrew word meaning a place of refuge or sanctuary. Protected within the park's 229 square miles is a dramatic landscape of sculptured canyons and soaring cliffs. Zion is located at the junction of the Colorado Plateau, Great Basin and Mojave Desert provinces. This unique geography and the variety of life zones within the park make Zion significant as a place of unusual plant and animal diversity.

• National Park Service - Zion Canyon National Park

Meteor Crater - 150 Miles

Experience the impact of the first proven, best preserved meteorite crater on Earth for yourself! Learn more about the site, group rates and much more here.