Turn to Page

After spending a few days exploring Kaibab National Forest and the North Rim of The Grand Canyon, it was my intention to push northward. I had been off the grid for too long, and I needed to catch up on some work, so I studied the map to find the nearest populated area. Seeking out Internet access used to be daunting, but it has become somewhat routine. In fact, I was starting to enjoy the hunt as it would often yield a charming coffee shop, or a quiet and cozy public library. I had two destinations to choose from: Kanab, Utah, a small town on the southern border of Utah, which I knew very little about, or Page, Arizona, which was surrounded by natural attractions. I opted for the latter, and was off to discover Page!

Precariously Perched Rocks

The road to Page, a two hour drive from the North Rim, is lined with spectacles. As soon as you leave Kaibab National Forest, the vibrant red Vermillion Cliffs loom to the north. Also, a towering bridge crosses the Colorado River where it flows through the Marble Canyon. The river itself is so far below that it can barely be seen from your car window. One attraction that caught my eye was a series of massive rocks, precariously perched, like naturally occurring cairns. Built into the sides of these formations were crude stone structures. There were the residences of the Cliff Dwellers. It was hard to imagine that folks, at one point, lived in these ramshackle stone homes, next to monstrous, teetering boulders that looked like they could fall over in a strong gust of wind!

Disenchanted

As I approached Page, I encountered a sign for Horseshoe Bend, which is a heavily-photographed vista overlooking the Colorado River as it winds through Glen Canyon. At first, I was looking forward to experiencing the view, however, then I drove past the parking lot… It looked like the parking lot of a crowded mall during the holidays. There were hundreds of cars, numerous coaches, and people were lined up like ants walking to and from the overlook. While I’m sure that the crowd of people made the overlook no less grand, I’ve always imagined it to be some secluded, magical destination. Not a swollen tourist trap. The allure was instantly gone as I drove right on by without slowing down.

A Bad Taste in my Mouth

It was still early in the day when I arrived in Page, and I needed to get work done. My first order of business was to seek out a cafe, which was surprisingly challenging in such a large and bustling town. When I found a cafe, adjacent to a white water tour company, there were signs on the tables that very politely read, “Please enjoy your food and drink, and then leave.” I’m paraphrasing for the sake of brevity, but that was essentially the message. The throughput of tourists was so great that they had to politely discourage people from lingering. Subsequently, I relocated to the public library to do work on the Internet. However, the Internet wasn’t working, and the staff had no interest in getting to the bottom of the issue. Page is a churning, capitalistic tourist machine. It’s the first time that I couldn’t find the redeeming qualities in a place, so I opted to leave town that same day.

Beyond the City Limits

A quick look at freecampsites.net revealed some possible camping opportunities not far from town, just beyond the impressive Glen Canyon Dam, which holds back Lake Powell where it flows into the Colorado River. After walking around at the dam for some photos, I drove the Jeep up a non-descript dirt road only a stone’s throw from Page. It was this road that was supposed to allow boondocking as long as your encampment wasn’t visible from major thoroughfares. Within a mile, the road turned to soft sand, and then curved around an impressive sandstone formation, where I found a few scattered, remote clearings suitable for spending the night. Freecampsites.net really delivered this time. The rock formations were beautiful, and a lot of fun to climb on and explore. As the sun set, I was treated to a phenomenal stars cape, as I had this secluded corner of Glen Canyon all to myself.

Lake Powell

The next day, I didn’t drive much further north - just across the Utah state line - where I encountered Lone Rock Beach Campground on the shore of the crystalline, aquamarine Lake Powell. This was a fee site, which cost $10 per night, however it was a popular and beautiful location, and my last chance to enjoy Lake Powell before continuing north, so I decided to stay. I thought it’d feel phenomenal to go for a swim, and to do a little kayaking. On my way in, I encountered a group of young men who got their E46 BMW stuck in the soft sand. They approached me and offered me some cash to help them get unstuck. Always up for a good vehicle recovery, I was happy to oblige! Pulling the BMW was like dragging a dead weight through the sand, but it was an easy $30! Lake Powell is like a big, 160,000 acre swimming pool. I parked my Jeep on the edge of the water and went swimming and kayaking repeatedly. It was actually a better beach experience than most coastal beaches I’ve ever been to. At night, the beach was buzzing with campers and vacationers. While I personally prefer more solitude, it was still an extraordinarily fun and relaxing atmosphere. I’m very much looking forward to going back! [gallery columns="5" link="file" size="large" ids="https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/023-turn_page-1-1.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/023-turn_page-2-1.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/023-turn_page-3-1.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/023-turn_page-4-1.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/023-turn_page-5-1.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/023-turn_page-6-1.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/023-turn_page-7-1.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/023-turn_page-8-1.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/023-turn_page-9-1.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/023-turn_page-10-1.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/023-turn_page-11-1.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/023-turn_page-12-2.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/023-turn_page-13-1.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/023-turn_page-14-1.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/023-turn_page-15-1.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/023-turn_page-16-1.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/023-turn_page-17-1.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/023-turn_page-18-1.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/023-turn_page-19-1.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/023-turn_page-20-1.jpg|"]