24 May: Day 3 - Glen Canyon, Lake Powell ,Horseshoe Bend & Vermillion Cliffs
Day 3 of the trip was pretty less hectic to start with as apart from Horseshoe Bend & Lake Powell no major attraction was targeted since the primary attraction - Antelope Canyon tours were closed indefinitely.
Started the day with a very nice breakfast in the hotel with a nice view of the far mountains and Lake Powell. It was around 10 am PT.
But as the day progressed we visited quite a nice view points on the way which again took some additional times. Today after completing all the known target points there was a long 5.5 hours of non-stop drive to our next hotel at Moab for Arches National Park so i was always on a alert mode of not to overstay in any place.
Anyways as we started within 5 mins we saw the Glen Canyon Dam. Glen Canyon Dam is the second highest concrete-arch dam in the United States, second only to Hoover Dam which stands at 726 feet. The 26.2 million acre-feet of water storage capacity in Lake Powell, created by Glen Canyon Dam, serves as a 'bank account' of water that is drawn on in times of drought.
After a small walk along the Glen Canyon Dam we moved ahead for Lake Powell which is inside the Glen Canyon area.
Before and after on way to and from Lake Powell there were couple of nice high level mountain view point overlooking the vast far mountains and the Colorado river coming from the Glen Canyon Dam respectively. All passing by cars were normally giving a small halt in these places. Some temporary shack shops having souvenirs and various handicrafts are displayed for a sale, its feasibly the local people over there having their own small business.
After taking a brief stop on the way we headed for Lake Powell. Being almost end of May in crystal clear sky, day temperatures were pretty high in the 80's F. To reach Lake Powell one have to take the 30$ vehicle entry fee valid for 7 days for unlimited entry exit. As we reached Lake Powell marina side we could see many boats in there supported by the far mountain hills.
Though it looks nearby but it was quite far from the parking area to the border of the lake may be around a mile or so. It was little difficult to reach near the lake in that crystal clear sky ,scorching heat, walking through the sands. After almost covering 80% of the walk downstream to the lake, we decided to get back since time and energy , both needs to be adjusted and saved for rest of the day. We took some nice pictures too. Our little one started playing with the sand. While coming back to the parking area it was bit tough as i carried my baby on lap & shoulders fully moving uphill.
We reached back to the parking space within 15-20 mins and oh boy !! it was a small hike someway. Got quite tired after covering up & down the lake side. Will recommend to keep pair of nice sandals or boots for the sandy part. Next destination was our favorite - The Horseshoe Bend which was around 5-10 mins drive from here.
We left the Glen Canyon area after a very short stay near Lake Powell, and picnic area near the Marina. Before the exit boundary there was another nice viewpoint on the left covering the Lake Powell far view stretch and hikes. View was breath-taking.
Horseshoe Bend
After around 10 minute drive we reached at the Horseshoe Bend entry gate. There was a $10 , one time entry fee to get into the parking area. From the parking space there is a bare road towards the actual site where the Horseshoe Bend lies. It would be roughly 30-40 mins walk to reach there. Do remember to keep enough water & get a hat/cap/umbrella too as the direct sun on a sunny day is too tough to bear. Also don't forget to have sunscreen applied on exposed body parts as you can easy get tanned. As we walked up we saw 2 to 3 shades being constructed, seems they are making some shade structures for visitors to rest. The path was smooth but only issue is heat and little bit far.
Our little one was sleeping while we started for the walk. We ensured to cover his stroller nicely to save him from the heat and dust from the path. As we approached near the Bend we realized water and caps/hats are a must to stay cool. There was a iron rail-guard straight up as we reached the Horseshoe Bend site. It was like nowhere an open wide drop. Really amazing to see nature's such a masterpiece. A huge structure in the middle surrounded by a green stagnant or slow moving Colorado river. We could see plenty of kayaks, boats also moving in the river down. Everyone around were going to the edges with safety to get the best of the view , to take a selfie or groupy with the best of the view downwards, but yes it was scary at the edge and risky too. You got to be very careful not to cross the limit & lose your balance anytime.
Few people were going extra mile taking more risks experimenting on their photos but definitely it needs precaution. Our "RON" was still sleeping during initial few minutes while we kept him at a safe place but watchable from a distance. We moved a little sideways for some different views and photoshoots. Once we were done Ron woke up and we let him also see the nice views and take some pictures with him too. There was a mountain on the right side where many people were going to climb up but we decided not to extend further as Ron will be hungry by now.
As PP & Ron started back i took few extra minutes to have some selfies & experiments with my selfie stick from a different view point towards the right side of the Bend. Once done i hurried on back to match up with PP & Ron to the parking place.
As we returned back to the parking to our SUV we got refreshed up with some water sprinkling, and some light food/snacks/water. Ron had some juice and biscuits also. We were mostly done for the day as per the target areas concerned for the day as the Antelope Canyon trip was not operating due to pandemic restrictions in Navajo nation.
It was around 2:30 pm so thought of couple of more things to do before starting for the route to our next day destination- Moab. First was to see the Antelope Canyon area/gate atleast to see the place where it is & second was to have the Vermillion Cliff drive, the later was supposed to be a scenic drive for an hour or show from the visitor center which was within 30 mins in distance from Horseshoe Bend.
The Antelope area was very near - 5 minutes from the Horseshoe Bend. After having a check at the gate which was closed with a indefinite closure notice we headed off for the "Vermillion Cliffs".
Vermillion Cliff National Monument
It was around 35 minutes distance from the Horseshoe bend with an awesome scenic drive around the red mountains & long running straight roadways along the drive. We reached the National Monument visitor center , bought some souvenirs. There were waterless washrooms also to use.
There were quite a few spots within the drive where either it needs some hiking or special permits to enter & stay overnights like
- Paria Canyon Wilderness. Some of the best slot-canyon hiking in the Southwest
- Coyote Buttes. Home to The Wave and many other swirling sandstone formations.
- Buckskin Gulch. One of the longest continuous slot canyons in the world.
- White Pocket.
Since we were running out of time we decided to just have a nice cool scenic drive
Normally it takes 2-4 hours to get the drive complete. We had the drive for around 1.5 hours to complete and return most part of it. Had some roadside self photo sessions. It was really fun to try something new. The roads were really empty & PP's long cherished dream was to take a empty road side couple pic where the yellow divider line meets infinity. So i agreed with her to try few timer shots. It came fine afterall !! as given below.
Overall the nearby view along the scenic drive was very nice and amazing to look around. It was almost 5 PM in the clock, we need to start back for Moab now. A long 5.5 hour drive is not very easy after a day of moving here and there around Page.
To our surprise as we entered Utah for Moab we lost 1 more hour due to timezone difference. Our journey got extended by another hour.
We reached Moab at around 12:45 am at the night finally after a long and continuous drive. We stopped only once at around 10 pm in a gas station for a break where we refilled gas, had some coffee /snacks, refreshed ourselves and changed Ron's clothing.
Our room keys were kept in the opposite hotel (Best Western Plus) as our hotel staffs were not available post 11 pm.
Anyways it was a smooth check in without any issue. Hotel room was in the ground floor so took very less time to carry required luggage and stuffs in the room.
Tips to Note:
For Horseshoe Bend take enough water, caps/hats or umbrella, and apply sunscreen to safeguard from getting tanned
In the Vermillion cliff book ahead for permits requiring access to specific points
For Antelope Canyon trips once opened have to book slots in advance
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