Trip Overview
- Duration: 10 days
- Activity: Slot canyon tours, backpacking, rim hiking, road trip
- Base Hub: Page, AZ (Days 1–6) / Grand Canyon South Rim (Days 7–10)
- Permits Required: Antelope Canyon (guided tour), Paria Canyon (recreation.gov), Grand Canyon day use (included with park entry)
- Best Months: March–May and September–November
- Nearest Airports: Las Vegas, NV (275 mi) / Phoenix, AZ (275 mi)
r/solotravel▲ 3.2k upvotes"The American Southwest is the best outdoor trip in the world per dollar. Nothing in Europe or Asia touches Paria Canyon for pure geological wonder."
Days 1–2 — Page, AZ: Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend
Antelope Canyon is Navajo land and requires a guided tour — you cannot enter independently. Two sections:
• Upper Antelope Canyon (The Crack): The most photographed slot canyon on earth. Narrow passageways with light beams at midday. Tours run ~$75–$150. Book weeks ahead for midday light beam tours.
• Lower Antelope Canyon (The Corkscrew): Narrower, longer, fewer crowds, better for photography. Tours start at ~$50.
Both are short (under 1 hour walking). Do one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Horseshoe Bend is 3 miles from downtown Page — a 1.5-mile round-trip walk to one of the most iconic viewpoints in the US. Go at sunrise or sunset to avoid the midday crowds of 3,000+ daily visitors.
Horseshoe Bend TrailDays 3–6 — Paria Canyon Backpacking (38 miles, 4 days)
Paria Canyon is the crown jewel of slot canyon backpacking in the US. A 38-mile corridor hike from Paria Contact Station (UT) to Lee's Ferry (AZ) through narrow canyon passages, quicksand crossings, and camp on white sand beaches beside the Paria River. Permits required from recreation.gov ($6/person/night, quota system, open 4 months in advance). Weather is critical: do NOT enter if thunderstorms are predicted anywhere upstream — flash floods rise with zero warning and fill the narrows completely.
Day 3 (Miles 0–9): Enter at Paria Contact Station. The canyon starts wide and narrows progressively. Camp on sand beaches at the first bend clusters. First canyon narrows at mile 4 are spectacular.
Day 4 (Miles 9–21): The narrowest and most dramatic sections — some passages are only 18 inches wide, walls 150 feet tall. Buckskin Gulch confluence (world's longest slot canyon, accessible from a day-use trailhead) joins at mile 10.9. This is the most photogenic zone. Camp in a wide section before the canyon opens again.
Day 5 (Miles 21–32): Canyon begins to open. Historic Lonely Dell Ranch ruins, old cattle corrals, and pioneer artifacts. Good birding in the cottonwood sections.
Day 6 (Miles 32–38): Exit at Lee's Ferry and the Colorado River. Shuttle back to Page (~1 hour) or pre-arrange a car drop.
Paria Canyon Trailr/backpacking▲ 2.4k upvotes"Paria Canyon is what Zion was before it got famous. Book the permit the day the window opens."
Days 7–8 — Vermilion Cliffs National Monument
Between Lee's Ferry and the Grand Canyon, Vermilion Cliffs is one of the least-visited and most dramatic landscapes in the country. The Coyote Buttes lottery permit (recreation.gov, $9/person/day) accesses The Wave — the most recognizable sandstone formation in the US and nearly impossible to get (10 permits per day for online lottery; 10 walk-up at the BLM office in Kanab, UT). If you don't get The Wave, the White Pocket area requires a high-clearance vehicle but no permit and is arguably more dramatic.
Days 9–10 — Grand Canyon South Rim
End the circuit at the Grand Canyon South Rim. Day 9: Rim Trail walking at sunrise, Desert View Watchtower at eastern end (24 miles from Mather Point). Day 10: Choose a day hike descent — Bright Angel Trail to Indian Garden (9.2 miles round trip) gives the full inner canyon experience without an overnight permit. Or drive Desert View Drive with stops at Grandview Point (best rim overlook, no crowds) and the geology museum at Yavapai Point. Leave by early afternoon to catch your flight from Las Vegas or Phoenix.
Logistics
- Rent a car with decent clearance for Vermilion Cliffs access
- Book Antelope Canyon tours 3–6 weeks in advance for spring/fall
- Book Paria Canyon permits the day recreation.gov opens the 4-month window
- The Wave lottery is applied for independently (check blm.gov)
- Cell service is sparse throughout — download all maps offline before departing Page
