Navajo Bridge and Lees Ferry: A Day Trip From Page

Navajo Bridge and Lees Ferry sit together on the Colorado River, under an hour from Page, Arizona. At Navajo Bridge you can walk out on a 1929 steel arch about 470 feet above the river and watch for wild California condors. Five miles on, Lees Ferry is where you can drive right down to the river at the start of the Grand Canyon. Together they make an easy half-day trip, and they pair well with a morning Lower Antelope Canyon tour.

Navajo Bridge and Lees Ferry at a glance

Getting there from Page

Head south from Page on US Highway 89. You pass Horseshoe Bend on the way out of town. At Bitter Springs, turn west onto US Highway 89A, which heads toward the river and crosses it at Navajo Bridge. Just past the bridge, at Marble Canyon, a paved road turns north for the last 5 miles to Lees Ferry.

Much of the drive crosses the Navajo Nation, so from March to early November your phone may jump an hour ahead. Lees Ferry and our tours both keep Arizona time. Our Page time zone guide explains the details.

Navajo Bridge

There are two bridges side by side over Marble Canyon. The original steel arch opened to traffic in 1929, and a new bridge built alongside it in 1995 now carries the highway. The old bridge is open to people on foot, so you can park and walk out over the Colorado River, roughly 470 feet below.

The Navajo Bridge Interpretive Center sits on the west side, with information about the bridges and the canyon, and makes a good place to stretch your legs.

Watch for condors. California condors, among the rarest birds in North America, are released into the wild at nearby Vermilion Cliffs National Monument, and they often roost on and around the bridge, riding the wind that moves through the canyon. They are huge, with wingspans of up to about 9.5 feet, and they wear numbered tags on their wings. Enjoy them from a distance, and never feed them.

Lees Ferry

Lees Ferry is one of the few places in this part of the canyon country where you can drive all the way down to the Colorado River. Ferry crossings ran here from 1872 until 1928, the year before Navajo Bridge opened. Today it is the launch point for Grand Canyon river trips, and you can drive right up to the first rapid in the Grand Canyon.

A few things to see and do:

• Lonely Dell Ranch. Near the mouth of the Paria River, a self-guided walk of about a mile round trip passes an orchard, log cabins, a stone ranch house, and a pioneer cemetery. When the orchard is in season, you may pick fruit for personal use, up to 5 gallons per person per day.
• The ferry and mining relics. Two stone buildings, a steam boiler, and the remains of a sunken paddlewheel steamboat are left from Charles H. Spencer's 1910 attempt to extract gold here.
• Fishing. The river from Lees Ferry up to Glen Canyon Dam is known for world-class trout fishing. You need an Arizona fishing license.
• Watching the boats. On a busy day you can watch rafting groups rig their boats for multi-day trips through the Grand Canyon.

Hikes near Lees Ferry

• River Trail: about 2 miles round trip with very little climbing, starting just upstream of the launch ramp. The easiest walk at Lees Ferry.
• Cathedral Wash: about 3 miles round trip down a narrow wash to the river, with rock scrambling and some ledges along the way. The trailhead is on Lees Ferry Road, about 1.3 miles from the highway. Do not enter the wash if storms are possible anywhere upstream, because washes flood fast.
• Spencer Trail: a steep climb of more than 1,500 feet on switchbacks, with big views and almost no shade. Do not hike it in summer heat.

There is an NPS campground at Lees Ferry if you want to stay the night, though its upper loop was closed for renovation as of fall 2026.

A sample day

1. Morning: a Lower Antelope Canyon tour, arriving 45 minutes early for check-in.
2. Lunch: in Page. See our guide to restaurants in Page.
3. Early afternoon: drive to Navajo Bridge, walk the old bridge, and look for condors.
4. Afternoon: Lees Ferry for Lonely Dell Ranch and the River Trail.
5. Evening: head back toward Page and stop at Horseshoe Bend as the light warms up.

In summer, flip it: hike Cathedral Wash in the cool of the morning and book an afternoon canyon tour.

Tips before you go

• Bring water and sun protection. There is little shade at Lees Ferry, and summer afternoons here are hot.
• Pay by card. The Lees Ferry entrance uses an automatic fee machine that takes credit and debit cards only.
• One pass covers the week. The Glen Canyon entrance fee is good for 7 days, so the same receipt covers Lake Powell Resort and Wahweap.
• Going farther? US Highway 89A continues west past the Vermilion Cliffs toward the Grand Canyon's North Rim, about 85 miles from Lees Ferry. Check whether the North Rim is open before you plan that way. For the swirled sandstone of the Vermilion Cliffs, see our White Pocket guide.

For more to do around Page, see things to do in Page and our Glen Canyon Dam Overlook guide. When you are ready, book your Lower Antelope Canyon tour.