Remember all the fabulous scenery of Sedona? Take that, combine it with an immense lake, and you’ve got Lake Powell, Arizona. Just 139 miles northeast of the South Rim of the Grand Canyon lies the city of Page, Arizona – home to the Glen Canyon Dam and paradise for anyone who loves the water. Completed in 1966, the dam took ten years to build and created Lake Powell, the second largest man-made reservoir in the country. At 186 miles long, Lake Powell’s jagged 2,000-mile shoreline includes 90 major canyons and is a spectacular study in desert and water.
When we pulled into Page, we were just planning to spend the night and head on to Kanab the next morning. Out of curiosity, I pulled out a copy of Arizona for Dummies, authored by and a gift from Edie Jarolim, and discovered there were things I wanted to do here – this was going to take a few days!
The next morning we took the dogs to Horseshoe Bend. A few miles south of town on Hwy 89 you’ll see a sign and parking area at the trail head. Though it’s only 1.5 miles round-trip, there is no shade and going uphill in the sand can be tough. We went early in the morning, and the Colorado River’s 270 degree turn, viewed from cliffs 1,000 feet above, was definitely worth the breathlessness.
The boys were so patient, laying down next to Rod while I took the camera and climbed on the rocks looking for the perfect angle. As a reward, we took them to the floating, pet friendly restaurant at Antelope Point Marina for lunch.
From the parking lot, you’d never guess that there is a restaurant here – but follow the walkway and you’ll be pleasantly surprised!
The food is good, and the restaurant was quiet when we were there. If your dog doesn’t have a lot of experience with dining out, this would be a great place to practice. They even have a feathered welcome committee!
After lunch, we walked around the marina admiring the houseboats docked here. The image of cruising the lake on one of these beauties must have gotten to me, because we decided to go to the boat rental office for some information. We were happy to find out that the houseboat rentals are pet friendly! However, both area marinas require a pet fee: $100 per trip out of Antelope and $10 per day at Wahweap.
Though there are plans to expand Antelope Marina, currently the Lake Powell Resort at Wahweap Marina provides the area’s best lake-side accommodations. With more than 100 sites, many overlooking the lake, we were happy to make their RV Park & Campground our home for a few days. The sites are paved with gravel patios, and there were plenty of pet friendly trails for exercising the dogs.
For those of you that don’t drive around in your home – they also have a lodge consisting of seven or eight individual buildings. The more economical “Traditional Rooms” are pet friendly, though they don’t come with a view of the lake. You will, however, find three eateries on the premises (none pet friendly, unfortunately), boat tours of the lake leaving from the docks, and water toy rentals – from houseboats and powerboats, to kayaks and jet skis.
Generally, we forgo activities that the dogs cannot join us for, but the pull of Lower Antelope Canyon was too much for us to resist. On the left side of the road, just after the turn into Antelope Marina is a parking area and small building. This is the trail head for Lower Antelope – a slot canyon that has been featured in National Geographic.
On Navajo land, the tribe operates the one-hour tours of the canyon, and, though it is not pet friendly, it is well worth the $26 price of admission (cash only). Our guide, Reuben, led us past a memorial for thirteen people who were killed in a flash flood in the canyon a few years ago. Beyond honoring their memory, he made this point: If you hear thunder, it’s time to go.
Shortly thereafter, we stepped down into a crack in the earth and entered a sandstone world sculpted by wind and rain.
Lake Powell, I promise we will be back to see you again. I am captivated by your canyons, excited at the thought of exploring in kayaks places power boat cannot go, and dying to hike the trails that begin where the water ends.
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When you leave your dogs in RV do you lock it?
Yes, we did lock the RV, Diedre. I didn’t want anyone opening the door and allowing the dogs to run off. But we did have a key hidden outside, and in an emergency could have directed someone to the key so they could have entered the RV. I hope that helps!
Hi do you know if dogs are allowed on the powerboat and kayak rentals there? And around what time of the year did u go? I’m worried the summer heat will be unbearable for my pup. Thank u!
Hi Charlie! Thanks for your note. Yes, dogs are allowed on some of the powerboats and all of the kayaks, if I remember correctly. We were there in the spring – I’m guessing March or April. The weather was perfect, and I suspect fall would also be very nice. I think you’re wise to avoid the area in the summer. Not only could the weather be an issue, the area would likely be much more busy than in the off-season. I hope that helps and that you have a great trip!
Thanku so much
You’re so welcome, Kim. Happy travels!
Hi Alexis! On the day we toured Antelope Canyon, Ty and Buster waited for us in the motorhome. It was a cool day and we took them for a nice, long walk right before we went on the tour, so they just napped while we were gone. I hope that helps! Waggin’ trails to you.
What did you do with your dogs when you did the slot canyon tour?
There are a lot of places along that route that would be good choices, Catalina! We had a great time in Fruita, Colorado visiting Colorado National Monument. You’d also be going right by Dixie National Forest in Utah – one of our favorite places in the country! You can check out all our pet friendly destination guides on a map here: https://www.gopetfriendly.com/blog/destinations/On the day we toured Antelope Canyon, Ty and Buster waited for us in the motorhome. It was a cool day and we took them for a nice, long walk right before we went on the tour, so they just napped while we were gone. I hope that helps! Waggin’ trails to you.
What other places do you recommend for a pet friendly trip from Las Vegas to Denver.?? We wanted to do Havasu Falls but it looks like it’s not pet friendly.What did you do with your dogs while you took the not pet friendly tour?
We toured Antelope on a cloudy, cool day and left the dogs in the RV while we were in the canyon, Barbara. If we’d been there on a day that wasn’t suitable to leave them, we would have taken turns going on the tour so that one of us could have been with the dogs the entire time. I wish there was a better answer for you, but it’s really not a place that dogs would be able to go, even if they were allowed since you have to climb down a ladder into the canyon. I hope that helps!
What did you do with your dogs while you toured antelope canyon?
Hi Marion! Yes, Wahweap and Antelope Point both had public boat launch facilities, so you should have no trouble. Have a great trip!
I am considering taking my kayak/SUP with me – do they allow you to launch your own?
I’m sorry, Karen – Ty and Buster don’t like swimming, so we didn’t even look for a beach where they could swim. If you find one, please let me know and I’ll make a note of it in the post for other people who might be wondering the same thing. Waggin’ trails!
Did you find a dog beach for the poochie to swim in Lake Powell?