I think I can finally get some time off. Looking to do some light, scenic hiking and/or kayaking and/or trail biking. All easy / novice level.

We've been wanting to Page, AZ - hike around Antelope Canyon and the Wave. Paria Canyon, Toadstools, Horseshoe Bend, and the like.

Is it not a good time to the area? Too cold? Wet? Or still a good time to go.

I found also someplace called Lake Havasu and nearby a place called Pirates Cove Resort. Seems nice. But saw pics of lots of big power boats. Not sure if it's my kind of crowd. I'm looking for more quiet, laid back. Not hard partying. But it came up in searches for warm, water areas.

Any thoughts on these places for December?

Havasu is warm in the winter. Page, AZ (by Lake Powell) is 4000 feet in elevation and will be cold, especially at night.

Kinda the off season for Page. Should have the place to yourself almost. I never stuck around after November and didn’t go work til April.

Thanks guys.

Havasu - warm in winter sounds nice. Will it be crowded? And is the crowd going to be rowdy? Or will I be able to have quiet, peaceful bike rides / kayak rides / hikes? Not looking for solitude but would prefer some peace.

Page - lack of crowds sounds nice. But is it still okay to hike / walk around (Antelope Canyon and such)? Scenic, natural area hikes? Or will it be cold, wet and miserable? (hence no crowds by experience). I'd be partial to page if novice hiking / walks are still enjoyable. Looks very scenic. Should I bring the truck? Or just a sedan is good for this trip? (probably won't bring kayaks if it's too cold).

Page is high desert. I only saw it wet after big thunderstorms. You'll be fine either place. Havasu is a spring break destination. Lots of good hikes around Page. Go take a tour down inside the Glen Canyon dam. Takes an hour or so. I'd take my truck for some of the off the path places to visit. Horseshoe Bend is an easy hike in out.

Been to both areas - Havasu is a party but it wouldn’t have to be.

Hiking ? Thought of Sedona ?

MDS

Been there many times, but not recently. Heard it's gotten a LOT more popular, so may not be as empty as you think. Days will be shorter, so recommend up before sunrise to get going. Also second the recommendation of a truck or capable off road vehicle. You won't see the shaft of light in Antelope Canyon - it's the wrong time of year, sun not at the right angle. Still worth going.

If you aren't aware of them, Laurent Martres has a book series Photographing the Southwest. Get the Arizona volume, it works well as a sight and hiking guide too.

Be aware much of the area is Navajo land, so you'll need permits to go some places. You are on Navajo time to get them, which is catch them when you can.

Page is rather cold this time of year. There are beautiful hikes to be had, but I would wait until it’s warmer. It high, cold desert. I know this sounds a little rude to say, but in that area, a lot of the time you’re on the Navajo Nation. You’re no longer in the US as far as I am concerned. There are many that will treat you rather poorly. It’s a different area, and you don’t have the rights you have on US soil. If you stay up there, stay in Page or Flagstaff. Don’t stay in Tuba City or anywhere else that’s Close to hiking.

This time of year, Sedona, or partway to Phoenix has some interesting areas. There are more amazing places around Sedona than you can imagine. Great hikes and amazing scenery. There are all the touristy areas, as well as many others. If you decide to come to the Sedona area, let me know. I’ll, get you set up with some great hikes, or pick you all up in a Tacoma or Razor and take you out to some cool places. Vultee Arch, Honanki and Palatki, Schnebly Hill, Mingus Mountain, Jerome, Allen Springs Road... there are a lot of great places in central AZ.
Thread with pics of the Verde Valley.

Partway to Phoenix has the Bloody Basin, Crown King, Bumblebee, lots of different cool things to see in that area as well. I just don’t know it as well as I off roading the Sedona area regularly, and the partway to Phoenix, is a drive.

Like I said, I don’t mean to sound shitty about the reservation, but it is like a different country, poverty that is unimaginable, and the laws of the US, don’t apply to us quite the same when we are there.

My wife hikes Sedona frequently weather is fine. Also check out the area around Roosevelt lake tonto national forest.

Horseshoe Bend


Some of Lake Powell



Start of the Grand Canyon

Awesome - thanks for the help guys!

Page / Lake Powell sounds nice but maybe save it for when it's a little warmer and the days are longer. Really want to go there but likely only once so will try to go during more optimal season. Warm/cool days and not too crowded. Really want to kayak in Powell as well. Drive up to lakeside in the pic near Page.

I don't have experience w/ reservations so that may be something to look into, especially carrying....

Sedona sounds interesting. Beancooker - likely be sending you an email when travel dates are firmed up. I'd be interested in your suggestions for easy off-road / off-pavement (I don't have a serious truck) destinations and easy scenic walks / hikes. 1 week stay in Sedona good? Should I bring mtn bikes or leave them at home?

I'll look up Roosevelt Lake Tonto NF.

Happy to answer any Havasu questions for you.

quote:

Originally posted by konata88:
Awesome - thanks for the help guys!

Page / Lake Powell sounds nice but maybe save it for when it's a little warmer and the days are longer. Really want to go there but likely only once so will try to go during more optimal season. Warm/cool days and not too crowded. Really want to kayak in Powell as well. Drive up to lakeside in the pic near Page.

I don't have experience w/ reservations so that may be something to look into, especially carrying....

Sedona sounds interesting. Beancooker - likely be sending you an email when travel dates are firmed up. I'd be interested in your suggestions for easy off-road / off-pavement (I don't have a serious truck) destinations and easy scenic walks / hikes. 1 week stay in Sedona good? Should I bring mtn bikes or leave them at home?

I'll look up Roosevelt Lake Tonto NF.

As far as Sedona, bring the bikes. There are so many amazing places to ride. When your dates are set, let me know. There are countless off pavement roads to do some light off roading on.

We've been to Page several times, done most of what your thinking about. In the last several years Page has really grown, social media has made sure. For the Antelope Canyons and a couple of others you need reservations, almost impossible to just walk in.

Horseshoe Bend is very neat, expect huge crowds.

The Toadstools are a nice easy hike, 1 hour roundtrip. In the same area is Catstair Canyon, easy hike to petroglyphs. Same area is Cottonwood Rd, maintained dirt, don't attempt if it's wet! Do some research it's got some great scenery and hikes.

The Wave is by permit only, that's for both North and South Coyote Buttes. Permits are very difficult to get. Consider doing Wire Pass to Buckskin Gulch and back. Same TH as N Coyote Buttes.

You have 4WD, look into White Pockets, I've never been but it's supposed to be amazing. Off House Rock Valley Rd, same area as the Wire Pass TH.

Don't expect off season at Page or Kanab, maybe Jan/Feb but even that is changing.

Selfie at the Wave:

quote:

Originally posted by rebo:
Happy to answer any Havasu questions for you.

Don't know why I still get surprised now and then. No matter the what or where of a topic, there's a SF expert for it.

Lake Havasu area seems nice. Pics of clear water and sounds warm. Seems like a nice destination for kayaking in the winter. I guess my main questions are:

1) is it okay for old fogies like me? Looking an environment that is more tranquil and scenic and relaxing. Many pics show a younger, party crowd w/ big power boats (that likely cost more than my house). Is that more of a spring break scene or also what to expect in December?

2) Any recommendations on where to stay w/ a kayak? Some place safe to keep a kayak outside (theft)? Looking for something decent (3-4 star) about $100-$150/nt.... Doesn't need to be fancy but clean and safe is good.

3) Any recommendation for kayaking - launch/load, places to go?

Thanks!

quote:

Originally posted by UTsig:
We've been to Page several times, done most of what your thinking about. In the last several years Page has really grown, social media has made sure. For the Antelope Canyons and a couple of others you need reservations, almost impossible to just walk in.

Horseshoe Bend is very neat, expect huge crowds.

The Toadstools are a nice easy hike, 1 hour roundtrip. In the same area is Catstair Canyon, easy hike to petroglyphs. Same area is Cottonwood Rd, maintained dirt, don't attempt if it's wet! Do some research it's got some great scenery and hikes.

The Wave is by permit only, that's for both North and South Coyote Buttes. Permits are very difficult to get. Consider doing Wire Pass to Buckskin Gulch and back. Same TH as N Coyote Buttes.

You have 4WD, look into White Pockets, I've never been but it's supposed to be amazing. Off House Rock Valley Rd, same area as the Wire Pass TH.

Don't expect off season at Page or Kanab, maybe Jan/Feb but even that is changing.

Really want to go to the Wave. What's the deal with permits? Seems pretty common in UT/AZ places. I guess I need to look into that. Places that required permits when we went to Moab were basically not possible for us. I guess I need to look into permit areas and travel on reservations more.


I'm reading some webpages and 4wd w/ at least 8" clearance is recommended. I don't know how to interpret that. Usually, is that a strong recommendation (ie - don't try unless you have it) or just a liability coverage thing? Is there a margin of error when they say 8"? 6" of clearance is actually good enough but they say 8" just to be sure? Or is 8" really a min recommendation?

Isn't Lake Havasu where the relocated London Bridge is?

flashguy

quote:

Originally posted by flashguy:
Isn't Lake Havasu where the relocated London Bridge is?

flashguy

Yes, they even give ghost tours of it and tell of the heads that were displayed back in the time. Maybe we could go back to this practice.....

1) is it okay for old fogies like me? Looking an environment that is more tranquil and scenic and relaxing. Many pics show a younger, party crowd w/ big power boats (that likely cost more than my house). Is that more of a spring break scene or also what to expect in December?

Absolutely! The Channel is a summer & weekend hangout/party spot. It's not busy down there in December. It's 84 degrees right now, lake water temp is 63.


2) Any recommendations on where to stay w/ a kayak? Some place safe to keep a kayak outside (theft)? Looking for something decent (3-4 star) about $100-$150/nt.... Doesn't need to be fancy but clean and safe is good.

Overall the town is very safe. The Hampton Inn just finished a major remodel and it backs up to Windsor State Park (launch ramp). The Holiday Inn Express is brand new and walking distance to the London Bridge and many restaurants.


3) Any recommendation for kayaking - launch/load, places to go?
Bill Williams is a 25 minute drive south, https://www.fws.gov/refuge/Bill_Williams_River/.
Havasu National Wildlife Refuge, all the backwater area is No Wake, https://www.fws.gov/refuge/Havasu/
You can launch/access the water for free from a large part of the island, "Body Beach", Rotary Park, and other areas. Pay launches are available as well.

Check out the CVB's website, there's a lot going on here in the winter, https://www.golakehavasu.com/

quote:

Originally posted by rebo:
1) is it okay for old fogies like me? Looking an environment that is more tranquil and scenic and relaxing. Many pics show a younger, party crowd w/ big power boats (that likely cost more than my house). Is that more of a spring break scene or also what to expect in December?

Absolutely! The Channel is a summer & weekend hangout/party spot. It's not busy down there in December. It's 84 degrees right now, lake water temp is 63.


2) Any recommendations on where to stay w/ a kayak? Some place safe to keep a kayak outside (theft)? Looking for something decent (3-4 star) about $100-$150/nt.... Doesn't need to be fancy but clean and safe is good.

Overall the town is very safe. The Hampton Inn just finished a major remodel and it backs up to Windsor State Park (launch ramp). The Holiday Inn Express is brand new and walking distance to the London Bridge and many restaurants.


3) Any recommendation for kayaking - launch/load, places to go?
Bill Williams is a 25 minute drive south, https://www.fws.gov/refuge/Bill_Williams_River/.
Havasu National Wildlife Refuge, all the backwater area is No Wake, https://www.fws.gov/refuge/Havasu/
You can launch/access the water for free from a large part of the island, "Body Beach", Rotary Park, and other areas. Pay launches are available as well.

Check out the CVB's website, there's a lot going on here in the winter, https://www.golakehavasu.com/

Thanks!! I'll do some research.