What an amazing way to spend the day!
You need to take this adventure
We had the most amazing day with Kayak the Colorado. This company has a great backhaul service that will take you and your own personal kayak or one of their rentals to just below Lake Powell and the Glen Canyon Dam. You leave from Lee’s Ferry on their boats which are FAST. The views are amazing along your trip and you can check out canyon to see where you may want to stop along the way back. They will give you great local info and point out things you don’t want to miss on your paddle.
We were in Page right before we left for a week long trip with Hatch River Expeditions for a week long rafting trip of the whole Colorado. (Check out my past blogs for info about the two different trips we have taken with Hatch. We loved them both.) While in Page we decided to Kayak the Colorado to see the first 12 or so miles of the Grand Canyon before leaving on our whole river trip. I can’t recommend this trip more.
Where we stayed and what to do before you Kayak the Colorado
The drive from Page to Lee’s Ferry is about 50 minutes and it’s an easy drive. We stayed in Page for a week and did our many various adventures with that as our home base. I recommend this for sure. Make sure to leave time on your way to Lee’s Ferry or back to walk across the Navajo Bridge and visit their nice visitor center. It’s well worth it. While there peek under and around the bridge for some awesome California Condors. For all sorts of info on things we have done in Page click here to read more.
Arriving at Lee’s Ferry for your Kayak the Colorado adventure
We brought lunch, extra clothes, hiking boots (more on that in a bit), sunscreen and hat and hopped on board the boat to our back haul drop off point. We used Kayak the Colorado’s kayaks and they had plenty of places to store our gear. The ride to our drop off below Glen Canyon Dam was about 40 minutes. It was a beautiful ride. All told you will end up paddling about 12 miles back.
Begin your Kayak the Colorado paddle
We were dropped off on a little beach that had restroom facilities which were appreciated. Our kayaks were unloaded and we were able to load our gear and head off down the river. It is just a magical place to float and paddle. Very quickly you will pass the teeny tiny people above you in the horseshoe bend. We’ve visited Horseshoe Bend numerous times but this was a first time being below and it was stunning. There is a beach right there where you could stop for a snack and to stare back at the people looking down at you. Haha!
Do some hiking on your Kayak the Colorado trip
Remember those boots I mentioned earlier? We stopped along the paddle downriver to hike up the Waterhole Canyon. It was so lovely. This canyon goes for miles and you can explore as long as you have time. We stopped for lunch and to stretch our legs by hiking about a mile in. Next time we plan to hike much further. It was such a great canyon. It goes without saying that it can get very hot here so bring plenty of water for your whole day.
More sights along our Kayak the Colorado paddle
Make sure to keep your eyes open on your paddle. We saw lots of neat birds and some beautiful wild horses. There is definitely a lot to take in and you can do this over and over and see new things. In addition to the wildlife there were also some campers. Yes, you can also take a Kayak the Colorado trip and camp overnight if you want more time to explore. We are definitely camping on our next trip.
I can’t tell you enough how awesome this day was. We had amazing weather, beautiful conditions for the first 10 miles (the last 2 were a little windy) and a perfect kayaking experience. You really do need to try this out. The folks at Kayak the Colorado were fantastic to work with. We will be back next year for sure.
I would love it if you could like, share, comment or maybe do all three. Please subscribe to get new posts. I would especially love it if you would follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, LinkedIn and X.
Keep exploring,
Stephanie
seymoreoftheworldwithme
I was hosted by Kayak the Colorado for this tour. All opinions are my own.