Lees Ferry and Navajo Bridge

Lees Ferry is the historic river crossing where the Colorado River leaves Glen Canyon and enters the Grand Canyon. About 40 minutes from Page, Arizona, it is where Grand Canyon river trips begin, where anglers come for big trout, and where you can walk across a 1929 bridge hanging hundreds of feet above the river.

Getting There

From Page, take U.S. Highway 89 south, then U.S. 89A north toward Marble Canyon. The Lees Ferry turnoff is just past Navajo Bridge, and a paved road runs about 5 miles down to the river. Lees Ferry is part of Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, so the park entrance fee applies.

Navajo Bridge

Two steel arch bridges cross Marble Canyon here. The original bridge opened in 1929 and is now a walkway, so you can stroll out over the river far below. Watch the cliffs and the bridge girders for California condors, which were released in the nearby Vermilion Cliffs and are often seen here. The Navajo Bridge Interpretive Center sits on the west end.

Lees Ferry and Lonely Dell Ranch

Before the bridge, a ferry carried wagons, mail and livestock across the river here from the 1870s until 1928. Stone buildings from those days still stand. A short drive or walk away, Lonely Dell Ranch has the historic ranch house, a cemetery and an orchard with shade trees and picnic tables. In season, the Park Service lets visitors pick a little fruit from the orchard for their own use.

Things to Do at Lees Ferry

• Fishing: the 15 miles of river between Glen Canyon Dam and Lees Ferry are famous for rainbow trout. You need an Arizona fishing license.
• Watch a river trip launch: Lees Ferry is mile zero for Grand Canyon rafting trips, and the boat ramp is busy on summer mornings.
• Hike Cathedral Wash: a short, fun hike down a dry wash to the river, starting from a pullout on Lees Ferry Road.
• Paddle upstream: paddlers take a ride up the river and float back down past Horseshoe Bend.
• Camp: the Lees Ferry Campground sits on a bluff above the river.

Lees Ferry and Lake Powell

Lees Ferry is on the river below Glen Canyon Dam, so you cannot ride there from Lake Powell. Drive down for a half day, then spend the rest of your trip on the lake: Antelope Canyon by water, the beaches of Padre Bay or a full day to Rainbow Bridge. See more day trips from Lake Powell.