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Next up in the posts for my quest to see and do all the things in Page is hike the trail to Skylight Arch! We actually didn’t even plan to do this one the day we did, we just ended up there.
We were living in Greenehaven (15ish minutes from Page) over the last year at Lake Powell and the road to Skylight Arch is literally across the street. But this day we just went driving around that area.
It happened to turn out, the original destination was Studhorse Point, which was on my list of things to do in Page, which is right by Skylight Arch!
Things were working out! We stopped for a couple of pictures at Studhorse Point before driving on. There were some parts of the road that were pretty bumpy and rough but it wasn’t anything Rango (our 4Runner) couldn’t handle.
We didn’t know the place we were going was Studhorse Point, but I knew it was close to where we were so I checked Google Maps and made the connection.
Once I realized where we were, we had to keep going to Skylight Arch, of course. After our quick stop, we headed further up the road to the trail to Skylight Arch.
The road actually end here and there was plenty of room to park. We were also the only ones here! We didn’t have plans to hike at all but we figured why not since we’re already here and it’s a short hike.
We hit the trail and I also got to see Amangiri for the first time from up here! This is the super fancy resort that celebrities stay at when they’re visiting the area. No just celebrities but the average road tripper is probably not staying here.
I just checked for one night on a weekday in July and the prices range from $4,000 to $7,900 per night. It’s that kind of fancy. To be fair, (I guess?) it does include three meals a day for two people. I’m kidding, that only makes it a little better.
Anyway, after meeting people that stayed there and hearing about it all the time, I finally got to see it. It felt a little creepy looking down on it from the trail though, I won’t lie.
We moved on quickly and kept heading for the arch, admiring the views of Page, Greenehaven, Lake Powell, and Navajo Mountain along the way. You can see Highway 89 from here but the views are very impressive aside from that.
The trail itself isn’t that exciting. It’s easy to follow and before I knew it, we were at Skylight Arch! It’s actually like, a hole in the ground that makes it an arch so you’re not walking up and look up at one.
Once you get closer to the arch, you’ll want to keep an eye out for it as you’re walking because, well, like I said, it’s a hole in the ground and you don’t want to fall in it.
I think there were some rocks piled up or an arrow or something once you start to get close to it, marking where it is. As you come up the trail, it is on the right side right by the cliff edge.
We wandered off to the left of the arch a little bit, too and had a different view of Amangiri and the beautiful cliffs behind it. It was very quiet up here even though the highway is right there.
You can actually see Skylight Arch from the highway, too! So as you’re driving, maybe just riding as the passenger, look for it on your left (driving towards Utah). It’s much harder to spot driving into Arizona because of the angle.
While there are better views in Utah, this one is pretty good. I don’t know if I would rank it among the best but it’s far from disappointing. We spent some time at the end admiring the arch and views before heading back to the car and Studhorse Point some more.
I’m glad we ended up doing this hike. While it isn’t my favorite hike or view, I did enjoy it and think it’s worth doing if you want to get off the beaten path that is Page, Arizona.
Where is the Skylight Arch in Utah?
The trail to Skylight Arch is a 14-mile, 35-40 minute, drive from Page on highway and dirt roads. It’s easy to find and you can even search the trailhead on Google Maps. It might feel like you’re in Arizona, but you actually juuuuust crossed over the border into Utah.
We took the route past Studhorse Point, which I would recommend. That’s another good spot to do some hiking, even there is no official trail.
Can any car get to the Skylight Arch trailhead?
If you have a regular car, you may need to stop about a mile before the trailhead and hike a little extra. The road is sort of rough in some sections.
4WD could be helpful but may not be necessary as long as you have an SUV or truck with somewhat high-clearance. We might have had it on but I don’t know for sure if we needed it.
How long is the Skylight Arch hike?
The trail to Skylight Arch is two miles round-trip and it’s very easy to follow. It’s straightforward and doesn’t require any rock scrambling. We hiked this in flip flops and fancy not hiking winter boots.
Is the hike to Skylight Arch hard?
No! It’s not very long and it’s got very little elevation change, just 200 feet. It’s an easy trail to follow and very straightforward. Just be sure to keep an eye out for the arch because it’s actually like a hole in the ground.
Is there a fee to hike to Skylight Arch?
While it is technically in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area (the same as Lake Powell) there is no fee required to hike the trail to Skylight Arch. If you plan to visit Lake Powell, though, then there is a $30 fee.
National Park Pass
If you’re planning on visiting multiple parks (3 or more) on this trip or within the year, I would highly recommend getting a national park pass. It’s $80 but will pay for itself in about three trips to parks. It’s so worth it and I buy one every year! They’re also great for gifts for the park lovers in your life.
Is the hike to Skylight Arch worth it?
Yes! I really enjoyed this and it’s even better that it’s an easy hike and not very long. It has awesome views of the surrounding area and you can even see Lake Powell from here! It’s a unique arch that’s easy to get to.
The hardest part is the drive there. I don’t necessarily think it’s a must-do on a Utah road trip, especially if you’re limited on time, but if you have time, have been to the area before, have seen the major sights, and have an appropriate vehicle, it’s worth it.
