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way to get on the water is to rent a kayak at Lake Powell Boat Rentals at Wahweap, in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. You’ll be sharing the water with houseboats, wakeboarders and Jet Skiers, but you’ll also see catfish jumping and wild ducks and grebes feeding along the shoreline. You could meander the lake’s coves and side canyons all day, but even given an hour you can paddle northwest around Lone Rock, a curious sandstone monolith rising out of the water.

If you’re a more ambitious kayaker, consider going DIY. Hit up the friendly boating experts at Bill and Toni’s Marine in Page. The no-nonsense but twinkly-eyed Bill and Toni will set you up with a kayak and everything else you’ll need, such as bare-bones roof racks and paddles. They will also offer tips on the best places to launch and explore around the region. If a Jet Ski is more your speed, they rent personal watercraft, too.

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DETOUR

It’s motionless and rock-solid, but the sinuous sandstone swirl known as The Wave in the Paria Canyon–Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness will move you anyhow. Only 10 walk-in permits are issued daily at the Bureau of Land Management office (http://paria.az.blm.gov) on Hwy 89 north of Page, just after mile marker 21. Show up before 9am (Utah time!) to enter your name in the daily lottery; if you win a spot, your permit is good for the following day. Plan for a six-hour hike.

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After your time on the boat, and shrugging off your PFD (personal flotation device), give the arms a rest and limit yourself to simply lifting a G&T to your lips at the Rainbow Room. Floor-to-ceiling windows bring the lake right to your table at Page’s swankest eatery, where sustainably caught fish and hormone-free beef get their Southwestern flair from flavors like green chile and roasted corn.

Save the serious geological mind-boggle for your third day, with a visit to Rainbow Bridge National Monument, the largest natural arch in the world at 290ft tall and spanning 275ft. Hidden uplake on the Navajo Reservation, one look at the massive red arch against blue sky will explain why it’s held sacred significance for local Native Americans throughout the ages. If you’re not up for the multiday backcountry hike to Rainbow Bridge, Lake Powell Scenic Cruises runs full-day trips, departing from Wahweap Marina.

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FAR FROM THE MADDING CROWD

Take your sweet time paddling side canyons and sleeping under the stars on a multiday kayak-camping trip. Camping on Lake Powell doesn’t require a permit (for stays shorter than 14 days) but does necessitate self-sufficiency and the packing out of all waste. For more information, visit the website for Glen Canyon National Recreation Area (www.nps.gov/glca). Be sure to get current information on conditions, as some cuts and canyons may be inaccessible due to varying lake levels.

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Leaving Lake Powell, have one last splash in the Colorado at Lees Ferry before spending the night in quiet Marble Canyon. Nestled at the foot of the burnt-orange Vermilion Cliffs, the roadside Lees Ferry Lodge is an appealingly unfussy motel, with porch chairs in front of the cobble-stone building providing front-row seats for stargazing before bed.

Wendy Yanagihara

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TRIP INFORMATION

GETTING THERE

Page lies about 135 miles north of Flagstaff, a straightforward drive along Hwy 89 through the Navajo Reservation.

DO

Bill & Toni’s Marine

Rent everything from kayaks to personal watercraft to boats here, and get insider information on the best places to explore. 928-645-2599; pwm@canyoncountry.net; 803 Vista Ave, Page, AZ; full-day kayak rental $25-45; 7am-7pm

Carl Hayden Visitor Center

Offers information on local activities and has excellent interpretive displays. 928-608-6404; Glen Canyon Dam, Hwy 89, AZ; admission free; 8am-6pm Memorial Day-Labor Day, to 4pm Dec-Feb, to 5pm rest of yr

Colorado River Discovery

Along with smooth-water trips, it also offers kayak backhaul services to Lees Ferry. 888-522-6644; www.raftthecanyon.com; 130 6th Ave, Page,