Page to Grand Canyon: The Eastern Feeder Route

Two and a half hours from Lake Powell to the South Rim via Cameron. You enter the park at Desert View, drive the 25-mile Desert View Drive westbound to the Village, and skip the South Entrance line entirely.

By The Lowdown Guide Editorial Team · Updated May 2026

Quick Facts

  • Distance~130 mi one-way
  • Drive time~2.5 hours (no stops)
  • RouteUS-89 south to Cameron, AZ-64 west to Desert View
  • Gas stopsPage, Cameron, Desert View (limited), Tusayan
  • Best monthsApril-May, September-October
  • TrafficUS-89 light; AZ-64 weekend Desert View stops slow
The Lowdown Verdict: Page to the Grand Canyon is the eastern back-door route, and it is the best one if you are already in Page for Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend. The 130-mile drive runs US-89 south through Navajo Nation lands to Cameron Trading Post (a real stop, not a tourist trap), then AZ-64 west into the park at Desert View. You enter at Desert View instead of the South Entrance, which means no entrance-line wait and you get the Desert View Watchtower as your first view of the canyon. The 25 miles of Desert View Drive westbound to the Village hits Lipan, Navajo, Grandview, Moran, and Pipe Creek viewpoints - the best stretch of rim-access driving in the park. Build this into a 2-night arc: Night 1 Page (Antelope Canyon + Horseshoe Bend), Night 2 Tusayan or in-park (Grand Canyon). The drive cannot be done as a productive same-day round trip.

The Route in One Sentence

From Page, take US-89 south 53 miles to Cameron, then AZ-64 west 33 miles to the Desert View East Entrance, then Desert View Drive west 25 miles to Grand Canyon Village. Total drive time is about 2.5 hours without stops, closer to 3.5 with stops at Cameron Trading Post and viewpoints along Desert View Drive.

Elevation runs higher than most Arizona drives: Page at 4,118 feet on the Lake Powell shore, Cameron at 4,200 feet, Desert View at 7,438 feet (the highest point on the South Rim drive), Grand Canyon Village at 6,800 feet. The US-89 climb between Cameron and Desert View is gradual but steady - about 3,200 feet of elevation gain in 33 miles.

For broader rim logistics, see our Grand Canyon travel planning hub.

Why the Desert View Entrance Beats the South Entrance

The South Entrance gate (the one you hit from Tusayan, Williams, Flagstaff, Phoenix) backs up 10 to 30 minutes in summer 9 to 11 AM. The Desert View East Entrance, 33 miles east on AZ-64, almost never backs up - maybe 5 minutes on a peak Saturday in July. If you are coming from Page and your arrival window is mid-morning, you save 20 to 30 minutes by entering at Desert View instead of routing south to Tusayan first.

Bonus: the Desert View Watchtower itself is one of the top three viewpoints in the park (designed by Mary Colter in 1932, four-story stone tower, panoramic views of the canyon's eastern reach including the Painted Desert and the Colorado River bend). Most South Rim visitors miss Desert View because it is 25 miles east of the Village and there is no shuttle. Coming from Page, you hit it first by default.

For Desert View Watchtower details, see our Desert View Watchtower guide. For the full Desert View Drive viewpoint sequence, see our viewpoints guide.

Cameron Trading Post: Stop or Skip?

Cameron Trading Post sits at the AZ-64 / US-89 junction, 53 miles south of Page. It is a working post (since 1916) with a hotel, restaurant, gas, gallery, grocery, and bathrooms. The restaurant serves Navajo tacos and standard American breakfast / lunch - not great food, but real food, and the bathrooms are clean. The gallery has authentic Navajo silver and rugs at fair-but-not-cheap prices.

Stop at Cameron if: you need gas (next reliable station is at Desert View 33 miles west, and the Desert View pumps sometimes close early), you need a bathroom (there are no facilities on AZ-64 between Cameron and Desert View), or you want to break up the drive at the halfway mark. Skip if: you fueled up in Page, you are running on tight timing, or you have eaten in the last hour.

Cameron Trading Post phone is (928) 679-2231 - call ahead to confirm hours if you are driving in the off-season or evening. The post is open daily but the restaurant closes at 9 PM.

Two-Night Page + Grand Canyon Arc (the Better Trip)

The standard Page-to-Grand-Canyon trip works as a 2-night arc, not a same-day. Night 1: Page (Antelope Canyon morning tour, Horseshoe Bend at sunset). Drive day morning: leave Page 8 AM, breakfast Cameron Trading Post 9:30 AM, Desert View Watchtower 11 AM, slow drive Desert View Drive westbound, lunch El Tovar 2 PM. Afternoon: Mather Point, Bright Angel Trail short descent. Night 2: Tusayan, Williams, or in-park (book ahead).

Day 3 morning: sunrise at Mather, breakfast at Bright Angel Lodge, drive west on Hermit Road (shuttle Mar 1 to Nov 30 only) or hike Rim Trail toward Yavapai Point. Leave the rim 1 PM, drive back to wherever you are going next (Sedona, Flagstaff, Phoenix). Three days, two nights, you hit the rim at sunset and sunrise, you do not rush the drive.

For Page-side details, see our Grand Canyon day trips guide (Lake Powell, Antelope Canyon, Horseshoe Bend coverage). For Tusayan lodging on Night 2, see our Tusayan basecamp guide.

What to Pack and What to Know Before Leaving Page

Layers and water. Page at 4,100 feet is hot in summer (95 to 105 mid-day), the rim at 7,000 feet is 20 to 30 degrees cooler. A T-shirt in Page becomes a fleece at sunset on Mather Point. Full gas tank when you leave Page - the only mid-route gas is at Cameron Trading Post 53 miles south, and the Desert View pumps inside the park can close at 5 PM in shoulder season.

Park entrance fee at Desert View is $35 per vehicle, valid 7 days. The Desert View station accepts cash and credit. If you have an America the Beautiful pass ($80/year), it works here. Hours are typically 8 AM to 5 PM staffed but the lane is open 24 hours - if you arrive after 5 PM, drive through and pay or display pass the next morning.

For the broader park strategy once you are inside, see our Grand Canyon homepage. For Phoenix as a return-trip destination, see our Phoenix to Grand Canyon guide.

Skip the Drive: Guided Tours From the Gateway City

Don't want to drive? Viator offers Grand Canyon day trips and overnight tours departing from gateway cities across the Southwest. Includes transportation and entry fees.

Find Grand Canyon Tours on Viator →

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Frequently Asked Questions

How far is Page to Grand Canyon? +
About 130 miles one-way from Page to Grand Canyon Village. The route is US-89 south to Cameron (53 mi), then AZ-64 west to the Desert View East Entrance (33 mi), then Desert View Drive west to the Village (25 mi). Drive time is about 2.5 hours without stops.
Should I enter the Grand Canyon at Desert View or the South Entrance from Page? +
Desert View - it is on your route, the line is shorter (5 min vs 20 to 30 in summer), and you get the Mary Colter Watchtower as your first canyon view. Routing south to the Tusayan-side South Entrance adds 50 miles of driving for no benefit.
Is Cameron Trading Post worth stopping at? +
Yes if you need gas, food, or bathrooms - it is the only meaningful stop between Page and Desert View. The restaurant serves Navajo tacos and basic American food; the gallery has real Navajo silver. Skip if you fueled up in Page and have eaten recently.
Can you drive Page to Grand Canyon in one day? +
Round-trip in one day, no - 5 hours of driving leaves too little canyon time. Most travelers do Page on Day 1 (Antelope Canyon + Horseshoe Bend), drive to the rim Day 2 morning, overnight Tusayan or in-park, and continue west to Sedona or Flagstaff Day 3. The 2-night arc is the move.
Where can I get gas between Page and Grand Canyon? +
Gas in Page before leaving. Mid-drive: Cameron Trading Post (US-89 / AZ-64 junction, 53 mi south). Inside the park: Desert View gas station (limited hours, can close at 5 PM in shoulder season), or Tusayan (60 mi west of Desert View). Top off at Cameron if continuing to the rim and the time is past 4 PM.