Last-minute Labor Day weekend 2022 ideas: Try one of these Arizona getaways
Labor Day is one of those holidays tinged with nostalgia.
As a kid, you hated to see it approaching because that signaled the end of summer and the beginning of another school year. For adults in metro Phoenix it means triple-digit temperatures may soon be in the rear-view mirror.
Still, as exciting as fall weather sounds, it’s hard to let go of everything summer means. Those long languid carefree days resonate no matter how grown up we are.
Make sure your summer goes out with a bang by taking one last road trip on the long Labor Day weekend. Here are a few suggestions on where to point your wheels.
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Lake Powell, Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend
Seems like whenever Lake Powell shows up in the news lately, it’s about the drought and receding water levels. But even with water levels down, Lake Powell remains spectacular and there’s plenty to see and do throughout the region.
During the pandemic we learned how quickly the world can change. Don’t take anything for granted. So for those who have never visited two of Arizona’s most iconic places —Horseshoe Bend and Antelope Canyon — don’t put it off any longer.
Horseshoe Bend: It’s a short (0.6 mile one way) but exposed hike to see one of Arizona’s biggest Instagram stars. The unshaded trail ends at an overlook perched atop a steep cliff with the emerald-green Colorado River making a swooping curve 1,000 feet below. It is an eye-popping, jaw-dropping sight.
Details: 3 miles south of Page on U.S. 89. Open sunrise to sunset. Busiest times are 9-11 a.m. and 4:30-6:30 p.m. Parking is $10. https://cityofpage.org/hsb.
Antelope Canyon: The Southwest’s most famous slot canyon is renowned for shafts of sunlight swaddled in curving walls of red-orange sandstone.
The narrow crevice is divided into two sections. Upper Antelope Canyon is a short, level path embraced by pearl-smooth walls. Lower Antelope Canyon is longer and requires climbing ladders and steps.
Multiple companies offer guided tours of both sections. Masks are mandatory on the Navajo Nation.
Details: https://navajonationparks.org.
More slot canyons: Don’t think for a minute that Antelope is the only slot canyon in the sculpted landscape surrounding Page. There are others including Cardiac Canyon, Antelope Canyon X, Cathedral Canyon and Waterhole Canyon. Each offers a very different experience. Find the outing that’s right for you with one of the certified guides at http://visitpagelakepowell.com.
Take a hike: After playing tourist, you can feel like a local when you hike a little of the Rim Trail. The ambitious pathway makes a 9.8-mile loop around the town of Page. It’s mostly flat with a few short grades and very little shade. Multiple trailheads allow easy access. Go for as long as you like and enjoy impressive views of the lake and surrounding desert.
Details: 928-645-4310, https://visitpagelakepowell.com.
And FYI, there is still water in Lake Powell in case you’d like to climb into a boat, canoe or kayak. You'll find plenty of options at https://www.lakepowell.com.
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Kingman and Route 66
If you’re looking to experience an old-fashioned road trip while avoiding crowds, roll into underappreciated Kingman. Perched on the edge of the Mojave Desert, the city anchors the longest stretch of Route 66 still in existence, and is filled with museums, good eateries and a compact downtown bristling with historic buildings.
Start at the Powerhouse. Built in 1907, the hulking concrete structure that once fueled the energy needs of the city now serves as a visitor center and houses the Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona’s gift shop and museum.
The Route 66 Museum is a trove of artifacts and exhibits focusing on the cultural significance of the Mother Road and it celebrates its 20th anniversary in September.
Downstairs is the Route 66 Electric Vehicle Museum, displaying a wide range of vehicles including electric micro-cars dating to the 1940s, the world’s first electric street rod and the extremely rare 1909 Elwell-Parker baggage tug — one of only two known to exist.
While at the Powerhouse, take advantage of the cool photo op — a drive-thru replica of the Route 66 shield is positioned out front. Perfect for classic cars, smiling sweethearts or anyone with an interest in the Mother Road.
Details: 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays. 120 W. Andy Devine Ave., Kingman. $10, $6 for seniors and Mohave County residents, free for age 12 and younger. 928-753-6106, https://www.gokingman.com.
When you’re ready to head outdoors, you’re only a half-hour drive from the cool forests of Hualapai Mountain Park, topping out above 8,200 feet. Over 10 miles of trails weave through the timber and climb the high peaks. The park also includes a campground and rustic rental cabins.
Details: 6250 Hualapai Mountain Road, Kingman. Day use is $10 per vehicle. Check the website for camping fees. https://parks.mohave.gov.
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Show Low and Fool Hollow Lake
Sitting in the pines just outside of Show Low, 149-acre Fool Hollow Lake is one of the loveliest bodies of water in the White Mountains, which is high praise indeed.
Yet there’s no vantage point in the park that allows you to see the entire lake. Maybe that’s part of Fool Hollow’s mystique. You discover it one vista at a time and it gives you a lot of different looks along the way.
There’s big open water, isolated coves, quiet marshes and long channels. This is the kind of lake that makes you want to jump in a kayak and go exploring. And you can do that. Canoe, kayak and paddleboard rentals are available through Labor Day from J&T’s Wild-Life Outdoors at the east boat launch ramp (928-892-9170, http://www.jtwildlifeoutdoors.com).
Landlubbers will enjoy the 1.5-mile hiking trail running along the edge of the lake. Anglers can try their luck landing rainbow trout, largemouth and smallmouth bass, channel catfish, walleye, northern pike and more. Fool Hollow also has campsites for tents and RVs. Make camping reservations at the website below or by calling 877-697-2757.
Details: 1500 N. Fool Hollow Lake, Show Low. Day use is $7 per vehicle (up to four adults). 928-537-3680, https://azstateparks.com.
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Flagstaff's national monuments
Flagstaff is always a must-stop in the summer. Be sure to take a scenic drive north of town to visit beautiful Sunset Crater National Monument and Wupatki National Monument. A 35-mile loop road connects the two parks.
Sunset Crater National Monument: Hundreds of volcanic craters pockmark the landscape around Flagstaff but the baby of the bunch is the most vivid. Between 1040 and 1100, Sunset Crater blasted a geyser of molten rock and ash. The 1,000-foot tall symmetrical cone rises above a hardscrabble landscape of cinder hills.
The park is partially open after wildfires and flooding affected it this summer. The Sunset Crater Loop Road is open. Visitors can hike the Lava Flow Trail, a mile-long loop that curves past jagged, twisted lava slabs mingled with spatter cones and ice caves, and the A'a Trail.
The visitor center, Lenox Crater and Lava's Edge Trails and the Cinder Hills Overlook remain closed.
Details: Twelve miles north of Flagstaff on U.S. 89. $25 per vehicle, which covers Sunset Crater and Wupatki. Credit and debit cards only. 928-526-0502, https://www.nps.gov/sucr.
Wupatki National Monument: The dwellings of Wupatki rise above rolling prairie. The buildings were the work of Ancestral Puebloan people. They were constructed from thin blocks of Moenkopi sandstone, giving them their distinctive red color. Most were built over 900 years ago.
Behind the visitor center, a self-guided paved trail curves past Wupatki Pueblo, the largest structure in the park. The sprawling three-story building contains contains nearly 100 rooms and straddles an outcropping of sandstone.
Details: About 26 miles north of Flagstaff on U.S. 89. $25 per vehicle, which covers Wupatki and Sunset Crater. Credit/debit transactions only. 928-679-2365, https://www.nps.gov/wupa.
Walnut Canyon National Monument: On the eastern edge of town, Walnut Canyon is sort of an upside-down Wupatki.
Instead of large multi-room pueblos skylined above the open prairie, the smaller dwellings of Walnut Canyon are secreted away in the natural contours of the steep-walled gorge. Protected by massive eaves of limestone, the Sinagua cliff dwellings are remarkably well preserved, and some can be entered.
Note that part of the Rim Trail is closed for repaving.
Details: 7.5 miles east off Flagstaff off Interstate 40. $15 per person; free for age 15 and younger. Credit/debit transactions only. 928-526-3367, https://www.nps.gov/waca.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Last-minute Labor Day 2022 getaways in Arizona
