4×4 Off-Road ~ Hiking ~ Glen Canyon ~ Page Arizona
Type of Road: Two track dirt road
Length: 5 miles one way, 10 miles round trip
Difficulty: 4×4 Truck = Challenging ~ ATV = Moderate
!WARNING! Extremely soft sand 4×4 only. No AWD.
Terrain: Extremely Soft Sand, Moderate Rock Crawling
Destination: Glen Canyon Overlook and a Cavern
Directions to the Road
The turnoff to the Ferry Swale Off-Road Trail System is diagonally across from the South Entrance of Wahweap, just 1/4 mile west of the Glen Canyon Bridge. It’s the same turn you would use for Beehive Campground. Immediately turn right onto a gravel road and avoid continuing straight onto the “Authorized Personnel Only” road. You’ll pass the campground on your right and then turn left around Beehives/New Wave Mesa, where the road quickly becomes 4×4 sand. The fun begins here, along with the need for four-wheel drive. Enjoy the moderate downhill terrain for a few miles until you encounter a rocky section. Veer right over an S-curve on sandstone, then left towards some BLM signage and a fork. Take the left fork, using the large sand dune as a landmark. Continue down into Ferry Swale Canyon to the end of the road. As an alternative, you can keep going straight past the BLM signage, under the power lines and then hang a left once you reach the sand stone mesa.
Ferry Swale Canyon Drive Description
This sandy two-track trail begins with an entertaining series of swervy berms, leading you to Dead Dog Dune. Enjoy spinning some brodies before continuing down the wash and into the canyon. The road winds through narrow Navajo Sandstone walls until it ends at a slot canyon, presenting you with three options:
- Hike to a spectacular river overlook via a high rim trail.
- Descend the slot canyon, requiring technical rock climbing skills and/or canyoneering equipment.
- Turn around and explore more terrain in your rig.
This route is EXTREMELY SOFT with very sandy conditions, and is not recommended for novice off-roaders.