If you want an exciting and different experience around Page, AZ, then the Tower Butte Landing Tour might be just the ticket. Fly by helicopter to the top of the monolithic Tower Butte, LAND, get out and explore and admire the incredible views.
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A butte is a solitary hill with steep side and a flat top; Tower Butte rises 5,000 feet (1,524 m) above sea level on the edge of the painted desert, just outside Page, AZ.
It took millions of years to form, as the solid rock at the top protected it from the erosion of the surrounding land, leaving it towering over its surroundings. It is destined to erode eventually, but thankfully not for
HIGHLIGHTS OF TOWER BUTTE BY HELICOPTER
Sited on Navajo lands, only Papillon are allowed to fly to Tower Butte; people who do so are rewarded with spectacular views of Lake Powell, the Grand Staircase and more.
PRE-FLIGHT
Arriving at Page airport, possibly before dawn if you are on the earliest flights to the butte, you’ll be checked-in by Papillon’s friendly agents. The pilot will go through a safety briefing and give out life vests and explain their operation in the event of an emergency. You then head to the helicopter to climb aboard and begin the experience of a lifetime.
For the early morning tours, you have to wait for the sun to be just starting to appear as it has to be high enough for the helicopter to be allowed to fly. In the meantime, you occupy your assigned seats (this is done by the company based on each passenger’s weight in order to keep the helicopter balanced), don your noise-cancelling headsets and prepare to take off.
THE HELICOPTER FLIGHT
If you’ve never been in a helicopter you might be surprised at how smooth and manoeuvrable they are. Skilled pilots, like those who fly to Tower Butte, can put them down on a tiny spot and fly them with great precision.
You take off and head north towards Lake Powell, which in this area looks much more like a river than a lake, before heading east towards the rising sun and Tower Butte.
Right from the start of the trip, it is amazing; the views across Lake Powell, the stunning light, and the desert spread out below you. As Tower Butte approaches your pilot will begin to ascend so that you can land. It seems as if the helicopter isn’t too keen to climb up to over 5,000 feet and it takes a minute or two to ascend so that you can finally see the top of the tower.
LANDING AND EXPLORING
Moving towards it from the east, you are soon over the top of the
To say the view is breathtaking is almost pointless; it is absolutely stunning and the early morning light just made it all the more beautiful.
After taking the essential photo of you standing “on the edge”, you have about 15-20 minutes to explore the tower. Whilst this might not seem like enough time, we found it was actually plenty. You can walk the entire rim of the tower, gaze at Lake Powell, look back towards Page and simply admire the fact that you are somewhere you had to visit by helicopter or would have to be a very skilled rock climber to stand on.
You can even dare to peer over the edge as we did, sadly the photo doesn’t do justice as to how far down it was!
AN AMAZING TAKE-OFF
Arriving back at the helicopter it was time to depart; we chatted with the pilot for a couple of minutes and he allowed us to switch seats around so that the person in the back on the way out sat up front and the two in the front occupied the seats each side in the rear. Of course, this might not be possible on your trip, it depends on weight allocation and might not be ok if the helicopter is fully occupied, but it doesn’t hurt to ask.
We also spoke about our plans to visit Horseshoe Bend later that day and he very kindly called in to ask if he could fly us over it on the way back! Well thankfully they said yes and we got a serious bonus to our trip, but not before he asked us whether we wanted the normal boring take-off, or the exciting take-off as we left Tower Butte. We quickly agreed. The exciting take-off, please! You can get an inkling of what that means in the video below.
Basically, the pilot lifted vertically a couple of feet and then tilted the helicopter so it shot sideways and the helicopter seemed to fall off the tower. An amazing experience for sure and added even more value to this fantastic tour.
We slowly descended, orbiting the tower before heading off to Horseshoe Bend. Again, this might not be possible on your tour. It is not necessarily included as part of the package and we were incredibly lucky and very grateful we were able to have this opportunity.
BONUS SIGHTSEEING
Heading east, skirting Page to the south, we overflew Glen Canyon Dam, the reason Lake Powell exists, on the way to Horseshoe Bend.
Our pilot made sure both sides of the helicopter could have a great view of the bend and we were so happy with our amazing view, we actually didn’t walk to the bend from the car later. No view could be as good as what we had already seen from high above.
We were soon back at Page airport and landing gently back on terra firma. Thanking our pilot and check-in agent profusely for such a great tour we couldn’t believe it was barely past breakfast time and we’d enjoyed such a fantastic trip.
PLAN YOUR VISIT TO TOWER BUTTE
Information last updated November 2019
HOW TO GET THERE
The landing tour is only offered by Papillon Grand Canyon Tours which flies from Page airport. The tour can be booked online here.
Page Airport can found at 238 N 10th Ave, Page, AZ 86040.
Parking is available on site and is free of charge to visitors.
HELPFUL LINK:
- If you need an app that will navigate you around whether walking, driving or using public transport and even works offline then click for a guide about how to use Here WeGo.
OPENING HOURS
There are not as many dates and times on offer for this flight as for the popular Grand Canyon flights, but if you book well in advance you should be able to pick a time that will suit. You can view the booking calendar here.
We took the first flight of the day which takes off as soon as the sun has risen enough to allow the helicopter to fly.
Aside from the helicopter ride, you will be outside all of the time as you explore the top of tower butte. The butte is exposed with no cover, so it can be cold and windy as you roam around on the top of it.
HOW TO BUY TICKETS
Prices for trips to Tower Butte start at $239 per person. Papillon offer several other tours from Page Airport which may also appeal.
ACCESSIBILITY
Papillon does their best to accommodate passengers with mobility issues, however for tower butte, the surface is rough and uneven and therefore not suitable for wheelchair users. Please see Papillon’s accessibility page for more details.
IS TOWER BUTTE WORTH THE VISIT?
Without a doubt, this is one of the best experiences we’ve ever had. It is exciting and enjoyable from end-to-end, the staff were fantastic and even the really early morning start couldn’t dampen our spirits. The flight to the butte allows you to see stunning scenery from a new angle. The landing on the butte is exciting and to then be able to get out and explore is an amazing experience. The time you have on the top is just right, you can explore the whole surface, at times you even lose sight of the helicopter, and we never felt rushed.
Of course, a trip like is not cheap, but as a once in a lifetime experience we felt it was worth the cost and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it.
See what others think of this attraction on Trip Advisor.
ADD TO YOUR ARIZONA ITINERARY
Famous for the Grand Canyon, Arizona has so much more to offer than its most famous attraction. Desert landscapes, buttes, slot canyons and more add to the natural beauty of the state. Whilst man-made attractions abound, from quirky castles and bridges, moved brick by brick from England, to more traditional attractions and visitors are sure to find plenty to do whichever part of the state they visit.
IN THE AREA
- Wind and water have carved their way through Antelope Canyon, leaving behind beautiful swirls, colours and patterns for visitors to admire.
- Arizona’s most famous attraction, you can’t quite appreciate the stunning size and beauty of the canyon, even when you are standing on its edge.
- The dam that made Lake Powell, the impressive Glen Canyon Dam can be seen from the bridge that crosses the canyon just in front of the monolithic structure.
- One of the most famous views of the Colorado River. Horseshoe Bend arcs magnificently through the canyon.
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RESOURCES | PLAN YOUR TRIP TO PAGE
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These are a few tours we would recommend for your trip to Page.
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