Lees Ferry is a historical site on the Colorado River in Arizona, about 7-8 miles from Page, Arizona. It lies at the start of Marble Canyon and is considered the official beginning of Grand Canyon National Park.
For hundreds of miles, the site of Lees Ferry was one of only two places where one could easily access the Colorado River from both sides. This site served as an important river crossing for the Anasazi, Paiute and Navajo peoples, followed by Spanish expeditions, and eventually as a gateway for the expansion of American settlement from Utah south into Arizona.
In 1873, John Doyle Lee (who the site is named after) launched his first boat to ferry people across at this site to improve crossing.
Ferry service continued until 1928 when the nearby Navajo Bridge was completed that allowed for the far more efficient automobile travel between Utah and Arizona.
Lees Ferry, Marble Canyon, Arizona
Today, Lees Ferry provides a campground and is one of the best launching points for whitewater rafting trips down the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon.
