Hiking Club members enjoying “The Wave” near Page, Ariz., thanks to winning a lottery slot for last March (left to right): Bob Faulkner, Ted Maresh, Gene Jencsok, Ed Molieri (photo by Warren Wasescha)
Warren Wasescha, Sun Lakes Hiking Club
Page, Ariz., is known for its stunning and unique landscapes. Favorites include famous slot canyons like Antelope Canyon and Buckskin Gulch, dramatic overlooks like Horseshoe Bend along the Colorado River, and many other unique geological formations like Hanging Gardens Trail, where water drips through holes in the sandstone, or the colorful buttes of Pahreah. And then there’s “The Wave,” made famous as a Microsoft Screensaver back in 2006—so popular you can now only hike it if you win a lottery permit.
Page is where this season’s Special Hike will be. It is a five-hour drive north of Sun Lakes. Dates are March 16-19, 2026. If you are interested, please sign up on the Meetup site when you get the invite. There are 36 hotel rooms reserved and will be offered up on a first-come, first-served basis.
The club has been doing Special Hikes for several years now. Ginny and Al Metz were instrumental in making these hikes a surprise adventure each year. Now, Ron Deraas and Joan Carlisle have taken the helm. We’ve gone to Sedona, Zion, Moab, the Chiricahuas, Sante Fe, Prescott, Sierra Vista, Tucson, Albuquerque, San Diego, and more. This trip promises to be a lot of fun—no different than the others. It’s a good time to take the normal socializing that happens during our weekly hikes to the next level!
The hike planning team is currently pulling together the hiking options. If you have a favorite hike you’ve done near Page that you think others in the club would enjoy, please let me know at wjwasescha@gmail.com. It’s not too late to get your favorite added to the list. We would greatly appreciate your input!
Looking for weekly adventure beyond the borders of Sun Lakes and SunBird? Come join the Sun Lakes Hiking Club. We are a friendly, inclusive group that welcomes all able-bodied hiking enthusiasts! Our club’s goal is to make group hiking fun, challenging, social, and safe. We hike in some incredibly scenic areas in and around the Valley. We welcome all able-bodied hikers living in Sun Lakes or SunBird to come join us.
You can learn more about the club by typing “Sun Lakes Hiking Club” into your web browser, and it will take you to our Meetup site where you can see a listing of our upcoming hikes and read more about our club. Email me at wjwasescha@gmail.com if you have any questions not found on our website.
Our club hikes at three different intensity levels on Mondays, and often a “Moderate” and “Mellow” intensity level on Wednesdays, from November through April.
Hiking is one of the many rewarding activities you can do in our community. We hope you will join us this season!