The site, 8.5 miles away by trail from the visitor center, is open from the end of May to early September. A permit is required, and there's a limit of 20 people per day. Sunshine reflects off the smooth Navajo Sandstone to create extraordinary light and colors. It's also very dim. Photographers wouldn't wish to spoil the effect with a flash, so they bring a tripod to help capture the infinite shapes and patterns.
Beams of light enter the canyons at midday, further entrancing visitors.
The shallow wash in between that you see from the highway gives no hint of the marvels up- or downstream. Both can easily be reached from Page by driving south on Coppermine Road or east on AZ 98 to Big Lake Trading Post, then continuing east one mile on AZ 98 toward the power plant. Loose stones just below the hole mark the site of a prehistoric Indian pueblo. You're not allowed to climb up to the hole, though a trail around to the left passes through wonderfully sculptured hills.