Lake Powell

Lake Powell, in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area on the Arizona-Utah border, is the second-largest man-made reservoir in the United States (behind only Lake Mead) — a 186-mile-long blue lake filling the red-sandstone canyon country of the Colorado Plateau behind Glen Canyon Dam, with 1,900 miles of shoreline, hundreds of side canyons to explore, the iconic Rainbow Bridge National Monument (the largest natural bridge in the world, accessible by boat from Wahweap Marina), and world-class boating, kayaking, and houseboating in one of the most visually extraordinary lake-in-canyon landscapes on Earth.

Lake Powell is simultaneously a premier recreation destination (boating, swimming, kayaking, houseboating), a subject of profound conservation debate (Glen Canyon Dam flooded one of the most beautiful canyons in the American Southwest — the “Cathedral in the Desert”, Twilight Canyon, Music Temple — under the reservoir), and a body of water experiencing severe water-level decline (the lake is at historically low levels due to drought and over-appropriation of the Colorado River). Lake Powell is a treasured recreational icon of the American Southwest.

Late spring (May and June) is the finest season — the lake water is warming but not yet at peak summer temperatures, the red-sandstone canyon walls reflect spectacularly in the still blue water, the crowds (while significant) have not yet reached peak summer intensity, and the weather is excellent (75-85°F). Summer (July and August) is peak season and very crowded, but the warm lake water (80°F), long days and full houseboat availability make it appealing. Fall (September and October) is excellent — the crowds thin after Labor Day, the water is still warm, and the fall light on the canyon walls is spectacular. Spring and fall for the best balance of conditions, summer for the full lake experience, are the highlights.

Lake Powell’s canyon walls, sandy coves, and the surrounding desert support canyon wildlife — mule deer (commonly seen on the canyon walls and beaches), coyotes, ring-tailed cats, canyon wrens (singing from the cliff faces), peregrine falcons (nesting on the sandstone walls), osprey (nesting at the lake; fishing the clear water), great blue herons, canyon towhees, and the lake’s introduced fish populations (striped bass, largemouth and smallmouth bass, crappie, catfish — the striped bass fishery is exceptional). Ringtail cats investigate houseboat decks at night.

Boating safety is paramount — all occupants of motorized watercraft must wear life jackets; the lake has open-water sections where afternoon winds can create 2-3 foot waves and rough conditions; check weather forecasts before venturing far from the marina. Flash floods affect the side canyons (avoid camping in slot-canyon side arms; storms on the plateau above can send flash floods down the narrow side canyons without warning). The lake sun reflection is intense — UV exposure on the lake is extreme; wear SPF 50+ and reapply frequently. Carbon monoxide from houseboats is a serious hazard (never swim under a houseboat or near the engine area). Respect the boating conditions, the flash-flood side-canyon risk, the UV exposure and the carbon monoxide hazard.

Glen Canyon Dam was authorized by the Colorado River Storage Project Act of 1956 and completed in 1966, creating Lake Powell. The dam flooded Glen Canyon — described by explorer John Wesley Powell and later by conservationists as one of the most beautiful places in the world (Edward Abbey’s “The Monkey Wrench Gang,” 1975, is partly a fictional account of a plot to destroy the dam; Abbey himself called Glen Canyon “the Place No One Knew”). David Brower and the Sierra Club opposed the dam (and later said their decision not to fight it harder was their greatest conservation mistake). The lake is named for John Wesley Powell, who made the first scientific exploration of the Colorado River in 1869. Wading-boat explorations of the canyon before the dam flooded it documented the “Cathedral in the Desert” and other extraordinary features. As the lake level drops, some pre-dam canyon features are re-emerging.

Glen Canyon Dam and Lake Powell sit in the Glen Canyon section of the Colorado River — a stretch where the Colorado cut through the Colorado Plateau’s Navajo Sandstone, Entrada Sandstone and other Jurassic formations, creating a spectacular canyon system. The lake’s characteristic color — vivid blue-green against brilliant red-orange sandstone canyon walls — is the result of the Colorado’s sediment being trapped behind Glen Canyon Dam (the clear, warm lake water contrasts with the sediment-laden Colorado below Hoover Dam). The dropping water level is exposing the “bathtub ring” — a white calcium carbonate and mineral deposit on the canyon walls marking the historical high-water level — now strikingly visible as the lake recedes.

Lake Powell and Glen Canyon Dam represent one of the most significant and controversial ecological interventions in the American West — the dam flooded one of the most biologically and geologically diverse canyon systems in the Colorado Plateau (Glen Canyon) under 186 miles of reservoir. The dam’s cold-water releases below the dam have fundamentally altered the Colorado River ecology downstream (the cold water from the dam’s depths replaced the warm-water cycle of the natural river, threatening native warm-water fish). The reservoir’s dropping water level is both revealing pre-dam canyon features (a complex ecological revelation) and concentrating recreational use into less space. The Glen Canyon Institute advocates for draining the reservoir to restore Glen Canyon; the debate continues.

Lake Powell holds a complex place in the cultural landscape of the American West — one of the premier boating and houseboating destinations in the country (beloved by millions of recreational users), simultaneously the subject of one of the most profound conservation debates in American history (the loss of Glen Canyon), and now a body of water experiencing dramatic level decline that makes the conservation debate more urgent. Its extraordinary visual landscape (red-sandstone canyon walls rising from brilliant blue water), its Rainbow Bridge, and its role in American recreation culture make it a significant icon. Lake Powell is a treasured recreational and controversial ecological icon of the American Southwest.

Lake Powell is accessible from three primary points: Page, Arizona (the largest gateway community, with Wahweap Marina — the main marina with boat rentals, houseboat rentals, Rainbow Bridge tours and full services; Page is on US-89, 130 miles from Flagstaff), Bullfrog Marina (on the Utah side, accessible from UT-276 south of Hanksville), and Halls Crossing Marina (also on the Utah side, accessible from UT-276). Page, AZ has full resort services (hotels, restaurants, gas). Rainbow Bridge National Monument boat trips depart from Wahweap Marina (reservations required; check NPS). An NPS entrance fee applies at Page/Wahweap. Check NPS for current lake level, marina operating status and conditions before visiting.

The National Park Service manages Glen Canyon NRA. The lake level decline is the primary conservation concern — the reservoir has dropped to historically low levels (below 35% capacity in recent years) due to drought and over-appropriation of the Colorado River. Visitors help by: conserving water in the watershed; supporting Colorado River water-sharing agreements; following all lake-use rules (no-wake zones protect the canyon walls from wave erosion; dispersed camping rules protect the beaches); packing out all trash (the lake has a litter problem in high-use coves); and not damaging the canyon walls or pre-dam archaeological sites that are emerging as the lake level drops (these are federally protected). Clean, drain and dry all watercraft to prevent the spread of quagga mussels (an invasive species that has colonized Lake Powell and threatens downstream waterways).

NPS entrance fee (America the Beautiful Pass accepted). Boating: life jackets required for all; no-wake zones in designated areas; check NPS for current navigation rules. Camping: dispersed camping along the lake shore is permitted (no fee); follow Leave No Trace and pack out all trash and human waste. Clean, drain, dry all watercraft (mandatory quagga-mussel prevention). Houseboat rentals: book well in advance for summer (rental companies at Wahweap). Rainbow Bridge boat trip: reservations required. Pack out all trash. Check NPS for current lake level, marina status and any closures before visiting.

Page, Arizona (the gateway city, with full resort services, the Antelope Canyon Navajo Tours — the most popular slot-canyon tour in Arizona, Horseshoe Bend — the famous Colorado River gooseneck overlook, and the Carl Hayden Visitor Center at Glen Canyon Dam), the Vermilion Cliffs and Coyote Buttes (northwest — The Wave and the slot canyons), the North Rim of the Grand Canyon (south — about 80 miles via US-89A and AZ-67), Monument Valley (east — about 60 miles on US-160), and Natural Bridges National Monument (northwest — about 80 miles from Page in Utah) define the region. Page, AZ anchors the Four Corners area outdoor experience.

Rent a kayak from Wahweap and paddle into Antelope Canyon by water (the water-access portion of Antelope Canyon — different from the famous tour sections — is reached by kayak from the lake; the experience of paddling into a narrow, glowing slot canyon is extraordinary). Book a houseboat for 3+ nights and find a secluded cove at least 10 miles from the nearest marina for the classic Lake Powell experience of total solitude in a red-rock cove with stars overhead. Take the Rainbow Bridge boat trip from Wahweap early in the morning — the 13-mile round-trip boat ride through the canyon to the world’s largest natural bridge (you walk 0.75 mile from the dock to the bridge itself) is one of the finest accessible natural wonders in the Southwest.