Glen Canyon National Recreation Area
Activities & Programs
Warm water, hot days and cool nights make Lake Powell the ideal destination for water lovers from May through October. At 3,700-feet elevation and within a 78 percent sunshine belt, Lake Powell often gets comfortable daytime temperatures even during the winter months. An elevation range from 3,200 feet at Lees Ferry to 7,154 feet atop the Kaiparowits Plateau ensures four relatively mild seasons.
Summer is the busiest season, but many essential services are available year-round. Seasonal discounts are available on lodging and boat rentals. Check for special offers when making reservations.
The lake provides plenty of adventures throughout the year. Spring and fall are best for hiking into the can-yons and discovering arches or ancient American Indian rock art, or just enjoying the glens for which the park is named. Winter offers solitude and outstanding photo opportunities.
The area warrants an extended stay—to sail the waters and to hike the canyons. But if you only have a day to spend here, consult at a visitor center for suggestions on how to enjoy this truly remarkable "away-from-it-all" holiday spot.
Park Programs
Several nights a week during the months of June, July and August, NPS rangers at Wah-weap Campground present slide shows and specialized programs on such subjects as geology, wildlife, the Ancestral Puebloan (Anasazi) people and the historic settlement of the area. Also, during the summer, look for rangers at Rain-bow Bridge and the Petroglyph Panel below the dam to hear compelling stories about the area.
Don't miss NPS and Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) audiovisual exhibits at Carl Hayden Visitor Center and Navajo Bridge Interpretive Center. NPS audiovisual exhibits are shown at Carl Hayden Visitor Center and Navajo Bridge Interpretive Center. BOR audiovisual exhibits are shown at Carl Hayden Visitor Center only. Please call (928) 608-6404 for further information.
Museum
The John Wesley Powell Museum is located in downtown Page and is open daily (closed from mid-December to mid-February). Exhibits include early artifacts, a replica of Major Powell's original boat and fine American Indian basketry. Please call (928) 645-9496 for more information.
Tours on the Water
For current schedule and departure times, please call Lake Powell Resort at (928) 645-1070. All tours require a minimum number of passengers. Low lake levels may necessitate schedule changes affecting some tours.
The Rainbow Bridge Cruise, available at Lake Powell Resort, is the best way to visit the awe-inspiring Rainbow Bridge National Monument. This scenic cruise travels over 100 miles round trip to Forbidding Canyon. When lake levels permit, both all-day and half-day trips are available.
The Wahweap Bay Canyon Princess Cruise is an enjoyable, one-hour ride around Wahweap Bay and Castle Rock on a yacht-style, 96-foot tour boat, just added to the fleet in 2007. Available April through October. There are several departure times throughout the day, as well as a nightly Sunset Dinner Cruise.
The Antelope Canyon Tour is a 1.5-hour cruise that visits the narrow, winding Antelope Canyon. It has afternoon departures twice daily from Lake Powell Resort.
WATER SPORTS
Fishing
Lake Powell's various game fish and the Glen Canyon Dam Lees Ferry Colorado River trout pop-ulation provide exciting fishing opportunities year-round. The lake is known for its largemouth, smallmouth and striped bass, crappie and walleye. Before your first cast, however, check with a marina store for the necessary licenses, fish limits and other regulations.
March to November is prime fishing season. Crappies swim into the shallows to spawn in spring, so fishing the shoreline brush is a good bet. Fish in deep waters during the cooler months to catch walleye. If you're an avid angler, inquire at a marina store about the next fishing tournament.
For current fishing conditions at Lake Powell, please visit the website at www.wayneswords.com.
Boating
Lake Powell's sheer, twisting canyons intrigue and delight boaters. Inlets are interspersed with sandy beaches which lure visitors to picnic or camp in the shadows of multicolored cliffs. Broad bays offer space for waterskiers, while houseboating seems to be made for Powell. Lake Powell Resorts & Marinas and Antelope Point Holdings, LLC, maintain a fleet of houseboats, powerboats and an assortment of personal watercraft (PWCs) for rent.
Houseboats are available for trips as short as two days from October through mid-May, or a minimum of three days the rest of the year. It takes several days to really get away and experience the solitude and chameleon moods of the lake's nooks and crannies. The most enjoyable speeds for houseboating are "slow" or "stopped." Talk with park rangers or marina staff to determine how far you can travel across the waters and back within your time limit. Getting sidetracked by yet another narrow, intriguing canyon is part of the thrill of this adventure.
Before setting out, you'll receive a thorough orientation session and instruction manual that covers such maneuvers as piloting, docking, anchoring, refueling and pumping out. Study a map and chart your course before departing. Bring your own beach towels, flashlights, batteries, map and compass. Many people also rent a "tag-along" powerboat for water-skiing or side trips, using the houseboat as a mobile base.
Rental boats are available in many types and sizes. Not all sizes of boats are available at all marinas. Small boats rented for over-night use must have a portable toilet on board. Portable toilets are available for rent at Wahweap boat rentals, and may be purchased at Bullfrog boat rentals.
Personal watercraft and other equipment are available for rent. Wakeboards and ski tubes are great for water enthusiasts of all ages. Kneeboards and waterskis are also popular. Please see page 14 for personal watercraft operating rules. Please call (801) 538-2628 to learn how to obtain a Utah PWC education certificate.
Hourly rentals can be arranged on the spot at each marina. For full-day or longer rentals, ad-vance reservations are -recom-mended. Call (800) 528-6154 or (602) 278-8888 from the greater Phoenix area or call the marina directly. Please see page 20 for marina phone numbers.
Kayaking and Canoeing
Kayaks and canoes provide a great way to explore the narrow canyons of the lake. You don't need to be an expert paddler to have fun: Lake Powell offers opportunities for one-hour or several-day excursions. Visitors with their own inflatable kayak or canoe can savor a true wilderness adventure in the canyons of the Escalante. Depending on water levels, passage into certain canyons may be limited.
Swimming
During the summer, water temperatures are ideal for swimming, reaching an average of 80°F in August. Avoid swimming in crowded boating areas and use extreme cau--tion when diving or jumping into the water. Please see "Park Regula-tions & Safety" on pages 14—19 for more information.
Waterskiing
Most of the lake's surface is ideal for waterskiing for all skill levels. However, waterskiing is pro-hib-ited in areas with heavy boat traffic and inside the narrow can-yons. Please see "Park Regula-tions & Safety" on pages 14—19 for more information.
Glen Canyon In Depth
News from the Parks
Denali National Park Goes Greener With New Hybrid Commercial Bus From IC Bus
July 18, 2008 - 12:55pm
DENALI, Alaska, July 17, 2008 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ ----Visitors to Alaska's Denali National Park and Preserve, one of the largest protected intact ecosystems in the world, will now have the opportunity to explore the park with the aid of an environmentally friendly vehicle -- a fuel-efficient and emissions-reducing hybrid bus. IC Bus, North America's largest school bus and commercial bus manufacturer, is delivering the Park's first hybrid bus on July 17.
July 18, 2008 - 12:55pm
DENALI, Alaska, July 17, 2008 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ ----Visitors to Alaska's Denali National Park and Preserve, one of the largest protected intact ecosystems in the world, will now have the opportunity to explore the park with the aid of an environmentally friendly vehicle -- a fuel-efficient and emissions-reducing hybrid bus. IC Bus, North America's largest school bus and commercial bus manufacturer, is delivering the Park's first hybrid bus on July 17.
Canyoneering Heaven At Zion National Park
July 18, 2008 - 10:17am
Lee and Brian are loaded like sherpas, each hauling an end of the 700-foot-long rope and moving in lockstep as they hike down a dry creek bed through a ponderosa pine forest atop a mesa about 6,000 feet above sea level. Behind us, at the end of a wretched logging road that almost made a couple of people in our group sick, is Lee's truck, which we'll come back for the next day. Ahead of us is . . . one big drop. The creek bed ends at a sheer cliff that plunges into what looks like an enormous hole. Walking to the edge, I peer over and can't see the bottom. This is the start of Engelstead Canyon.
July 18, 2008 - 10:17am
Lee and Brian are loaded like sherpas, each hauling an end of the 700-foot-long rope and moving in lockstep as they hike down a dry creek bed through a ponderosa pine forest atop a mesa about 6,000 feet above sea level. Behind us, at the end of a wretched logging road that almost made a couple of people in our group sick, is Lee's truck, which we'll come back for the next day. Ahead of us is . . . one big drop. The creek bed ends at a sheer cliff that plunges into what looks like an enormous hole. Walking to the edge, I peer over and can't see the bottom. This is the start of Engelstead Canyon.
Shenandoah National Park Launches Multimedia Tour Inviting Visitors to Experience the Blue Ridge Mountains Like Never Before
July 18, 2008 - 9:30am
Austin, Texas - Greta Miller, Executive Director of the Shenandoah National Park Association announced today the launch of a new interpretive tool, the GPS Ranger™, for visitors at Shenandoah National Park. Visitors to the park can experience the Blue Ridge Mountains and learn more about the park’s unique history, land, plants, and animals with the assistance of the multimedia GPS Ranger™ tour guide system. Informative and educational ranger-narrated videos automatically play as guests hike.
July 18, 2008 - 9:30am
Austin, Texas - Greta Miller, Executive Director of the Shenandoah National Park Association announced today the launch of a new interpretive tool, the GPS Ranger™, for visitors at Shenandoah National Park. Visitors to the park can experience the Blue Ridge Mountains and learn more about the park’s unique history, land, plants, and animals with the assistance of the multimedia GPS Ranger™ tour guide system. Informative and educational ranger-narrated videos automatically play as guests hike.
Hiker tackles every mile of trail in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park
July 18, 2008 - 9:28am
Sixty-three year old Diane Scarbrough loves to spend time in the Smoky Mountains. "Anybody that can be out there for any length of time," she says. "It's uplifting." Diane's passion for hiking turned into a mission to hike every mile of trail in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. "We call it the 900 mile club. Actually it comes out to be 845, but I think they round that off because it takes a long time to get to a trail. We may hike 4 miles to get to the trail we are hiking on," Diane explains.
July 18, 2008 - 9:28am
Sixty-three year old Diane Scarbrough loves to spend time in the Smoky Mountains. "Anybody that can be out there for any length of time," she says. "It's uplifting." Diane's passion for hiking turned into a mission to hike every mile of trail in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. "We call it the 900 mile club. Actually it comes out to be 845, but I think they round that off because it takes a long time to get to a trail. We may hike 4 miles to get to the trail we are hiking on," Diane explains.
Rabid bat in Olympic National Park puts visitor, three employees in treatment
July 18, 2008 - 9:25am
The Olympic National Park's first possible case of rabies since 1977 has struck a woman who was in the Ozette campground late last week. The 55-year-old woman is getting rabies prevention treatment after a bat scratched her in the Ozette campground. Three Olympic National Park employees who responded to the incident are also receiving treatment. The bat approached the woman at her campsite. She knocked the bat to the ground and got scratched. The stunned bat remained on the ground until the next morning. Park employees removed the bat for rabies testing. The rabies virus was found in the bat. The only other known case of rabies in Olympic National Park was recorded 33 years ago in July 1975, when a child was bitten by a bat in the Elwha Valley.
July 18, 2008 - 9:25am
The Olympic National Park's first possible case of rabies since 1977 has struck a woman who was in the Ozette campground late last week. The 55-year-old woman is getting rabies prevention treatment after a bat scratched her in the Ozette campground. Three Olympic National Park employees who responded to the incident are also receiving treatment. The bat approached the woman at her campsite. She knocked the bat to the ground and got scratched. The stunned bat remained on the ground until the next morning. Park employees removed the bat for rabies testing. The rabies virus was found in the bat. The only other known case of rabies in Olympic National Park was recorded 33 years ago in July 1975, when a child was bitten by a bat in the Elwha Valley.
