3 Day Travel

Red rock, black lava, green valleys, ash-gray mountains and brown sand. In Southern Utah, you don’t have to travel far to see all five. And in the middle of some of the smoothest, multi-colored sandstone lies Lake Powell, the result of the herculean task of damming the Colorado River in Glen Canyon near the town of Page, Arizona.

With a coast line longer than the continental United States, the long, narrow lake has hundreds of side canyons and branches with natural archways and overhanging rock.

Deep greenish-blue waters mirror the towering cliffs in the still waters of morning and early evening. At night, the only sound is the chirping of crickets and an occasional fish jumping quickly out of the water to grab a late-night snack.

Traveling to and staying at the lake can be a little different than most lake trips. There are generally two ends of the lake that have easy access and large marinas. The first is called Bullfrog and it is on the Utah side of the lake. It in a larger bay in the top third of the lake. Here there are services like a gas station, lodge for overnight stay before or after your trip, a restaurant and of course, the marina and harbor. If you live north, east or west of Utah and plan on driving, this is the best–and shortest–route for you.

The second large marina is called Wahweap, located just six miles from Page, Arizona. This bottom third of the lake has two large bays and more amenities than Bullfrog–because of the town. It is also much closer to Las Vegas if you live far away and plan to fly, or live south of Utah.

Currently, the lake is at about half capacity, which is both good, and bad. It is good because there are more areas to dock boats because of exposed sand and small rocks. Also, you can see more caves, archways and taller cliffs because the water is low. Alternately, some canyons are inaccessible without hiking, so you are able to see a smaller number of canyons.

People enjoy the lake in a variety of ways, from camping in motorhomes on an accessible road, to staying in luxurious houseboats. Houseboats are long, somewhat narrow boats with a living area, small kitchen, bedrooms, bathroom(s) and a front and back deck with a flat area on top for sleeping, lounging or catching some sun. There are also varying sizes and degrees of comfort the houseboats afford, so before renting one check to see what it includes. Other people use a ski boat to get to different parts of the lake, and then camp on the shore from there. Your method may vary depending on how many people are traveling, and your preference.

Having some sort of watercraft is a necessity, however. Whether it be a wave runner, fishing boat, ski boat or something larger, you will want to be able to move about on the water and explore the beautiful canyons and rock formations. It’s why you come to this lake and not one possibly closer to home–to see the natural beauty that was formed millions of years ago and lures tourists still today.

To learn more about the lake or rent a houseboat:

http://www.nationalparkreservations.com/lakepowell.htm

http://www.powellguide.com/

http://www.lakepowell.com/