unknown” as Powell described it.
By comparison, today’s explorers will find a visit to the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area (GCNRA) and Lake Powell very easy and comfortable. Not that the surrounding scenery—driven by the colorfully striated Navajo sandstone shoreline—is any less spectacular than it was in Powell’s time. An RV visit to the lake can best be facilitated with a stay at Wahweap RV Campground, nestled near Page, Arizona, just a few hundred yards from the southwestern most shore of Lake Powell. Situated right in the heart of sprawling Wahweap Marina, the campground—featuring 250 campsites, 139 of which are fully serviced and newly paved—is surrounded by amenities. Each site features a fire ring, picnic table, free WiFi, easy access to restrooms, coin showers and laundromats, fish-cleaning stations, convenience stores, bars and restaurants. Another attractive feature of this campground is the opportunity to rent power boats and water toys such as jet skis, kayaks, wakeboards, and paddle boards from the nearby marina. You also can make arrangements for boat tours, hiking and fishing guides, and for tours of surrounding attractions, including the Carl Hayden Visitor Center at Glen Canyon Dam. This is a great day trip with interactive exhibits, films, a bookstore, and tours of the dam provided by the Glen Canyon Conservancy. For reservations visit www.lakepowell.com or call 800-528-6154. Save up to 15% on these rates by reserving your site at least seven days in advance.
One of the animals on Antelope Island
Lake Powell Lake Powell is a reservoir on the Colorado River formed by Glen Canyon Dam near Page, Arizona. At full capacity it covers nearly 250 square miles in southern Utah and northern Arizona. Construction began in the mid-1960s, but it took until 1980 for the massive dam to fill completely. Development of the dam led to the 1972 creation of Glen Canyon National Recreation Area managed by the National Park Service. It soon became a major vacation destination visited by approximately two million people every year. Linked with Hoover Dam that forms Lake Mead, approximately 275 miles south of Glen Canyon Dam, the two reservoirs also serve a vital function in providing hydro power and a controlled storage and delivery system for the water needs of seven states: Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada and Colorado. The lake level fluctuates considerably depending on the seasonal snow runoff from the Rocky Mountains. Also, sediments flowing in from the Colorado River settle at the bottom of the reservoir and decrease the total amount of water it can hold. These factors have left the lake at a lower-than-average level at the present time. The reservoir is named for John Wesley Powell, a civil war veteran who in 1869 formed an expedition comprised of three wooden boats to explore the Colorado River. Needless to say, it was a harrowing experience for the brazen explorer and his nine- man expedition to successfully navigate the “wild
Lake Powell
JUST ADD WATER
COAST TO COAST MAGAZINE SUMMER 2026 | 30
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