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I can’t believe it’s taken me five years to write this post! I guess it’s just given me extra time to think of everything you need to know before planning a Lake Powell vacation. And it’s a lot.

And after working at Lake Powell for six seasons (four in Bullfrog, two in Wahweap), not just visiting, I like to think I’m pretty qualified when it comes to knowing about visiting Lake Powell.

Half my job this whole time, after all, has been answering questions about how to visit Lake Powell, where to go, how to get there, everything. One time in Bullfrog someone actually called and asked me how to get there from San Fransisco. Seriously.

And I had a revelation today that I would be able to write the ultimate post about planning a Lake Powell vacation and everything you need to know before getting here and decided I needed to do it right now. Right now.

If you’re looking for things to do on Lake Powell, this isn’t really the post for that. (But there will be one sooner than later.) This is more of the logistical side of things, just general info you may not know. All in one helpful place for your enjoyment (if you like planning things.)

So, here are all the things you need to know about a trip to Lake Powell that you probably wouldn’t have thought of. Feel free to let me know if you have any other questions in the comments, too!

Things to bring if you’re visiting Lake Powell

This isn’t a specific boating packing list or anything, just a few things to bring aside from usual desert adventure stuff (like sunscreen, water, a hat, etc.) The first two things are the most important if you’re going out on the lake, the rest are just good reads for a trip out here.

This is mostly a list of books about Lake Powell, the Colorado River, or water in the southwest that are pretty relevant to visiting Lake Powell. It may also introduce you to some of the Lake Powell/Glen Canyon Dam controversy).

• Lake Powell Map (the Stan Jones map is the best one, I have like, three)
• Boaters Guide to Lake Powell
• Where the Water Goes
• Monkey Wrench Gang
• Cadillac Desert: The American West and its Disappearing Water
• Dead Pool: Lake Powell, Global Warming, and the Future of Water in the West
• Science Be Dammed: How Ignoring Inconvenient Science Drained the Colorado River
• Downriver: Into the Future of Water in the West
• Hayduke Lives!

Lake Powell Hierarchy Breakdown

The running of Lake Powell can be a little confusing, so here is a brief explanation. Glen Canyon National Recreation Area is run by National Park Service. Aramark is the park concessionaire (runs the stuff in the park) for everything but Antelope Point and Hite.

Wahweap (and Bullfrog, Halls Crossing, and Dangling Rope) is part of Lake Powell Resorts and Marinas. So Wahweap is in Lake Powell is in Glen Canyon. All the names can be confusing.

Lake Powell is massive

Like, so massive. It has more shoreline than the west coast of the United States (almost 2,000 miles). It’s five hours by car or boat from Bullfrog to Wahweap. Twice that in a houseboat.

From the dam, the lake goes for 186 miles. Plus, it has two river arms to explore and 96 (or so) canyons, some 15-20 miles long. It’s. Huge. Most people don’t realize how big the lake actually is.

You cannot get to Horseshoe Bend from the lake

One of the things I do now is set up private boat tours and I can’t even tell you how many people ask if they can see Horseshoe Bend on the boat tour. No. You can’t. There’s a dam in the way.

You can easily visit Horseshoe Bend on your own though and do the short hike to it or do a rafting tour through the bottom with Wilderness River Adventure. You can’t see Havasu Falls here, either.

Bullfrog is in the literal middle of nowhere

Seriously. There are small towns nearby like Hanksville, Green River, and Blanding, but if you want to go to a real store (like Target or anything) it’s almost a four-hour drive.

Way less people visit Bullfrog because it isn’t on the way anywhere. You’re basically going there with a purpose. It’s also just a lot smaller.

If you want to visit the lake and are going from Blanding to Capitol Reef, you could spend a night here just for funsies since it’s between the two, but if you’re not going on the lake here, there isn’t much to do in Bullfrog itself.

Wahweap is by Page

Wahweap is the much bigger, and much busier, marina on Lake Powell and you can find it just a short drive from Page, Arizona. This end is much easier to visit if you’re just passing through the area since it’s right off Highway 89.

There still isn’t much to do in Wahweap if you aren’t going out on the water, but it’s better if you just want to go and see the lake since you just drive ten minutes off the highway to get to the water instead of 90 minutes round-trip.

To get the view of Reflection Canyon, you have to hike almost 20 miles

If you look at Google Images for Lake Powell, chances are you’ll see one or ten pictures of Reflection Canyon right away. This is the canyon that looks like a snakey/curvey canyon. You can boat to it, no problemo but if you want that iconic view, you’ll have to hoof it.

That’s right. An almost 20-mile round-trip hike, most likely as an overnight trip, is how you get that view. And that’s after driving like, 50 miles down Hole-in-the-Rock road which is an awful road (it’s super rough).

It’s not an easy hike and is barely even a trail. You’ll need route finding skills and to definitely be prepared for this one. So unless you’re into a backpacking trip and have experience with that, I’d skip this for now.

What you can see depends on the lake level

For the most part, you’ll always be able to see the main sights, but with low lake levels, things that have been underwater for years are going to be visible again.

As for the main things like Rainbow Bridge or Cathedral in the Desert, you’ll still be able to see them easily, just with more hiking. The part of Cathedral in the Desert that you’ll be able to see or get to will definitely vary with the lake level. It’s one of my favorite things on the lake though.

Most of the lake is in Utah

That’s right. Almost all of Lake Powell is in Utah but Arizona gets all the glory. All the magnets and mugs and stickers have Arizona things on them (or Horseshoe Bend) even though almost then entire lake is in Utah. This bothers me more than it should but I’ll survive.

Wahweap, which is in Arizona, is the busier and bigger marina, and way easier to access, so I guess I understand a little bit, but still. It’s almost all in Utah.

If your boat sinks, don’t just abandon it

Most people with sinking boats won’t just abandon them, but it has happened. And if it does, it will probably be found. Abandoning a sinking boat doesn’t make much sense but if you do and it’s found, you can get major fines from National Park Service since it’s a pretty major environmental concern.

If you’re coming from the Grand Canyon or Zion, you’re probably going to Wahweap

It’s just a couple of hours from either rim of the Grand Canyon and Zion to Wahweap but it’s 5-7 from either to Bullfrog. I got tons of calls in Bullfrog of people that we’re on their way there from the Grand Canyon or Zion. They were usually just leaving and would be there in a couple of hours! But they were looking for Wahweap.

I also had someone call Bullfrog asking if we were on Lake Powell and I said yes but not by Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend. She kept saying “but you’re on Lake Powell, right?” Yes. But in the middle of nowhere. Hours from town and Page and other parks.

You can usually tell when people are looking for Wahweap based on questions they’re asking or where they’re coming from and the insistence that we were on Lake Powell was one of them.

It can all be on Lake Powell but like I said before, it’s massive. Bullfrog and Wahweap are not close. And Bullfrog is closer to Moab than Zion and the Grand Canyon but that’s still at least three hours.

If you’re planning on visiting Lake Powell, just double check the end that you’re going to or closest to, especially if you’re on your way. Related, I would double-check RV reservations (the main offender of booking the wrong marina and Wahweanp is most likely booked up.)

The lake part of Antelope Canyon doesn’t look like the land part

That’s not to say the lake part of it is bad but it won’t look like what you see when you Google “Antelope Canyon.” It is all the same canyon though, it’s just a very long canyon.

You can either go by boat or kayak. If you’re kayaking, I’d leave from Antelope Point since it’s much closer. Just be prepared that the lake part of Antelope Canyon is very busy.

You can only see the main land part (Upper and Lower Antelope Canyons) by tour since it’s on Navajo Nation. If Navajo nation is closed (like it currently is) don’t try and hike in these on your own. It’s disrespectful and just not allowed. This also goes for any other Navajo Tribal Parks or canyons.

It looks easy to get lost, but it’s actually pretty hard to do that

The first time I went out on a boat in 2016 I was like how on Earth does anyone navigate this!? But it’s actually not that confusing once you’re out there.

Most canyons are marked by buoys, as are the San Juan and Escalante River Arms and Rainbow Bridge. There are red and green mile marker buoys in the main channel that are lifesavers when it comes to navigating.

If you’re just going and don’t see any mile markers, you could be in a canyon or one of the river arms if you took a wrong turn out of a canyon.

It really helps to keep your eye on the next buoy as far as where to go through the main channel. Navajo Mountain is also a good landmark.

From Bullfrog, it will be to the south and from Wahweap it will be to the north. If you’re going North, it will be on your right whether it’s in front of or behind you. If you’re going south, it will be on the left.

Having a Lake Powell map with you (I love the Stan Jones Map) makes navigating a lot easier and less scary. It also has all the canyons and cool sights marked on it.

If you’re planning on renting a boat, book it in advance

This isn’t always the case, but if you’re planning a visit in the summer, I would highly advise renting a boat in advance, especially if you’re renting from Wahweap.

And if you rent from town, they usually launch the boat for you but you’d probably need to rent a slip for the boat if it’s more than one day (I’m not sure specifics on rentals from town though.)

And probably the hotel too

And camping and the RV park. Especially on weekends and holidays. And this goes for Bullfrog and Wahweap. Since I don’t work at the hotel I’m not sure what availability looks like anymore, but from what I’ve heard, it’s very busy, and I would definitely book ahead if you know you’ll want to stay there, especially in Bullfrog since it’s so much smaller (48 rooms vs 348).

At least Wahweap is by Page and has plenty of other options that are nice and affordable. In Bullfrog you’ve either got Ticaboo or Hanksville as options and neither are great.

And boat slips, while we’re at it

Bullfrog may be different but Wahweap has been so busy this year and slips have been booked a couple of weeks out, so definitely book that in advance, too. And don’t just pull into any slip because that’s annoying for everyone and mean.

It’s busy but there are plenty of places to get away from the crowds

North lake is a lot less busy, so that’s the obvious answer. If you’re visiting south lake though, you can still easily get away from the crowds.

The further north you go and out of the bays and popular spots (especially Padre, Antelope, and Navajo Canyons) the fewer people you’ll see. Further back into canyons is also a good way to see fewer people.

Cell phone service comes and goes

Theoretically, if you can see Navajo Mountain you’ll have service of some sort. Verizon is best all over, but it can still vary. You can just be going through the main channel with no service and then get a bunch of texts randomly then it’s gone again.

It comes and goes and will usually be there in unexpected places. You most likely won’t have service in canyons so if you need it, try going back to the main channel.

The north end is way prettier

I’ll die on this hill and probably argue it with anyone. This isn’t to say the south end isn’t pretty, because it is, just in a different way. But the north end is prettier. The whole surrounding area at the north end is just better. It’s all good but north is best.

Pretty much all of the pictures in this post are north lake, like, Rainbow Bridge and up.

Antelope Point isn’t run by Aramark (but the rest is)

Antelope Point Marina is the only marina on the lake not run by Aramark (and Hite but that’s not accessible by water anymore). So asking Wahweap about Antelope Point availability won’t help.

Hite is not accessible by water

Hite is the northernmost, uhh, marina, I guess? But it’s not a marina at this point. It’s mostly just a gas station in the middle of nowhere on Highway 95.

It’s a beautiful area but there isn’t much to do there for visitors. And you definitely can’t get here by water, especially now. But if you’re driving from Blanding to Capitol Reef, it’s a nice little stop.

The only way to access Rainbow Bridge is by boat or a 20+ mile hike

That’s right. Options are pretty limited but there are a few ways to get there on the water. In normal times, they have big boat tours to Rainbow Bridge from Wahweap. You can also rent a boat to drive yourself or get a private boat tour.

As for the hike, it’s a 1-3 day trek you need a permit from Navajo Nation. Oh, and it’s 30 miles round-trip. This isn’t a hike for a casual visit to see Rainbow Bridge, that’s for sure.