Lake Powell Park Info

VISITATION: Highest May through September; lowest in January.

LOCATION: Coconino Co., AZ; Kane Co., Garfield Co., Wayne Co., and San Juan Co., UT. Park Headquarters is located in Page, AZ.

OPERATING HOURS, SEASONS: Carl Hayden Visitor Center, Page, AZ, daily, Memorial Day – Labor Day, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.; rest of year, daily, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; closed Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years. Bullfrog Visitor Center, Bullfrog, UT, intermittently in March, daily April – October, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; closed November – February. Navajo Bridge Interpretive Center, near Lees Ferry, daily mid-April – October, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; weekends only, early April & November, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

CLIMATE, RECOMMENDED CLOTHING: Summers are extremely hot, with little, if any, shade. Winters are moderately cold with night time lows often below freezing. Spring weather is highly variable with extended periods of winds. Fall weather is usually mild. Temperatures range from 110° F (38°C) in June & July to O° F (-16°C) in December & January. Precipitation is generally light (less than 6 inches–15.2cm– annually) though heavy rains and flash flooding can occur in spring and summer. Recommend lightweight, light colored clothing for summer, including a hat. Layers of clothing are best for other times of the year.

DIRECTIONS: Glen Canyon Dam and the Wahweap Marina are located near Page, AZ on Highway 89. Northern sections of the area , Bullfrog, Halls Crossing & Hite and the Orange Cliffs, may be reached from Highways 95 and 276. Escalante is located on Utah Highway 12. Lees Ferry and the Navajo Bridge Interpretive Center are located just off Highway 89A near Marble Canyon.

TRANSPORTATION: All marinas are accessible by paved highways except for Dangling Rope, which is only accessible by water. The City of Page is served by a commercial commuter airline. Charter flights are available from Page to other areas on the lake. Bullfrog, Hite and Escalante all have landing strips. Cal Black Memorial Airport is located approximately 10 miles (16km) from Halls Crossing. In-park shuttle services are available at Wahweap, Bullfrog, Halls Crossing, and Hite. A vehicle ferry operates year-round between Bullfrog and Halls Crossing (ferry schedule & rates).

FEES, COSTS, RATES: Through the Omnibus Bill of 1996, Congress approved a “fee demonstration program” to provide additional funds to parks. Glen Canyon National Recreation Area (NRA) was selected to participate in this program. New entrance, boating, and camping fees were initiated in 1997. Benefits of this program include: Glen Canyon NRA retains 80% of revenue collected (compared to only 15% of revenues collected from traditional fee collection programs). Retained funds enable the recreation area to focus on improving Lake Powell water quality. During the 1999 season, rangers talked with over 16,000 lakeshore campers about new human waste containment regulations. A portion of fee moneys have been earmarked for rehabilitation of the Wahweap picnic area, Lonely Dell Ranch Historic District, and Widows Ledge archeological site.

Entrance & Boating Fees

FACILITIES AND OPPORTUNITIES:

Visitor Center/Exhibits: There are four visitor centers in Lake Powell National Recreation Area. The Valley Visitor Center, located in Lake Powell Valley is the largest and most comprehensive in terms of displays, books, postcards and maps. The Big Oak Flat Information Station, Wawona Information Station and Tuolumne Meadows Visitor Center are open on a more limited basis.

Trails, Roads: One-hundred and ninety-six miles of paved roads within the park, 840 miles of trails. Eight-miles of paved bike path in Lake Powell Valley. Programs/Activities: Regularly scheduled ranger-led walks, talks and evening programs. Concessionaire operated bus tours, guided horseback rides and bicycle rentals.

Lodging and camping facilities: Lodging in the park is operated by the Lake Powell Concession Services Corporation. Rates range from $37.00 per night for a basic tent cabin with nearby bathroom, to over $200 per night for a room at The Ahwahnee. Reservations can be made up to one year and one day in advance by calling (209) 252-4848 or by writing to Central Reservations, 5410 East Home, Fresno, CA 937277. Campgrounds in Lake Powell are operated by the National Park Service. New Lake Powell campground reservations system announced. See news release (updated 10/14/98) for details. A variety of hotels, motels and campgrounds are available in the communities and areas outside of the park.

Food/supplies: Food service and groceries available in the park and in surrounding communities.

Other Concessions/NPS-Managed Visitor Facilities and Opportunities: The Ansel Adams Gallery in Lake Powell Valley. Lake Powell Bookstore located at the Valley Visitor Center operated by the Lake Powell Association.

Accessibility: Visitor Centers and other public buildings within the recreation area are accessible. Concession facilities are accessible.

RECOMMENDED ACTIVITIES/PARK USE:

Fishing, boating, boat camping & water-based recreation, summer ranger programs, half & full-day tours to Rainbow Bridge, a guided tour of Glen Canyon Dam, four-wheeling on some of the park’s backroads, backpacking in the Escalante or Orange Cliffs, exploring the lake’s numerous side canyons by boat.

RESERVATIONS/PERMITS:
Appointments for school groups should be made two weeks in advance by calling (520) 608-6404. A Special Use Permit is required for special activities or organizations wishing to utilize the area for official functions. A Film Permit is required for all commercial filming. Camping reservations are required at Bullfrog only during Memorial Day Weekend. Call (520) 608-6200 for further information and applications for all permits.

BASIC VISIT RECOMMENDATIONS:
A minimum of one hour is recommended to visit Carl Hayden Visitor Center and take a guided tour of the dam (two hours in the off-season). One-half to one full day to take a tour to Rainbow Bridge. Three to seven days to visit the lake or backcountry areas.