I grew up on boats so I’m pretty partial to anything to do with watersports and boating. I also love the outdoors so visiting Lake Powell has long been on my bucket list. Like you (probably), I get inspired to travel from many places, but mostly things I see on the internet. I remember seeing a video by Devon Super Tramp of people being launched into the air. That was the beginning but it wasn’t until I started researching previous trips that it was properly cemented on the list.
Located on the border of Arizona and Utah, Lake Powell is not a naturally forming lake in the strictest sense of the term; it exists inside Glen Canyon thanks to the building of Glen Canyon Dam, which was built in 1956.
It took 17 years for Lake Powell to fill its current capacity and it collects water to serve the surrounding states. The lake is 500 feet at its deepest, and these days it is around 410 feet. The volume of water can help the surrounding desert areas survive a drought that lasts up to 10 years!
Lake Powell is a very popular house boating location and Americans head to Lake Powell through the summer to bask in the sun, cruise the canyon, wakeboard, and zoom in and around the many turns of the lake. While I would love to have experienced it this way, we only had a day or two in Page.
I was determined to get out on the lake, though, so I settled for a Lake Powell Cruise from Wahweap Marina. They are pretty pricey but I did the maths and it was still much cheaper (and easier and less risk) than renting a boat and driving ourselves so this was the option.
When booking a Lake Powell cruise it’s important to look at the current and expected water levels for the time of year you visit, as some crevices are only open at higher water levels, which is rain- and ultimately season-dependent. There are many options to choose from and they all go to different parts of the Lake so choose one within your budget and desired length of time.
We chose the Canyon Adventure Cruise, which begins and ends at the Wahweap Marina and visits 2 slot canyons: Antelope Canyon and Navajo Canyon.
In theory, the cruise does a full lap around Antelope Island, but like I said about the water levels, if the water isn’t high enough the boat won’t make it through the chasm at the north end of the island. This was the case for us. At first, I was worried, but Lake Powell Marina confirmed that it will still run, it will just be an out and back deal heading south. I was fine with this as it made the boat ride longer for the same price, it just meant there was a section we didn’t see (it all kind of looks the same anyway).
Check out this link to for a description and video of the Canyon Adventure Cruise of Lake Powell.
Castle Rock
Castle Rock is the first landmark pointed out to cruisers. It is situated pretty well across from the marina but its true size can’t be grasped from the distance of the boat.
Antelope island
You’ll spend all day looking at Antelope Island and may not realise it. If the water level is high enough, as you leave the marina and begin your anti-clockwise lap, you’ll cross into Utah briefly before returning safely to Arizona.
If the water is low enough (which it most likely will be). You’ll notice that there is a sharp colour change on the walls of the canyon. The canyon wall will be a deep sandstone orange at the top and be somewhat whitewashed to the water level. This is the high watermark that was set in 1983 and I’d argue that the canyon is more interesting to see at its current level as there’s more canyon to actually see. If you were near the top, you might see land above the canyon wall but no actual canyon.
Glen Canyon Dam
The Glen Canyon Dam is the reason we are all here. This engineering feat created a lake that stretches 299 kilometres back through the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area and halfway to Canyonlands.
The dam creates a bridge from the town of Page to Wahweap and onwards to Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, which otherwise would have been a 200-mile round trip.
Antelope point marina
After the second bend, we passed Antelope Point Marina. This is another launching spot for holidayers or daytrippers on the lake. We passed a raft of houseboats and cruisers and I also know that there are all kinds of boats and activities you can hire there. Ultimately, it was more convenient to get the cruise from the place at which we were staying, which was Lake Powell Marina.
Antelope Canyon
Antelope Canyon snakes its way away from Lake Powell in between two narrow cliffs. We slowed to a crawl and passed kayakers enjoying life a slower pace. We putted down the canyon until we could go no more and it felt like the canyon walls would close in on us. I was most impressed by the finesse needed to turn such a large vessel in such a small space.
Now, you might be thinking: “Wait, isn’t Antelope Canyon the one you walk through? With the skinny red sandstone tunnels and the beams of light coming down from heaven?”
The answer is yes, the very same. Antelope Canyon, made famous by National Geographic, is very long and eventually makes it way out to join Glen Canyon, which is the vantage point from which our cruise saw it. It’s also why there is an upper and a lower Antelope Canyon miles apart.
Tower Butte
If you know where to look (it’ll be pointed out) you’ll see in the distance Tower Butte. It’s this lone butte standing tall in defiance to millions of years of erosion.
Navajo Canyon
Navajo Canyon was much wider than Antelope Canyon was and also much longer. Depending on the water levels you’ll go up to 4 miles into the canyon (out of an impossible 10). The whitewashed high watermark was on full show in Navajo Canyon with the contrast the starkest I saw on the whole cruise.
Navajo tapestry wall
The Tapestry Wall is the climax of Navajo Canyon and the turning point of the cruise. It is named for the apparent images that have appeared on the canyon wall from various erosion and water impacts (I’m guessing). It’s all pretty abstract but use your imagination and see what you can see.
Tips to get the most out of your Lake Powell Cruise
Bring snacks – There are drinks facilities onboard but no food. After a few hours you are bound to get the munchies.
The best place for photos is the bow, as you get all of the canyon in your shot without the boat. (Personally, I liked a little boat to give some context). But if the bow is too crowded when you want your magic shot, you can always get it from the stern on the way back out.
You must bring a hat and sunscreen. There is little shade up on deck and if you’re in the shade downstairs, you’re missing out on all the good views of the canyon and the best photos. So prepare to be in the sun the entire cruise.
Final Thoughts on the Lake Powell Boat Cruise
One thing to note, depending on the season, there is a chance your cruise could be cancelled if there aren’t enough people to make it economically viable for the tour operator. This actually happened to us, but thankfully they booked us on another cruise. We initially booked the Panoramic Lake Powell Tour, which goes much further to Gunsight Bay, but due to “lack of interest” we rebooked on the Canyon Adventure Tour. This ended up being great still because I loved actually going down the thin slot canyons.
If you are only in Page for a couple of days and want to experience Lake Powell, a day cruise is an excellent way to do so. At around US$70-$125 each, the tours are not cheap, but it is an unforgettable experience.
Where to stay around Lake Powell
There are quite a few options but in the end we opted to stay right on-site at Lake Powell Marina. There are a lot of campervan sites (which we utilised), but there are also hotel and resort facilities if you are travelling by car. The marina is about 10 minutes from the town of Page and 15-20 minutes from Antelope Canyon walking tours. It was a perfect location to feel away from it all while also being highly convenient for our boat tour.
Click here to browse other accommodation options around Page.
I travelled to Lake Powell on my own dollar and am not affiliated with Lake Powell Cruises or Marina in any way.
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