Glen Canyon National Recreation Area
Glen Canyon National Recreation Area
Encompassing over 1.2 million acres, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area offers unparalleled opportunities for water-based & backcountry recreation. Stretching hundreds of miles from Lees Ferry in Arizona to the Orange Cliffs of southern Utah, Glen Canyon NRA is bursting with scenic vistas, geologic wonders and a vast panorama of human history. Begin your journey at the visitorâ
At A Glance
In The Park
Superintendent: Kitty RobertsPhone Number: 928-608-6210
Entrance Fees: Individual: $7; Vehicle Pass: $15
Sights: Glen Canyon Dam; Lake Powell; Kaiparowits Plateau; Navajo Mountain
Endangered Species: Bald Eagle; Golden Eagle; Colorado Squawfish, Humpback Chub; Bonytail Chub; Razorback Sucker
Important Dates
Established as Park: October 27, 1972By The Numbers
Acres: 1,254,430.00Highest Point: Kaitarowits Plateau (8000 feet)
Annual Visitation: 1,885,378 (2006)
Location
Latitude / Longitude :37.750390 / -110.797350 (map it)
State: AZ
Nearby Big City: Page, AZ
Gateway Communities: Page, AZ
Nearby Airports: Page Municipal Airport (PGA)
Green Features
Has Recycling? : YesHas Shuttle System? : No
Has Volunteer Program? : Yes
Park Photos
Glen Canyon, 1719
National Park Service
Glen Canyon, 1724
National Park Service
Glen Canyon, 2948
National Park Service
View More Glen Canyon Photos
In Detail
Activities & Programs Warm water, hot days and cool nights make Lake Powell the ideal destination for water lovers from May through October. At 3,700-feet elevation and within a 78 percent sunshine belt, Lake Powell often ... read more.
At Your Fingertips Park Information (928) 608-6404 www.nps.gov/glca Lake Powell Resorts & Marinas (800) 528-6154 or (602) 278-8888 Lodging, Tours and from the Phoenix area; Recreational Rentals Oct. — Mar. ... read more.
Clean Water Clean water is one of Lake Powell's most valuable resources. Because Glen Canyon National Recreation Area attracts nearly 2 million visitors each year, the threat of pollution is a constant concern. ... read more.
Flora & Fauna Life in Glen Canyon requires tenacity and creative adaptability. While the region appears harsh and sometimes barren, the park abounds with wildlife. The Colorado Plateau rises like a lush island fro ... read more.
Glen Canyon Camping RV Parks RV parks with full utility hookups are available year-round by Lake Powell Resorts & Marinas at Wahweap, Bullfrog and Halls Crossing. Facilities include grocer-ies, LP gas, showers and ... read more.
Glen Canyon In A Nutshell More than one million acres of incredibly diverse and beautiful land await you in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. Lake Powell forms the heart of Glen Canyon, but there is so much more to see be ... read more.
Glen Canyon Regulations A national park such as Glen Canyon NRA is a museum without walls. For your safety and enjoyment, please observe all regulations. Commercial Filming All commercial photography within Glen Canyon NR ... read more.
History EARLY INHABITANTS Small bands of prehistoric Indians, called Paleo-Indian people, roved and hunted through the Glen Canyon area at the end of the Ice Age, about 9,000 to 11,000 years ago. Later, a De ... read more.
Leave No Trace Do your part to ensure that Glen Canyon National Recreation Area survives and thrives in the future. • In addition to packing out all solid human waste, dispose of "gray water" at pump-out st ... read more.
Loding & Dining LODGING Lodging at Glen Canyon National Recreation Area includes onshore lodges, motel rooms and family units, and spacious houseboats. For lodging reservations any day prior to arrival, call (800) ... read more.
Oh, Ranger! "In the end we conserve only what we love, We will love only what we understand, We will understand only what we are taught."—Baba Dioum When I introduce myself to visitors, I am often asked, ... read more.
Only A Day The best way to enjoy your time here is to get on the water. Take any of the boat tours on Lake Powell or try a float trip on the Colorado River. See page 46 for more information. All tours include a ... read more.
Plant Zones Riparian Community Many miles of streamside and canyon bottoms provide habitat for this community. Although some streams are usually dry in the spring, water is generally available deep below the sur ... read more.
Preserving the Park By understanding and protecting the fragile natural and cultural resources of Glen Canyon, you can help preserve the park for the future. Historic and Archeological Sites Glen Canyon's prehistoric In ... read more.
Sights to See Escalante Canyons Accessed by boat or trails, the Escalante River canyons draw visitors to their cool, serene depths, their natural bridges and arches—including Stevens Arch, the largest in Gle ... read more.
Visitor Services Four marinas operate year-round on the perimeter of Lake Powell and are accessible by land. A fifth marina, Dangling Rope, is accessible only by boat. The two full-service marinas offer houseboat and ... read more.
Walking & Hiking Backcountry walking and hiking opportunities in Glen Canyon NRA are well-kept secrets. There are few marked trails through Glen Canyon's spectacular and undeveloped areas, some of which have limited ... read more.
Zebra Mussel Threat Zebra mussels are a real and imminent threat to many Western waters: they damage boat engines, threaten native fish and wildlife and cost taxpayers by clogging power plant and public water intakes an ... read more.
Recent News
- Public Meeting Provides Information about Lake Powell Pipeline Project May 8, 2008, 7:41 pm
- Plane Damaged In Landing At Closed Backcountry Airstrip April 28, 2008, 4:30 pm
Glen Canyon In Depth
News from the Parks
Park Service defends actions after finding arsenic at Fort Reno
May 15, 2008 - 12:28pm
The National Park Service was fending off uncomfortable questions Wednesday after it waited 14 hours to tell the public that one of Northwest’s most popular parks was potentially tainted with poison. The Park Service and U.S. Park Police swooped into Fort Reno Park early Wednesday, moving out pedestrians and throwing up storm fences. Officials said satellite pictures from the U.S. Geological Survey revealed pockets of arsenic on the ground that were nearly twice federal safety standards. The park has been closed to visitors until the arsenic can be removed, officials said. There was no timetable for reopening. It took until 9 a.m. for federal officials to call the D.C. Department of Health. The D.C. fire department wasn’t notified until around 1 p.m., a spokesman told The Examiner.
May 15, 2008 - 12:28pm
The National Park Service was fending off uncomfortable questions Wednesday after it waited 14 hours to tell the public that one of Northwest’s most popular parks was potentially tainted with poison. The Park Service and U.S. Park Police swooped into Fort Reno Park early Wednesday, moving out pedestrians and throwing up storm fences. Officials said satellite pictures from the U.S. Geological Survey revealed pockets of arsenic on the ground that were nearly twice federal safety standards. The park has been closed to visitors until the arsenic can be removed, officials said. There was no timetable for reopening. It took until 9 a.m. for federal officials to call the D.C. Department of Health. The D.C. fire department wasn’t notified until around 1 p.m., a spokesman told The Examiner.
Vets get heroes' welcome
May 15, 2008 - 12:27pm
A crowd of hundreds whooped, clapped and waved signs and American flags as one by one, about 100 World War II veterans from Simpsonville and across the Upstate descended the escalators on their return to Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport.The group, part of Honor Flight Simpsonville, returned May 7 from a daylong trip to Washington, D.C., where they visited the National World War II Memorial and other historic sites.Honor Flight Simpsonville, a project announced by the city of Simpsonville on Veterans Day last November, flew the veterans, guardians and a doctor on a chartered U.S. Airways flight to the nation's capital. The flight returned to Greenville at 7:45 p.m. after a day that started with a 9 a.m. flight and included visits to Arlington National Cemetery and the National Mall.
May 15, 2008 - 12:27pm
A crowd of hundreds whooped, clapped and waved signs and American flags as one by one, about 100 World War II veterans from Simpsonville and across the Upstate descended the escalators on their return to Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport.The group, part of Honor Flight Simpsonville, returned May 7 from a daylong trip to Washington, D.C., where they visited the National World War II Memorial and other historic sites.Honor Flight Simpsonville, a project announced by the city of Simpsonville on Veterans Day last November, flew the veterans, guardians and a doctor on a chartered U.S. Airways flight to the nation's capital. The flight returned to Greenville at 7:45 p.m. after a day that started with a 9 a.m. flight and included visits to Arlington National Cemetery and the National Mall.
Young guides give free tours, but welcome tips
May 15, 2008 - 12:26pm
With a little bit of rap (about King George III, of all people: "He was a meany and we were so teeny"), a healthy but not overbearing dose of history and a whole lot of nerve, two recent college graduates are rattling the genteel world of Washington tour guides. Ben Hindman and Brody Davis are giving tours for free. Working only for tips, the two friends in bright orange caps are attracting tourists who find themselves on the National Mall knowing little more than that the really tall one has to do with Washington; the squat, columned one is where Forrest Gump liked to hang out; and the one with the dome is where the president lives, or something like that. "A lot of tourists really don't know anything about Washington or history," Hindman says. "We thought we could entertain people and get them interested in history at the same time."
May 15, 2008 - 12:26pm
With a little bit of rap (about King George III, of all people: "He was a meany and we were so teeny"), a healthy but not overbearing dose of history and a whole lot of nerve, two recent college graduates are rattling the genteel world of Washington tour guides. Ben Hindman and Brody Davis are giving tours for free. Working only for tips, the two friends in bright orange caps are attracting tourists who find themselves on the National Mall knowing little more than that the really tall one has to do with Washington; the squat, columned one is where Forrest Gump liked to hang out; and the one with the dome is where the president lives, or something like that. "A lot of tourists really don't know anything about Washington or history," Hindman says. "We thought we could entertain people and get them interested in history at the same time."
Jefferson Memorial Needs Repair, Study Says
May 15, 2008 - 12:25pm
The sea wall at the Jefferson Memorial has sunk almost a foot in places since the monument was built, and the rate seems to have increased in recent years, according to a year-long study commissioned by the National Park Service. As a result, the sea wall, in the Tidal Basin, should be reinforced with pilings driven through the mud flats and anchored in bedrock far below, a project that would probably cost more than $10 million, a Park Service spokesman said. Park Service officials said they would study the report and conduct further investigations before deciding on a course of action. The 32,000-ton memorial does not appear to be sinking. But the report urges continued monitoring of the 18-acre complex to understand what is happening in the ground. One engineer said that if nothing is done, the problems will worsen.
May 15, 2008 - 12:25pm
The sea wall at the Jefferson Memorial has sunk almost a foot in places since the monument was built, and the rate seems to have increased in recent years, according to a year-long study commissioned by the National Park Service. As a result, the sea wall, in the Tidal Basin, should be reinforced with pilings driven through the mud flats and anchored in bedrock far below, a project that would probably cost more than $10 million, a Park Service spokesman said. Park Service officials said they would study the report and conduct further investigations before deciding on a course of action. The 32,000-ton memorial does not appear to be sinking. But the report urges continued monitoring of the 18-acre complex to understand what is happening in the ground. One engineer said that if nothing is done, the problems will worsen.
Kayaking Trips at Channel Islands National Park
May 15, 2008 - 12:22pm
My friend Craig and I were nearing the end of our paddling excursion through Channel Islands National Park: a circumnavigation of Santa Rosa Island, followed by an open ocean sprint through pea soup fog to Santa Cruz Island, and an exploration of the natural wonders on that island’s craggy front side. We kayaked past volcanic sea stacks and configurations such as Profile Point, then paddled into the Dardanelles, where we ducked under triangular and keyhole-shaped arches. But it was the black mass that swarmed beneath Craig’s kayak at Potato Harbor that we remember most.We couldn’t have asked for cleaner paddling conditions: no swell or wind, and the water clarity mirrored the South Pacific. We’d paddled the entire front side of the largest island in the archipelago without a break, and decided to stretch our legs at Potato Harbor, the last protected cove before Scorpion Anchorage on the southeast end of the isle. As soon as our hulls scraped wet sand, that black mass appeared in the waist-deep water. A gazillion silverfish bonded into a giant baitball. Stiff-legged, Craig gently shoved his kayak back into the protected waters of Potato. Perhaps instantly drawn toward his multicolored vessel, the baitball swayed beneath him, a sort of aquatic ballet and another Channel Islands natural wonder within the ebb and flow of a draining tide.
May 15, 2008 - 12:22pm
My friend Craig and I were nearing the end of our paddling excursion through Channel Islands National Park: a circumnavigation of Santa Rosa Island, followed by an open ocean sprint through pea soup fog to Santa Cruz Island, and an exploration of the natural wonders on that island’s craggy front side. We kayaked past volcanic sea stacks and configurations such as Profile Point, then paddled into the Dardanelles, where we ducked under triangular and keyhole-shaped arches. But it was the black mass that swarmed beneath Craig’s kayak at Potato Harbor that we remember most.We couldn’t have asked for cleaner paddling conditions: no swell or wind, and the water clarity mirrored the South Pacific. We’d paddled the entire front side of the largest island in the archipelago without a break, and decided to stretch our legs at Potato Harbor, the last protected cove before Scorpion Anchorage on the southeast end of the isle. As soon as our hulls scraped wet sand, that black mass appeared in the waist-deep water. A gazillion silverfish bonded into a giant baitball. Stiff-legged, Craig gently shoved his kayak back into the protected waters of Potato. Perhaps instantly drawn toward his multicolored vessel, the baitball swayed beneath him, a sort of aquatic ballet and another Channel Islands natural wonder within the ebb and flow of a draining tide.
