Get to the Lake

It’s summer! And it’s heating up here in Southern Utah. Which means it’s time to find those outdoor activities that can help keep you cool. The obvious answer, is to head to the water. So if you’re thinking about what you can do with your family this summer, we at the Lodge have a pretty good suggestion – go to Lake Powell.

Lake Powell is located in Southern Utah near the Arizona border. It’s the main attraction in the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area and, at over 180 miles long, it’s one of the largest man-made lakes in the country. So there’s pretty to see and do once you get there. Here’s our short list to help convince you to go:

Photo by Rainer Krienke via unsplash.com

Water Sports

Bring the boat and you and your family can go tubing and water skiing. Motorized water activities are the big draw to the lake. Don’t have a boat? There are services down there that will rent you one in any size you want, you can even get a house boat. Or depending on your needs, maybe just grab a couple of jet skis.

But if you want to slow it down, you can definitively go motor-less. There are other water sports, like diving, cliff jumping, and fishing that don’t require the expense of a motor boat. Also kayaking is a great way to see all the hidden canyons in Lake Powell. Which brings us to our next suggestion –

Photo by Old Tripod via unsplash.com

Explore the Lake

One of the coolest features of Lake Powell are all the narrow side-canyons of the lake. Before it was damed, the area was a large canyon network, similar to places like Zion or the Waterpocket Fold. So even though these side-canyons are now flooded, many of them can still be explored on a personal watercraft – such as jet skis or kayaks. If you have some radios you can play a sort of hide-and-seek among the canyons with the members of your family/party. Or you can simply travel in and out of the amazing rock formations as you admire the views.

Photo by Gonzo fan2007 via Creative Commons

Rainbow Bridge

Rainbow Bridge is the largest natural, freestanding bridge in the world, and it is located right next to Lake Powell. It is only accessible by waterway and on foot – you can drive to it. So if you’re already at Lake Powell, and you have a boat, you’ll never have a better chance to see it. Stretch your legs a little, go for a hike and see this natural wonder. It’s definitely worth the climb. You get more information about the hike to Rainbow Bridge here, at the official site.

Photo by Patrick Hendry via unsplash.com

Do Some Good

Lake Powell has an amazing volunteer program for people you want to give back a little. It’s called the Graffiti Removal and Intervention Team, or GRIT. People or families that sign up for GRIT travel around the lake on a 55-foot houseboat (appropriately called The True GRIT) for five days while they help remove the graffiti that other, less-conscientious, visitors have left. It’s a great chance to see the extraordinary scenery of Glen Canyon, hang out with like-minded people, and do some good. The trip is completely free, all you need to supply is your food and yourself. You can see all the details here at their site.

Water Levels

Last thought, Lake Powell has varying water levels, depending on the amount of water that flows into the lake. And some years, the levels can be lower than others. This may lead to the temporary closing of some of the marinas. You can check the status of the lake by simply visiting the Glen Canyon National Recreation website.