Paddling Arizona's Lake Powell

June-July 2003

This is an article from WaveLength Magazine, available in print in North America and globally on the web.
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by Elle Andra-Warner

The lake is encompassed by a surrealistic landscape of colourful canyons, mesas, cliffs, peaks and buttes. Courtesy of Hidden Canyon Kayak.

Kayaking on Arizona's Lake Powell (the second largest lake fully in United States) is an unforgettable adventure - what makes it even more interesting is that you are actually paddling the flooded grand canyons of the Colorado River.

Lake Powell was formed after 1963 when the American government built a huge dam in Glen Canyon near Page (pop. 8,000) to control the Colorado River and generate hydroelectric power for the southwestern United States. It took seventeen years to back up the waters of the Colorado River and its tributaries to create a lake that is 186 miles long, with over 1,960 miles of shoreline (more than the entire west coast of the continental United States). Over 96 major canyons and countless narrow side canyons branch out from the main channel.

The lake is still a primitive area with only six marinas on the lake, the largest, Wahweap Marina near Page, being the major launching site. Lake Powell is so vast in size that just kayaking misses the best treasures of the lake. We rented a houseboat (there are over 500 available in four different sizes) and took our kayaks on board. No special skills are needed to pilot a houseboat - if you can drive a car, you can handle these floating 'luxury condos'. Most renters tow along a separate powerboat, as exploring the lake by houseboat itself is slow and fuel-expensive.

Explore narrow side canyons where the walls are so close you can touch them. Courtesy of Hidden Canyon Kayak.

After anchoring ours to shore (close to magnificent vistas like Gunsight Butte andPadre Butte), we put our kayaks in the water and paddled along the shoreline. The crystal-clear waters of Lake Powell, which reach depths over 500 feet, range from bright turquoise to deep green. The lake itself is encompassed by a surrealistic landscape of colourful canyons, mesas, cliffs, peaks and buttes - a unique paddling environment.

We paddled close to shore and sometimes pulled our kayaks up on the sand beach areas and hiked the beautiful desert terrain that was alive with cactus, small shrubs, white flowers and anthills. It was an exciting, somewhat eerie feeling, exploring these desertscapes on the upper half of huge canyons that, due to flooding, now stretch down deep below the water.

Another option for kayakers wanting to paddle Lake Powell is to sign up with a fullservice kayak touring outfitter like Hidden Canyon Kayak, owned and operated by long-time kayakers and guides, Les and Helen Hibbert. Because Lake Powell is so huge, they use motorized support boats to get kayakers quickly up the lake to the most fascinating areas. By day, they lead kayakers into the hidden recesses of the most exciting canyons and at night, they camp in tents along the shoreline.

Antelope Canyon

Rainbow Bridge
Elle Andra-Warner photos

"We take our groups to six or seven slot canyons, to narrow side canyons where thewalls are so close you can touch them. The water is our highway to an incredible fantasyland. And almost every canyon has a hiking opportunity offering incredible scenery and photography," says Les. "Kayaking is like backpacking by boat."

There are many dramatic places to visit on Lake Powell, but one of the most beautiful is the famous Rainbow Bridge ( Nonnezoshi in Navajo) - the world's largest natural stone bridge and one of the world's seven natural wonders. Rising up at the edge of Lake Powell, this red sandstone bridge spans 275 feet and reaches a height of 290 feet. It is located about 50 nautical miles northeast of Wahweap Marina and is easily accessible by boat. A walking path leads from the courtesy dock to a viewing area near the Rainbow Bridge. After cruising Lake Powell, we tried a different kind of water adventure - floating 25 kilometeres down the Colorado River with Wilderness River Adventures. Starting just below the Glen Canyon Dam and using a neoprene J-boat, we glided by huge canyon walls that rose vertically over a thousand feet, then stopped for an easy hike to petroglyphs left by Anasazi pueblo dwellers over 700 years ago. We marvelled at the ancient climbing trails cut into the rock by them (large holes for feet, smaller ones for hands), and gazed up at the towering peaks. The grandeur of the bright orange canyons was awesome.

Among the not-to-be-missed sights is Antelope Canyon, a rare and geological formation known as a slot canyon, located a short drive outside of Page. Created over millions of years by wind and water, the forces of time have formed a cathedral of sandstone. The walls look like wavy sculptures as you walk by on sand passages (some narrow, some as wide as a room). Photographers come from around the world to photograph the canyon and its famous beam of light (throw some sand in the light beam and take a picture as the sand descends - the beam will appear white in your photo image). Antelope Canyon can only be toured with an authorized guide because of the danger of flash floods that close the canyon 5-6 times a year. The floods have come through the canyon with over 60 feet of raging water and they can shift the canyon's sand floor by a couple of feet.

Another must-see is Monument Valley, an all-day trip about a 2-1/2 hour drive east of Page. Located on the Navajo Tribal Park, it has been featured in countless commercials and Hollywood films (first one was John Wayne's classic 1938 movie, Stagecoach). Monument Valley encompasses more than 30,000 acres of beautiful desert terrain of barren sand and sage with spectacular stone monoliths between 400 and 1200 feet tall.

Lake Powell is a breathtaking combination of canyon, desert, mountain and a lakeshore environment that is a unique kayaking destination. It's a spectacular area literally surrounded by the American Southwest's greatest scenic wonders.

The best time to go paddling is spring and fall when there is less boat traffic on the lake. Note of caution: if you plan to independently kayak the slot canyons, find out which places to avoid, when to go and be aware of the danger of flash floods.

Guided Kayak Tours: Hidden Canyon Kayak. Les & Helen Hibbert, Toll-free 1-800-343-3121, www.hiddencanyonkayak.com.

Houseboat Rentals: Lake Powell Resorts & Marinas, Toll free 1-800-528-6154, www.visitlakepowell.com.

Glen Canyon National Recreation Area (National Park Service, includes critical safety advisories): www.nps.gov/glca.

Official Guide for Lake Powell: www.powellguide.com

Kayak Rentals: Twin Finn Diving (928) 645-3114, www.twinfinn.com