What has more shoreline than the entire western coast of the United States, the world’s largest natural stone arch, and 96 spectacular canyons? As part of the Colorado River, Lake Powell is almost 200 miles of breathtaking scenery and clear blue water. It’s located in the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area and stretches from the Orange Cliffs of Southern Utah to Lee’s Ferry in Northern Arizona. Lake Powell was created by the construction of the Glen Canyon Dam in 1963, and named after civil war veteran John Wesley Powell. It’s a must visit for any freshwater enthusiast!

About 50 miles south of the Bullfrog Marina, and almost 50 miles north of the Wahweap Marina, you’ll find the world’s largest natural stone arch after a short run of very narrow canyons off the main channel. A visitor center allows you dock your boat and take a short stroll to get a better view of this 275 foot long and almost a football field high natural wonder. Don’t forget to take note of the “hole in the rock” on your way to the arch between mile 65 and 67 on the east side of the canyon.

Lake Powell is a houseboat mecca! You’ll notice a barage of houseboats moored in the bay areas ready for a family vacation getaway, however is this the best way to see Powell? For an extended trip, with personal watercraft and/or a smaller quicker boat in tow I would say yes. Although they offer comfort and luxury, houseboats are the giants of the lake in that they meander up and down the canyons at a sluggish pace. For shorter trips it’s best to be on a smaller quicker boat for easy access to the narrow canyons and the speed it takes to venture far distances for long day trips.

Although warm and clear most of the boating season, the weather at Lake Powell can be extremely dangerous. Pay special attention to weather forecasts and find shelter/land should a monsoonal storm hit. The swells during some of these storms can engulf even a larger boat in seconds. Always keep a marine radio or cell phone handy.

Top off the tank! Many a boater have fallen prey to running out of gas by venturing into a lengthy canyon in error, only to find a dead end. Make sure to prepare for long day trips and even consider taking fuel reserves if necessary.

Map it! The other vacation killer is getting lost in one of the massive canyons. Pay special attention to where you are and where you’ve been. I would never venture onto Lake Powell without a GPS and a detailed map of the lake (please email greg@lasvegashotboats.com for further map information).

The sand is so fine in some areas that if even a slight breeze picks up while camping, you’ll be crunching grit off food from your BBQ for months to come. If you can tolerate being a bit farther from the marina, find a cove with a bit of shelter and a more solid topography – this way you’ll avoid everything in your camp being covered with fine red sand.

The scenery doesn’t change much! Granted, the canyon walls are incredible and just the sheer magnitude of them makes anyone drop their jaw in awe, but don’t go to Powell expecting much greenery and an everchanging landscape.

The Rainbow Bridge isn’t a bridge, and it isn’t much of a rainbow! Although it’s definitely a unique natural wonder, it’s not as massive or colorful as one might expect, although if you’re at Lake Powell, it’s worth the trip to see it, just to see everything else along the journey. Be wary of the narrow canyons leading to the bridge, as complete morons fly through the passage with extreme speed leaving ocean size wakes that don’t dissipate because of the canyon walls.

What else sucks? The price of gas! You can save yourself a small fortune by gassing up the boat or PWC before you get on the water

The best areas for wakeboarding and skiing are the open bay areas such as Bullfrog, Hall’s Crossing, Rock Creek and Last Chance Bay areas. On the north end of Powell, Hall’s Crossing bay offers slightly calmer water than Bullfrog Bay, as it’s not as crowded and somewhat protected from Bullfrog Bay where there’s more boating traffic. The middle of the canyons aren’t great watersport areas as the wakes seem not to dissipate because of the stone canyon walls.