Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
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feet. Although this has left a bathtub-ring effect on the shores of the lake, it has also
exposed wide expanses of beach in the Wahweap area.
While Lake Powell is something of a man-made wonder of the world, one of the
natural wonders of the world—Rainbow Bridge—can also be found on its shores. Called
by the Navajo nonnozhoshi, or “the rainbow turned to stone,” this is the largest natural
bridge on earth and stretches 275 feet across a side canyon off Lake Powell.
The town of Page, originally a camp constructed to house the workers who built the
dam, has many motels and inexpensive restaurants, and is the main base for many visitors
who come to explore Lake Powell.
ESSENTIALS
GETTING THERE Page is connected to Flagstaff by U.S. 89. Ariz. 98 leads southeast
onto the Navajo Indian Reservation and connects with U.S. 160 to Kayenta and Four
Corners. The Page Airport is served by Great Lakes Airlines ( & 800/554-5111 or
307/433-2899; www.greatlakesav.com), which flies from Phoenix. Round-trip airfares
start around $198.
FEES Admission to Glen Canyon National Recreation Area is $15 per car (good for 1
week). There is also a $16-per-week boat fee if you bring your own boat.
VISITOR INFORMATION For further information on the Lake Powell area, contact
the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area ( & 928/608-6404; www.nps.gov/glca);
the Page-Lake Powell Chamber of Commerce, 608 Elm St., Ste. C, Page ( & 888/261-
7243 or 928/645-2741; www.pagelakepowellchamber.org); or the John Wesley Powell
Memorial Museum, 6 N. Lake Powell Blvd., Page ( & 888/597-6873 or 928/645-9496;
www.powellmuseum.org). You can also go to www.powellguide.com.
GETTING AROUND Rental cars are available at the Page Airport from Avis ( & 800/
331-1212 or 928/645-2024).
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GLEN CANYON NATIONAL RECREATION AREA
Until the flooding of Glen Canyon formed Lake Powell, this area was one of the most
remote regions in the contiguous 48 states. However, because the construction of Glen
Canyon Dam at a spot where the canyon of the Colorado River was less than a third of
a mile wide, this remote and rugged landscape has become one of the country's most
popular national recreation areas. Today, the lake and much of the surrounding land is
designated the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area and attracts around two million
visitors each year. The otherworldly setting amid the slickrock canyons of northern Ari-
zona and southern Utah is a tapestry of colors, the blues and greens of the lake contrast-
ing with the reds and oranges of the surrounding sandstone cliffs. This interplay of colors
and vast desert landscapes easily makes Lake Powell the most beautiful of Arizona's many
reservoirs.
Built to provide water for the desert communities of the Southwest and West, Glen
Canyon Dam stands 710 feet above the bedrock and contains almost 5 million cubic
yards of concrete. The dam also provides hydroelectric power, and deep within its mas-
sive wall of concrete are huge power turbines. Although most Lake Powell visitors are
more interested in water-skiing and powerboating than they are in drinking water and
power production, there would be no lake without the dam, so any visit to this area
ought to start at the Carl Hayden Visitor Center ( & 928/608-6404 ), which is located
beside the dam on U.S. 89 just north of Page. Here you can tour the dam and learn about
its construction. Between mid-May and mid-September, the visitor center is open daily
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