Glen Canyon National Recreation Area

Glen Canyon is a mind-bogglingly vast canyon in deep red rock country, which has been filled with North America's largest man made lake, Lake Powell. Surrounded by nothing but red slick rock, the crystal blue lake is strikingly out of place and looks like it belongs on Mars. Lake Powell would be totally deserted were it not for its popularity with house-boat owners, who sail around this dead and beautiful expanse. The desert surrounding the lake is mostly uninhabited except for grazing long horn steer, jackrabbits, and lizards.

Getting into Lake Powell pretty much requires a boat launched from a local marina, as the lake is surrounded by steep sandstone cliffs—that is, unless you are very ambitious.

Entrance fees for a private vehicle are $15, while individuals (on foot, on bike, or on motorcycle) must pay a $7 entrance fees. All entrance fees are good for seven consecutive days. The Glen Canyon NRA Annual Pass is $30 and provides entrance for one year.

There are several passes for groups traveling together in a private vehicle or individuals on foot/bike that provide free entry to Glen Canyon National Recreation Area and all national parks, as well as some national monuments, national wildlife refuges, and national forests:

• The $80 Annual Pass (valid for twelve months from date of issue) can be purchased by anyone. Military personnel can obtain a free pass by showing a Common Access Card (CAC) or Military ID.
• The $80 Senior Pass (valid for the life of the holder) is available to U.S. citizens or permanent residents age 62 or over. Applicants must provide documentation of citizenship and age. This pass also provides a 50% discount on some park amenities. Seniors can also obtain a $20 annual pass.
• The free Access Pass (valid for the life of the holder) is available to U.S. citizens or permanent residents with permanent disabilities. Applicants must provide documentation of citizenship and permanent disability. This pass also provides a fifty percent discount on some park amenities.
• The free Volunteer Pass is available to individuals who have volunteered 250 or more hours with federal agencies that participate in the Interagency Pass Program.
• The free Annual 4th Grade Pass (valid for September to August of the 4th grade school year) allows entry to the bearer and any accompanying passengers in a private non-commercial vehicle. Registration at the Every Kid Outdoors website is required.

The National Park Service offers free admission to all national parks on five days every year:

• Martin Luther King Jr. Day (third Monday in January); next observance is January 20, 2025
• The first day of National Park Week (third Saturday in April); next observance is April 19, 2025
• The National Park Service Birthday (August 25)
• National Public Lands Day (fourth Saturday in September); next observance is September 28, 2024
• Veterans Day (November 11)

• 🌍 Rainbow Bridge National Monument, ☏ +1 928 608-6200. A small monument located about 50 miles uplake (about a two-hour boat ride) from the Glen Canyon Dam, set around the world's largest known natural bridge. The monument can be accessed from a wharf on the lake, followed by a short walk up the canyon. 
• 🌍 Music Temple. A geological feature of the Colorado River consisting of a grotto with high, vaulting walls and a deep central pool of water. (updated May 2022)
• 🌍 Reflection canyon (The canyon is accessible also by foot from north-east, via a 12km path). (updated Feb 2023)
• 🌍 Golden Cathedral (Accessible via a 6km trail via (more common) Fence Canyon or more southern cross-country trail.). (updated Feb 2023)

For Lees Ferry and the Lonely Dell Ranch, please see the article on Vermilion Cliffs National Monument. While Lees Ferry and the Lonely Dell Ranch are properly part of the Glen Canyon NRA, they are south of the dam and often visited along with Vermilion Cliffs NM.

Rainbow Room, Lake Powell Resort, 100 Lakeshore Drive, Page. With a stunning 180 degree view of Wahweap Bay, this fine dining establishment is open March 15 - October 31 for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

• The Grill at Offshore Marina, Mile Marker 30, Highway 276 (7 miles prior to Bullfrog Marina, just passed Ticaboo), ☏ +1 435 788-2142. The Grill at Offshore Marina offers fresh food off the grill, deli sandwiches and salad bar. It's located within the Chevron at Offshore Marina. 

Glen Canyon is definitely BYOB territory and you had better bring gallons of water for your trip.

Glen Canyon National Recreation Area has a severe desert climate and it is very dangerous to head out into this wild expanse without proper preparations and gallons of water. If you are the least bit unsure as to what constitutes "proper preparations," visit a National Park Service visitor center before heading into the backcountry.

If driving in the area, carry extra gas and plan your route to take into account the very long distances between gas stations. If driving on dirt roads, be aware of your limits (and your car's), and prepare for the possibility that either the road could wash out in the case of a storm, or that your car could break down dozens of miles from civilization, with no cell phone service, in the unforgiving desert climate.

As with most of Canyon Country, flash floods are a sporadic, but ever-present danger. Be sure to avoid parking in a wash and never head into a canyon before checking the current weather report—far-off rainstorms will flood canyons even if they are miles away from the downpour.

• Head northwest into Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, north to Capitol Reef National Park, or northeast to Canyonlands National Park.
• Head south to Monument Tribal Park and Navajo Nation.
• If you haven't already, visit Glen Canyon Dam