Is Lake Powell worth a long road trip?

[cxk]

I know the lake is pretty low from the drought, but I also know its a really deep lake. It looks gorgeous and my wife and I have been toying with the idea of taking our skis on a road trip from central Texas.

What are the conditions like for PWCs? Is it all still pretty accessible? Would it be worth the 1200 mile drive be worth it?

[04gtxsc]

I have never been to Powell but from every thing I have seen and the folks that I have talked to say this would be an epic trip that you will talk about for a lifetime. Never met anyone that has been there that doesnt want to go back. Do it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[cxk]

I have never been to Powell but from every thing I have seen and the folks that I have talked to say this would be an epic trip that you will talk about for a lifetime. Never met anyone that has been there that doesnt want to go back. Do it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm pretty certain were going to do it, whether it be this year or next. I saw some Youtube videos of guys on jet skis and it looks amazing. Combine that with 3D view on Apple Maps and I'm pretty sold. Unless someone who frequents it can give me a reason otherwise. Hopefully the water level rises a bit. I'm looking at possible truck sleeping solutions or camp sites along our route to avoid hotels. We stayed in our RAV4 at a truck stop/casino near Albuquerque before but I'm not sure they'd enjoy us sleeping in the bed of our truck. I've got a short bed with a tool box on my truck so sleeping in it would be tough to begin with.

[04gtxsc]

Grab a tent at walmart for 100 bucks or so and just camp your way there. Soo many places to go to see on the way there.

Durango, siverton, mesa verde, four corners, petrified forest, Grand canyon, and more.

[nmpeter]

great lake for sure..see it while it lasts..there are some rumblings about decommissioning the glenn canyon dam and putting all that water into lake meade.

check for current state of two stroke restrictions there before you load up.

Our lake here at elephant butte is looking pretty good..if you feel like trying a different venue. We're still allowing two strokes on our lake.

[blkturbo!]

Lake Powell is beautiful! I've been to Page, AZ over 25 times over 8yrs from Vegas. It's a large lake, so make sure you're riding safe/reliable skis. Or rent a ski boat as a "home base/rescue vehicle". I like to rent boats from Buzz Off Powersports in Big Water, UT which is only 5mi away from Wahweap marina.

Page, AZ has VERY cool shit to do, so since you're coming from long drive, plan to stay a while and make it all worth it! There are PLENTY of hotels to grab (I think over 30) and plenty enough food choices.

In no particular order!:

**Antelope Canyon (lower is prettier)
**Horseshoe Bend hike
Cayaking the river below dam
Plane tours over the lake
Rent a ski boat and go tubing in the different canyons and coves
*Boat tours from Wahweap Marina
Go see "Rainbow Bridge" either by your boat or your rental boat (that's 50mi upstream from Wahweap, but easy enough).
Hot air balloon show in Nov.
Rent 4 wheelers to the remote lake overlooks
Visit the "Navajo Bridge" that crosses over the river gorge

PAGE, AZ ----->> ENJOY!!

Edit: the lake is low right now, so you won't be able to use the "short cut" located directly across from Wahweap marina. So if renting a boat or taking a tour, expect to go the longer route passing by Antelope Point Marina.

[blkturbo!]

...Relatively speaking, in regards to your specific question:

I don't know how long it is from your place, but Lake Powell (Page) is 5.5hrs from Vegas and, as mentioned, I've gone over 25 times without ever a regret So much to enjoy, on or off the water.
It's one of those places that is VERY hard to get tired of going to, just like Moab, UT.

**As you may have noticed already, there's a small handful of marinas along Powell...the most popular one (Wahweap marina) is basically IN Page, AZ and is the furthest away from TX....Be aware that there's NOTHING to do at the other marinas except to get into the water, period.

[cxk]

Thanks for all the replies. I've spent the last few nights planning out places to sleep and ways to sleep comfortably in our truck along the route. Its about a 2500 mile round trip, I'm excited for it. If we can make it this year, I'm planning for late August.

I've read about them pushing to get rid of the lake. It sadly makes sense to do it but it sure would be a huge loss for boaters near it. In reply to blkturbo!, I've been looking at Page on Google maps. Were planning sleep in the truck most nights but it looks like the Lake Powell area is a little warm at night that time of year so I may break down and get a hotel room. I'm sure my wife will thank me for the bathroom and shower. Its so easy to just pee in a bottle and empty it for men while truck camping, not so much for the ladies haha.

How is the cell reception on the lake? I have to assume the more remote parts have none. Our skis are nearly brand new, one is a year old and the other we just got a month ago. I'd hate to get stranded if we go sightseeing. I'll be sure to bring food/water just in case lol.

[blkturbo!]

Well I don't know anything about "getting rid of" the lake, but I'm sure it's not going anywhere before Aug

My memory is fading a little on cell phone reception, but I do believe it's decent enough in the Wahweap bay area. And true, as you get away and more remote, it's gonna drop off.

Also, to keep track of time on the water, you'll want to have analog wrist watch available, since you're along a time zone border, your cell will flip flop between zones, confusing you especially if you have any rental returns to be concerned about.

Yea, plenty of hotels....most of which are cheap ($50-80 is way easy to find). I think I've slept in at least 10 of their cheap hotels and never had any real issues at all. And the location of the hotels makes no difference since Page is so damn small anyway...small, but everything you need is there - alcohol, movie theater, bars, food, car wash, etc

Wow, 2500 miles round trip? I'd definitely stay the week and bang out all the cool things there are to see and do out there! There's a couple of bars on the main drag that you can fill some of your nightlife with if you're interested in that also. One of them is at (or next door) to the bowling alley and I've seen them hire a pretty good DJ to play on the patio more than once

Ahhh....I love Page

[blkturbo!]

If you don't want to stay IN Page the whole time to and from TX, you should check into "Monument Valley" which is only about 1hr NE of Page. Not aware of your exact route and if you're willing and able to deviate some, but there's very cool ideas all around the Southwest! I could go on for hours

[Mighty Mouse]

Was there 2 years ago and brought the skies. No 2 stroke skies. Have to have your skies inspected at the inspection station for molusks. Plan your gas trips out at the marinas. there are a number on the lake. The lake is really low. Props will be bent. Good thing you have skies. Went in July, much too hot!. Plenty of sun block. Evenings were great when the sun was going down. Great scenery.

[04gtxsc]

Only 2500 miles? My trip will be just short of 4000 when finished. Hmmm di the same trip last year and even one farther the summer before and still haven't got to Powell.

[83Gator]

Only 2500 miles? My trip will be just short of 4000 when finished. Hmmm di the same trip last year and even one farther the summer before and still haven't got to Powell.

John, c'mon man. You must be holding your upside down! LOL. If any of you guys get out there this summer, I sure wouldn't mind getting a GPS track to add to the site. Well, any new GPS track at that. It's been tough getting trails from anywhere west of the Mississippi.

[CJ River Rider]

Lake Powell is beautiful! I've been to Page, AZ over 25 times over 8yrs from Vegas. It's a large lake, so make sure you're riding safe/reliable skis. Or rent a ski boat as a "home base/rescue vehicle". I like to rent boats from Buzz Off Powersports in Big Water, UT which is only 5mi away from Wahweap marina.

Page, AZ has VERY cool shit to do, so since you're coming from long drive, plan to stay a while and make it all worth it! There are PLENTY of hotels to grab (I think over 30) and plenty enough food choices.

In no particular order!:

**Antelope Canyon (lower is prettier)
**Horseshoe Bend hike
Cayaking the river below dam
Plane tours over the lake
Rent a ski boat and go tubing in the different canyons and coves
*Boat tours from Wahweap Marina
Go see "Rainbow Bridge" either by your boat or your rental boat (that's 50mi upstream from Wahweap, but easy enough).
Hot air balloon show in Nov.
Rent 4 wheelers to the remote lake overlooks
Visit the "Navajo Bridge" that crosses over the river gorge

PAGE, AZ ----->> ENJOY!!

Edit: the lake is low right now, so you won't be able to use the "short cut" located directly across from Wahweap marina. So if renting a boat or taking a tour, expect to go the longer route passing by Antelope Point Marina.

Not to hijack this thread but thanks for this information. We're going there in May on a whole southern Utah trip and our last 3 days we are staying at the Lake Powell Resort. Would you recommend Wahweap as the best place to rent skis and/or boats? What's the lake like as the day heats up? I remember from Tahoe years ago that the mornings were tranquil and you could see 100 feet down but after 11:00 AM or so the winds kick up and the lake gets really rough.

[blkturbo!]

I wouldn't consider this a hijack, since I'd say your questions are very relevant to the OP's interests.

As for winds, it's like anywhere else I guess...you might get lucky, you might not. But yea, at the very least, mornings are usually pretty slick unless there's a particular storm (which is usually unlikely in the desert). The best way to put it is that I've seen plenty more glass/comfortable water than not At the moment, I can only recall one rough afternoon I've had on the water there (okay, 2 afternoons).

Its typically nice weather...there's pretty much ZERO shade, so bring water, some wet clothing and sun screen for sure! But yea, at least you'll be there in May vs Aug!

I've always been a "shopper" and so I've priced around when it comes to rental options/prices. Marinas are usually higher, I'm assuming for the obvious convenience. But I've always been happy finding my rental boats off-site to save money and/or to have other vehicle options. I've rented boats from "Buzz Off Powersports" (in Big Water, UT). It's 5miles down the hwy from Wahweap in a boat storage building. You can rent their truck to tow with for an extra $35 (you drive your rentals INTO federal parks yourself).

If you like to shop also, there are other boat shops sprinkled around Page that have rental stuff too. Just stick with anything that looks and sounds reliable. Also, they'll have slightly varying rental hours too. There's some boat places on some of the side streets in Page, along the heart of the "main drag" through town.

Yes, for what you'll be seeing and doing, you will be at the Wahweap marina area just minutes from Page/Glenn Canyon Dam. You won't be seeing the other marinas unless you gas up at Dangling Rope marina, if you cruise upstream that far (20-30ish miles?).
You WILL need and TAKE a lake map with you from whoever has them to offer (marina, Buzz Off). It has mile markers (and toilets) on it that match the lake's markers. That goes DOUBLE if you plan to find Dangling Rope marina for gas top-off. That one is very easy to miss! This lake has MANY more canyons and coves than lake Mead (and larger, longer ones)!
If you're not tubing, you may want to visit "Rainbow Bridge" 50mi upstream, on your right. It's easily doable in a ski boat, don't let the mileage scare you. Buzz Off (or marinas) can of course inform you of those sorts of details.

Since summer isn't here yet, the water will still be a little cool. Maybe you'll want to swim in it, maybe not. Lake Mead doesn't get comfortably warm until June-ish I think....hot by Aug.

If you're considering any of the boat tours, all of them (3-4 of them) from Wahweap marina are great. Just pick the length and price you want and go from there. The longest tour is to Rainbow Bridge.

Everything mentioned can easily be Googled for further details if interested.
I suggest you don't go to Page without seeing Antelope canyon. I personally prefer the "lower". I've been to the Upper once, and I've done the lower over 10 times easily. I can even tell you the best times of day to go if you need me to and also best to enter the lower canyon LAST in your tour group if you're a photographer.

Off topic:
Where else in southern Utah are you going? Shoot me any questions if you want...I've combed nearly every mile (probably every!) of the area from Moab to Page a bunch of times, on and off road. The only place in all of UT that I can't tell you much about is Salt Lake City.

Im Utah's bitch!