Lake Powell is the second largest man made reservoir in the United States, after Lake Mead.  With water levels at historic lows, visitors can see rocks, cliffs and parts of canyons that have not been visible to the human eye for decades.  The lake was formed when the Glen Canyon Dam was flooded, drowning literally hundreds of canyons.  Today all of our shared, multi day Grand Canyon tours include a boat ride through these canyons, so visitors can get a first hand look at the colorful rock cliffs and shapes towering from the blue waters.  

While most of Lake Powell - approximately 183 miles of it - is in Utah, Glen Canyon Dam and the small town of Page are in Arizona.  Page was founded when workers flocked to the area to help build the dam, and the fortunes of the town were revived a few years later when a massive coal fired power plant was built there.  Our tours generally stop in Page for the night, where you can dine at the local restaurants and replenish your supplies.

Depending on the route that the tour is taking, the road to Page often takes you through Navajo Nation land, where you will have the opportunity of sampling fry bread and Navajo Tacos, while you shop for turquoise jewelry from roadside stands.  You may also travel alongside the Vermilion Cliffs, which radiate amazing colors at sunset and sunrise.

Conservationists believe that Glen Canyon Dam was a huge mistake, and are trying to get Lake Powell emptied, but, agree or not, huge numbers of people every year visit Lake Powell to see the spectacular sights.

The mountains that generally provide the snow pack from which Lake Powell gets its water are in the fifth year of a bad drought, with the lake's water level being almost 100 feet down from its highpoint.  This means that there has not been a better time to see Lake Powell since the area was flooded back in the 1960's. 

Arches Tours offers two  different types of tours to the Lake Powell region. 

• You can visit Lake Powell as part of one of our shared, multi day Grand Canyon tours that also visit Arches National Park, the Grand Canyon, Monument Valley, Zion National Park, Canyonlands and Bryce Canyon.

• We can design a multi day tour just for you or your group, starting wherever you like, that takes in the above destinations and more!