About Glen Canyon National Recreation Area
Encompassing over 1.25 million acres, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area offers unparalleled opportunities for water-based & backcountry recreation. The recreation area stretches for hundreds of miles from Lees Ferry in Arizona to the Orange Cliffs of southern Utah, encompassing scenic vistas, geologic wonders, and a vast panorama of human history.
Plan a Visit
Core visitor information on this page is sourced from the National Park Service. NPD proximity sections use NPS reference coordinates and straight-line distance. Local source bundle updated Sep 27, 2026. View the official NPS page.
Weather & Conditions
The weather in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area is usually typical for the high deserts. Summers are extremely hot with little, if any, shade. Winters are moderately cold with night time lows often below freezing. Spring weather is highly variable and unpredictable with extended periods of winds. Fall weather is…
NPS Reference Location
Park state / territory membership: Arizona, Utah. This map uses the National Park Service reference coordinate. It may represent an administrative or reference point rather than a park entrance, trailhead, visitor center, or the nearest access point. Use the official NPS directions below when planning travel.
Entrance Fees
Admits one single, private, non-commercial vehicle and all its passengers.
Valid for 7 days. Admits up to 2 private, non-commercial motorcycles with up to 4 total passengers.
Admits one individual when entering on foot or bicycle. Individuals 15 years of age and younger are admitted free.
Fees are assessed based on the passenger capacity of the vehicle. Pass is only valid for the same group to which it was issued.
Fees are assessed based on the passenger capacity of the vehicle. Pass is only valid for the same group to which it was issued.
Fees are assessed based on the passenger capacity of the vehicle. Pass is only valid for the same group to which it was issued.
Academic fee waivers must be submitted and returned before you visit Glen Canyon National Recreation Area.
Operating Hours
Glen Canyon National Recreation Area is open 24 hours per day, year-round. If there is not a person staffing the entrance station, you may pay your entrance fee at the automated fee machine. Launch ramps are open all day, unless closed due to low water.
Activities
Current Alerts
The upper loop of the Lees Ferry Campground is closed for renovations. Large equipment will be paving at the Lees Ferry campground. Do not enter construction area.
Any time that you do recreational activities (swimming, water skiing, making sand castles, etc.) on the beaches or in the waters of Lake Powell you are strongly encouraged to follow basic hygiene practices. A number of conditions can cause potential water quality issues on Lake Powell, at Lees Ferry, and on Colorado River tributaries.
Lake level changes will influence the functionality of all launch ramps. Find updated status of all launch ramps at the link.
Getting There
There are multiple districts in Glen Canyon very far away from each other. Avoid a two hundred mile detour and make sure you know which district you are going to before you begin travelling here.
View Official DirectionsContact & Address
The NPS-listed address may be an administrative office, visitor center, mailing/contact location, or other park facility rather than a park entrance.
Entrance Passes
Annual pass is a card signed for and held by the owner. Allows unlimited entry for cardholder and everyone in that person's private vehicle to Glen Canyon National Recreation Area for 12 months from date of purchase. Does not cover vessel expanded amenity fee.
Topics & Themes
Things To Do
Scramble down Cathedral Wash Trail
Follow Cathedral Wash trail as it climbs down to meet the Colorado River on its sandy bank. The 3 miles…
From Your Boat To The Bridge
There is one designated trail within the boundaries of Rainbow Bridge National Monument. It runs the length of the monument,…
Driving the Burr Trail
Drive the scenic Burr Trail from Glen Canyon's Bullfrog district, along the bottom of Capitol Reef, through Grand Staircase, to…
Swimming in Lake Powell
Swimming is a popular activity at Lake Powell, especially in the summer when water temperatures can surpass 80 degrees Fahrenheit.…
Day Trip or Backpack Hike to Coyote Gulch
Open year-round but most popular in Spring and Fall, Coyote Gulch is a tributary of the Escalante River with several…
Off Road Vehicles in Glen Canyon
Off-road vehicle use is allowed in the park only on National Park Service-designated ORV routes and areas, delineated by ORV route…
More Things to Do
Additional activities and experiences from the National Park Service.
Driving to Alstrom Point
Drive the semi-improved roads to Alstrom Point, in the southwest region of Glen Canyon National recreation Area along the border with Grand…
Contemplate Your Place in the Landscape At The Big Map
The Glen Canyon and Surrounding Area Relief Map sits in a place of honor at the Powell Museum & Archives next to…
Driving the Hole in the Rock Road
The Hole-in-the-Rock road is an historic pioneer trail turned path to adventure. This 62 mile (100 km) one-way section runs from Escalante,…
Lonely Dell Ranch Historic Site
Hidden between the shade of trees near the muddy Paria River sits Lonely Dell Ranch. This historic site was once home to…
Lake Powell Shoreline Primitive Camping
"Backcountry" Shoreline camping on Lake Powell can range from toughing out the desert winter from your kayak to "roughing it" in a…
Take a stroll to Horseshoe Bend Overlook
Below the rim, the Colorado River makes a wide sweep around a sandstone escarpment. Here at Horseshoe Bend, the Colorado River created…
Visitor Centers
Escalante Interagency Visitor Center
This center is jointly run by Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument (Bureau of Land Management), Glen Canyon National Recreation Area (National Park Service), and Dixie National…
Navajo Bridge Interpretive Center
Bookstore, outdoor exhibits, and self guided walks across the historic Navajo Bridge. This is a popular spot to look for California Condors.
Bullfrog Visitor Center
Open seasonally. Exhibits relating to geology and the human and natural history of Glen Canyon, including a life-size model of a slot canyon! Ancestral Puebloan…
Carl Hayden Visitor Center
Main visitor center for Glen Canyon National Recreation Area and Rainbow Bridge National Monument. Exhibits about recreation and historic water use. Tours of Glen Canyon…
Glen Canyon Conservancy Flagship
An official visitor center for the state of Arizona, and acting as Glen Canyon's supplementary visitor center in Page AZ, the Flagship office and retail…
Halls Crossing Contact Station
A small cabin at the Halls Crossing marina. Exhibits about aquatic invasive species, boating, and Lake Powell history.
Campgrounds
Wahweap Campground & RV Park
Operated by Lake Powell Resors & Marinas. 112 dry campsites (no hook-ups), 90 full hook-ups, and 6 group camping sites. Facilities include restrooms, laundry, showers,…
Bullfrog RV & Campground
This campground is located in the Bullfrog developed area and is operated by Lake Powell Resorts & Marinas. 78 sites, restroom, phones, dump station, potable…
Halls Crossing RV & Campground
This campground is operated by Lake Powell Resorts & Marinas. With Halls Crossing RV Park & Campground, you're just steps from food, fun, and the…
Lees Ferry Campground
No reservations. $26 per site/per night. 54 designated sites. No hookups. RV dump station. Grills provided, no open fires. Quiet time 10pm-6am. Modern bathroom/comfort station,…
Lone Rock Beach Primitive Camping Area
No reservations. $14 per vehicle/per night in addition to entry fees. Primitive camping is on a sandy beach or in dunes. No designated campsites. Maximum…
Stanton Creek Primitive Camping Area
Designated primitive camping areas that are accessible by vehicle and sometimes by vessel as well. First-come first served, no reservations. No designated sites. No potable…
Beehives Primitive Campground
No reservations. $14 per night. 21 designated sites. Across the highway from Wahweap South Entrance. Picnic table at each site. No hookups or dump stations.…
Dirty Devil Primitive Camping Area
Designated primitive camping area only accessible by vehicle. First-come first served, no reservations. No designated sites. No potable water. When vault toilets are unavailable, campers…
Farley Canyon Primitive Camping Area
Designated primitive camping areas that are accessible by vehicle and sometimes by vessel as well. First-come first served, no reservations. No designated sites. No potable…
Colorado River Primitive Camping Between Glen Canyon Dam and Lees Ferry
No reservations. Along the fifteen mile stretch of the Colorado River between Glen Canyon Dam and Lees Ferry, there are five primitive beaches set aside…
Antelope Point RV Park
While the Antelope Point RV park is not physically within the boundaries of Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, it is operated by Antelope Point Marina.…
Nearby National Park Service Sites
These sites are ordered by straight-line distance between NPS reference coordinates. This is useful for comparison, but it is not road mileage. Trails, parkways, rivers, and distributed units may extend far from their reference point.
Nearby Cities for Trip Planning
These cities are ordered by straight-line distance from the NPS reference coordinate. They are comparison starting points, not official park gateways or road-distance estimates. Trails and other distributed units may extend far beyond this reference point.
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