Lake Powell Overview
Utah
- Countryside
- Slot canyons and sand dunes
- Country life
- Hiking through natural history
Straddling the borders of Utah and Arizona, landscapes don’t come much more dramatic than the geology-flaunting formations of the American Southwest and the Glen Canyon…
The Four Corners region is celebrated for its uniquely diverse geography that’s a visible memento of billions of years. For centuries, these deep canyons and towering plateaus hosted the native Navajo and Hopi tribes; snoop around a cave here and spy 1,000-year-old stone tools and rock art. Footprints and fossils reveal that this was a land where dinosaurs roamed; today you’ll recognise this striking scenery from the movies. Sweeping through this sprawling desertscape is Lake Powell, created in 1957 by the damming of the Colorado River. Adventurers can follow in the footsteps of Civil War veteran and one-armed explorer John Wesley Powell – he led the first successful scientific expedition down the Colorado River through to the Grand Canyon, and the area is named in his honour.
Literally Lake Powell
There are few parts of the world that showcase billions of years of the Earth’s history like Lake Powell’s geological formations and archeological leftovers. Sign up for a paleontology tour, get a taste of the prehistoric occupation and scour the shale up in the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. You might even be able to pick up a souvenir for yourself, such as arrowheads left by the Navajos or a million-year-old fossil.
Local knowledge
- Taxis
- Ask your concierge for help arranging local transfers.
- Packing tips
- Sturdy desert boots for clambering canyons; if you’re a fan of fly-fishing, take your paraphernalia ready for hitting the Colorado River; layers of clothing for hot days and cool nights.
- Recommended reads
- The Monkey Wrench Gang by Edward Abbey; Thunderhead by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child; Wet Desert by Gary Hansen.
- Regional specialities
- Southwestern cuisine includes flavours from Tex-Med food with servings beloved by hungry cowboys. Think huge cuts of meat, spicy fries and tasty chillis.
- Currency
- US dollar ($).
- Time zone
- GMT -7.
- Dialling codes
- US country code: +1; Utah: 435.
- Do go/don't go
- Summer is from June until August, when it’s warm (scorching, even) by day and more balmy by night. Spring and autumn have the mildest climate and fewer tourists – September is considered by many the ideal time to visit. Winter is pretty cold, with a chance of snow so wrap up.
Don't go home without...
… seeing some slot canyons, unique sandstone formations. The most famous is Antelope Canyon, where visitors love to have their photo taken just as the sunlight shines down like a spotlight (usually in the mornings). In peak season, sidestep the hordes and take a trip to Secret Canyon with Hummer Adventures (www.hummeradventures.net). Located on privately owned Navajo land, you’ll see light filtering down into this curved sandstone canyon, casting soul-stirring pink, red, purple, grey and yellow shades.
