BEST OF THE SOUTHWEST – Marble Canyon and Lake Powell

Best of the Southwest 16 comments
Wednesday May 20 – MARBLE CANYON and LEE’S FERRY NATIONAL RECREATION AREA
Weather – High – 80, Low – 55; Chance of Rain – 10%

 

Breakfast – Jacob Lake Inn (check out their cookies!)
Lunch – Cliff Dwellers in Marble Canyon
Dinner – Marble Canyon Lodge (Navajo Taco!)
Drive SH 67 to Jacob Lake and witness the extensive damage where a recent forest fire has turned the old growth Ponderosa Pine forest into an aspen farm. (45 miles)
Take Highway 89A east to Marble Canyon. (40 miles)

Highlights – Jacob Lake Visitor Center

Marble Canyon Overlook

House Rock Valley – At the bottom of the Kaibab Mountainyou will go a short distance until you come to an old ranch house complex on the left that looks abandoned. Turn left onto House Rock Road (wide dirt road safe for passenger cars) and go several miles to the Condor Research Station where you might be able to spot some condors in their canyon nests. (8 miles RT)

Hikes – Lee’s Ferry– The Colorado River boat beach where you can check out the many different rafts and wooden dories leaving for their float trips through the Grand Canyon.
 
River Trail is upstream from the boat beach along the Colorado River. Mostly flat natural surface. (4 miles RT)
 
Lonely Dell Historic Park – See how the infamous John D. Lee and his many wives and children lived in the 1800s. (1 mile RT)

Cathedral Wash – After turning off Highway 89A onto the Lee’s Ferry Road, you go 1.3 miles. The trailhead is located in a pullout with an interpretive geologic sign on your left. Park, cross the road, and enter the drainage.  This is a moderately techical hike that first begins with a flat walk in the bottom of the open canyon, but as the walls close in you will come to numerous boulder drops that will require you to navigate the route down (look for muddy footprints on the side walls for the right route), traversing ledges, climbing down through boulders, and trying to avoid mud holes. The hike ends at the Colorado River where you can clean off and even go swimming if you can handle very cold water. (2.5 miles RT – 3 hours)
*  If the weather is wet (or has been wet recently) you should avoid this canyon because of the narrows, mud holes, and slippery slopes. *

Marble Canyon Lodge
                                          Standard Double
                                                    $90
Camping – Lees Ferry Campground
  • $16 per night / per site
  • Cost of admission is not included in camping fee
  • 55 developed sites – no hookups
Thursday May 21 – LAKE POWELLNATIONAL RECREATION AREA
Weather – High – 80, Low – 55, Chance of Rain – 10%
Breakfast – Marble Canyon Lodge
Lunch – Slackers in Page (Best burgers in town!)
Dinner – Driftwood Lodge @ the Lake Powell Resort
Highlights – Navajo Bridges – The up-stream bridge is just for pedestrians.  Check out the views of the river. You might see a river trip passing under the bridge in the morning.  And look for condors resting on the rims. Navajos sell jewelry and other Native American trinkets from makeshift stands in the parking lots. A lot of the souvenirs looks nice, but is often pretty cheap, so watch what you buy.
Highlights –  Navajo Land –  Breathtaking views of the sandstone world of the Navajo.
Glen Canyon Dam and Bridge – Spectacular views of the river from the bridge. Daily tours of the dam. And a great gift shop in the Carl Hayden Visitor Center.

Swimming – Lone Rock Beach, The Coves, or to the left of the Wahweap Marina boat launch by the resort.

To get to Lone RockBeach, follow SH 89 toward Kanab for a few miles and turn right at Lone Rock Beachwhere you can drive your vehicle right to the water’s edge and then swim.

Sunset Cruise (purchase tickets in the Lake Powell Resort lobby)

                                                    Lake Powell Resort
                                                2 Queens

                                                 $160


Wahweap RV and Campground – Centrally located at Wahweap Marina about ¼ mile from the shore of Lake Powell. Wahweap offers plenty of fun with a wide variety of powerboats and water toys from which to choose. You can also enjoy the restaurant, lounge, Wahweap Grille, Canyon Coffee and gift shop at the Lake Powell Resort. This RV Park/Campground is also a great place to enjoy the winter solitude of Lake Powell.

Full Hook-Up Sites (139) – Loops A, B, C, D, F
  • 30 and 50 amp service, water and septic
  • Sites accommodate over 45′, most up to 70′; only two vehicles per site; some double-wide spaces available
  • Picnic table, charcoal grill and/or fire ring
  • Restroom in each loop
  • Coin-operated laundry and shower facilities located at the store
  • Resort swimming pool and hot tub available to campground guests
  • Free WiFi was installed at the campground. Connectivity varies due to our remote location, usage, weather and location in the park. WiFi is also available in the Lake Powell Resort lobby
  • 139 sites with Full Hook-Ups
  • 60 extra large Pull-Through Sites
  • Spectacular views
  • Convenient store and gift shop at the campground registration office.
  • Late arrivals: A map and directions to your site will be posted on door of store.

Tent Only Sites – Loop 1

  • Our non-hookup sites have picnic tables, fire ring with grill, and restrooms in each loop.
  • 9 outlying sites located between 20-80 yards from the parking area. Guests must pack in their equipment.

Tent or Self-contained RV Sites (112) – Loops 2, 3, 4

  • Some sites can accommodate up to a 40 ft RV, there is limited extra parking space in the campground.
  • Our non-hookup sites have picnic tables, fire ring with grill, and restrooms in each loop.

Group Tent Area – Loop G

  • Six sites can accommodate 9 to 30 people per site
  • All sites have tables, grills and fire rings. Restrooms are centrally located in the Group area.
 

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