THE PERFECT WEEKEND IN GLEN CANYON NATIONAL RECREATION AREA

Storm clouds swirl at sunset over Gunsight Butte, Lake Powell and distant Navajo Mountain in a view from Alstrom Point at Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. LARRY LINDAHL When photographer Gary Ladd moved to Page in 1981, he had every intention of disliking Lake Powell. The second-largest reservoir in the United States had finally reached full capacity the year before, flooding 180 miles of the Colorado River and a slick-rock wonderland of some 200 side canyons. Ladd says he had studied the history of Glen Canyon Dam and “learned to hate the lake.” Yet he also was drawn to the entrancing photos of the reservoir and its vast expanses of rock, water and sky. “I gradually began to put up with the lake and appreciate it for the access to amazing places it provided,” Ladd says. “And then, after a period of years, I came to see Lake Powell itself as quite beautiful.” After four decades of documenting the reservoir, Ladd has become the preeminent Lake Powell photographer. He also is a seasoned expert on the best places to experience the beauty of the reservoir, as well as the sections of Glen Canyon that are still available to be explored. The 1.25 million-acre Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, which extends into Arizona and Utah, encompasses not only Lake Powell but also Horseshoe Bend, on the Colorado River, and offers access to Rainbow Bridge National Monument. There is more dry ground than lake in the recreation area, offering infinite opportunities for combining waterand land-based adventures.

Day 1 Horseshoe Bend is an Instagram darling and one of the most photographed viewpoints in the Southwest. Located off U.S. Route 89, 5 miles south of the Carl Hayden Visitor Center, Horseshoe Bend is especially scenic at sunrise and an amazing way to kick off a perfect weekend. Parking spaces can be sparse at this popular spot, so arrive well before dawn to secure a spot. The half-mile path from the parking lot is a gentle climb to the slick-rock overlook. From this precipice, you can look 1,000 feet straight down to the emerald-green Colorado River as it makes a 270-degree meander between orange sandstone cliffs. The rising sun kisses the tops of the cliffs with a golden light. Enjoy a breakfast picnic with the view, then head north to experience other facets of the recreation area. At press time, the visitors center and tours of Glen Canyon Dam were closed indefinitely due to COVID-19, but you can access a close-up view of the 710-foot-tall dam from the park's Dam Overlook Trail. To get to the trailhead from U.S. 89, turn west onto Scenic View Road, which is about 1.5 miles south of the visitors center. Take the first road on the right, and follow it to a parking area. Slick-rock stairs lead to a vantage point just above the top of the dam. Nearby is a 1-mile (round-trip) hike to a tiny oasis called Hanging Garden, where a natural spring drips from a fern-decked alcove. The turnoff to the trailhead is on U.S. 89, a quarter-mile east of Glen Canyon Dam Bridge on the opposite side of the bridge from the visitors center. Ladd has spent the better part of his adult life searching for the best place at Lake Powell to set up his tripod. His favorite so far is Alstrom Point, on the north side of the lake. The point offers unmatched vistas, as well as prime backcountry camping 1,000 feet above the reservoir. “This is one of the greatest views in all of the Western U.S.; it is just staggering,” Ladd says. From Page, it's a two-hour, 44-mile drive to the point, which is on the Utah side of the lake. The route is passable for two-wheel-drive vehicles, except for the last few miles. There are no services or shade at the point, so be prepared with water and supplies. For directions, visit alstrompoint.com. Over the past 20 years, as prolonged drought and water demands from Western cities have kept Lake Powell far below full pool, hundreds of miles of side canyons long buried by the reservoir have resurfaced. The ideal way to explore these twisting slick-rock narrows is by kayak. Ladd says the best spots, in terms of marina access and sheer awesomeness, are Labyrinth, Mountain Sheep and Wetherill canyons. Because the upper reaches of these canyons are too narrow for motorized boats, kayakers can have intimate moments with towering slick-rock in places

where the slot canyons are more than 100 feet tall and only 5 to 6 feet wide. When the water ends, scramble onto the shoreline muck and set out on foot for a hike that could be several miles. Kayaking across open bays to get to these locations is nearly impossible because of boat wakes and strong winds. The best strategy is to rent a motorboat at Antelope or Wahweap marina and anchor it at the canyon mouth, where you can launch your kayaks. These beaches also are excellent camping spots. If you'd rather have an experienced guide take care of trip logistics, several outfitters, including Hidden Canyon Kayak (lakepowellhiddencanyon kayak.com), offer slot canyon tours. Once back in civilization, rinse the mud off your feet and enjoy a sunset dinner and drinks at Latitude 37. The floating restaurant at Wahweap Marina is open from May 13 to September 8. Pitch your tent along the lake's turquoise shores at Lone Rock Beach Primitive Camping Area; for more-developed facilities, go to Wahweap Campground and RV Park. Take your bucket-list weekend full circle with a paddle down the Colorado River through Horseshoe Bend. The Marble Canyon-based outfitter Kayak Horseshoe Bend (kayakhorseshoebend.com) will meet you in the morning at Lees Ferry, off U.S. Route 89A. You then will be taken by motorboat up the Colorado with kayaks in tow. From here, you can launch your kayaks and paddle around the beautiful bend and back toward Lees Ferry, 1,000 feet below the place where you were standing two days before. All

Eat + Sleep

Blue Buddha Sushi Lounge 644 N. Navajo Drive, Page; 928-645-0007; bluebuddhasushilounge.com Shash Diné Eco Retreat U.S. Route 89, 12 miles south of Page; 928-640-3701; shashdine.com

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