Lake Powell

With its jutting cliffs of reds, oranges, rosy pinks and purples overlooking vast stretches of crystal blue waters underneath even bluer skies, Lake Powell is a scene straight out of National Geographic.

Known as the "Grand Canyon on Water," its beauty makes even the most jaded heart skip a beat.

Actress Jodie Foster hailed Lake Powell — where she filmed "Maverick" with Mel Gibson — as one of her favorite movie locations. "We rent boats, go water skiing, and hang out on those weird little islands," she said.

And there are enough "weird little islands" here to make any would-be Gilligan feel right at home. In fact, it's not unusual to find yourself on an island, complete with white sandy beach, and not see any signs of civilization for the rest of the trip.

One of the largest artificially created lakes in the world, Lake Powell encompasses 250 square miles of water and more than 1,960 miles of shoreline on the Arizona-Utah border. Massive sandstone cliffs — some rising 2,400 feet above river level — and sandy beaches surrounding clear runoff waters, make the lake a paradise for fishermen, water sports enthusiasts and tourists.

No trip to Lake Powell is complete without a visit to Nonnezoshi — Navajo for "Rainbow of Stone." Ever since Rainbow Bridge was declared a national monument in 1910, visitors from all over the world have flocked to this historic site. With a span of 275 feet, Rainbow Bridge gracefully arches to a height of 290 feet and a top width of 42 feet, making it the largest natural bridge in the world.

History buffs will discover ancient ruins and petroglyphs, and special Lake Powell tours are available. Consider the half-day Colorado River float trip, a 15-mile adventure into the last undammed section of the Colorado River, is an ideal way to explore the scenery. Skilled crews guide would-be river rogues through the steep canyon walls on safe Neoprene rafts, making stops at ancient Anazasi petroglyph sites and concluding downstream at historic Lee's Ferry, which is peppered with early settlers' cabins.

Lake Powell History

In 1869, Union Army hero/naturalist John Wesley Powell decided to explore and map this unknown area with nine of his companions. Setting out on four tiny rowboats at Green River in Wyoming, they traveled the Green and Colorado rivers 1,100 miles to the lower Grand Canyon. Although only three boats and five of the original explorers survived the trip, Powell ended up in the area he named Glen Canyon. The lake was later named after Powell.

In 1913, Theodore Roosevelt and Zane Grey traveled Navajo Mountain on horseback to get a peek at Rainbow Bridge. They were both so awestruck, they felt compelled to write about it.

By the 1950s, Art Greene was boating guests 63 miles up river from Lee's Ferry and hiking the six miles to view Rainbow Bridge. Even so, relatively few people saw it until Lake Powell began forming in 1963.

The Colorado River that Powell explored was changed forever by the creation of Glen Canyon Dam. It took 17 years to fill the lake, and today it remains the premier geological attraction in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area.

Perhaps most enticing about the lake is its vast stretches of water inset with long, twisting river arms. Without a Lake Powell map, one would surely get lost. Thankfully, Lake Powell maps are available at both Bullfrog and Wahweap marinas.

Lake Powell Houseboating

To enjoy the lake at its fullest, we rented a Lake Powell houseboat for one week. Prices are high, so this i a trip you may want to go in on with a few friends. If you own a ski boat or jet ski, don't leave home without them.

Before your Lake Powell vacation, be sure to stock up on staples. Bulk is key on a trip like this. Big bags of potato chips, cases of soda, water and beer; breakfast bars, cereals, pastas and tasty little chocolate donuts do well on the lake. Be careful with breads. Unrefrigerated, they get moldy after only a few days.

Most standard Lake Powell houseboats are equipped with refrigerators, stoves and cupboards. A separate bathroom and two sleeping areas complete the cabin. Luxury houseboats comes equipped with carpet, televisions, DVD players and microwaves.

Before leaving the dock, you'll take an extensive lesson on houseboating Lake Powell. A guide will furnish you with all of the necessities such as a map, boating tips and manual.

Once on board, if you discover that you've forgotten something, Dangling Rope marina is not far away. It's here that river explorers go to fuel watercraft, replenish bread supplies, or cool off with a cup of creamy, soft-serve ice cream.

Despite thousands of tourists each year — many of them Germans — it's still possible to find yourselves in a quiet little cove away from everyone.

Although all houseboats are equipped with beds, you'll find the best "room" in the house is actually on the roof, where balmy nights provide a birds-eye view of the Milky Way and shooting stars.

Lake Powell Activities

By day, you'll find endless Lake Powell activities. You can fish for striped bass and catfish; tear up the glassy waters on a personal watercraft; or explore small canyons by canoe or raft.

Lake Powell's impressive cliffs can serve as diving boards, but even the most experienced swimmer should scout for submerged rocks before taking the leap.

Lake Powell's canyon map will point visitors to other spots of interest in this vast waterworld. Each of the Lake Powell attractions are numbered by location, and there are several paragraphs explaining the area's historical significance.

Cha Canyon was once explored by Roosevelt, who hiked along the stream to a series of waterfalls with his two youngest sons and nephew on their way to Rainbow Bridge.

Ticaboo Canyon is where pioneer Cass Hite made Glen Canyon his home. He set up camp here in 1883 and mined extensively until his death in 1914. A grave at the bottom of the lake contains his remains.

At Cottonwood Canyon, in a high cave, is an Anasazi ruin with two inscriptions. The first was carved by Alva Wilson in 1914; the second in 1951 by Dick Sprang, the artist who for many years drew the "Superman" and "Batman" comics.

Aspiring archaeologists will delight in areas like Explorer Canyon and Llewellyn Gulch, with their fine Anasazi petroglyphs, and in Long, Forgotten and Moki canyons, with ruins at the water's end.

At Forgotten Canyon, two Anasazi dwellings have been restored to include a ceremonial kiva and several kitchen pits. Nearby, the 700-year-old Defiance House Ruins is a must-see, where larger than life pictographs depict three dueling warriors.

Pictographic hand prints are evident in Forbidding Canyon, perhaps the most visited canyon on Lake Powell. Also in the area, just beyond its junction with Cliff Canyon, is a cave with an inscription from the Berheimer Expedition of 1922.

Lake Powell also has religious roots. Perhaps the most noteworthy is the story of the San Juan Mission Trek of 1879, where 233 Mormons converged at Lake Powell's Hole in the Rock, a U-shaped cleft overlooking the bay. Instead of aborting their journey, 45 days were spent blasting to permit passage of the wagon train which consisted of 83 horse- and ox-drawn wagons, several hundreds cows and sheep. A crude cliff-hanging road was fashioned by the men, who on Jan. 26, 1880, began pulling their wagons down a mile-long grade descending 1,064 feet to the west bank of the Colorado River. From there, they continued on a 200-mile journey, boating their wagons across water with the help of Charles T. Hall. Five months of hard times followed, and the Mormons resorted to eating most of their flock to survive. Not one human life was lost during the expedition, contrary to a sign now posted near the area.

To this day, the names of dozens of explorers who passed through the hole splatter the walls of the upper cleft. And to be sure, dozens more will follow.