May 2018: Lake Powell Trip

Holly Out and About

37.068262 -111.243311

Lake Powell

& the surrounding area

Lake Powell

Wahweap Campground The southwest is one of our favorite places to explore. The dramatic rock formations, history, and vast expanses are endlessly fascinating. It is always exciting to find the small treasures that lie within such a seemingly bleak environment.

We had a couple of goals for this trip. One, was to encourage our dog, Wilson, to swim. He has always liked splashing through the water at the beach, but was not keen to go so far out that his feet left the sand. We thought, with a calm lake, maybe he would be a little more adventurous. We are very happy to report that Wilson learned to love the water, and was always pulling us in that direction when we were out and about walking.

We found Lake Powell and the surrounding area to be pretty dog friendly. Wilson was allowed, on leash, on trails and at the lakeside.

If you are thinking of renting a boat, dogs are allowed on the boats too.

In nearby Page, we accomplished our second goal, which was to tour the slots in Antelope Canyon. Since dogs are not allowed on those tours, we found a wonderful veterinary office, Page Animal Hospital, that offered inexpensive boarding ($22/day) inside their air-conditioned building. The kennels were pretty basic in the back, but each dog had its own space, each space had a blanket, and you were encouraged to bring anything special that would make your dog more comfortable. We were worried that we might not make it back in time to pick up Wilson before they closed for the night. But they said it wasn’t a problem. Just to bring food for his meals, and we could’ve picked him up in the morning for no additional cost.

Upper Slot Antelope Canyon is located a little bit outside of Page, Arizona, on Navajo Tribal lands. You will need to book a tour through one of a myriad of companies offering them. We decided to use Antelope Slot Canyon Tours. The best time of day to visit the upper slot canyon is during the times that bracket noon - when the sun is high in the sky, and the light beams can shine down through the twisted rock. We were too late in booking, so our time was 3:15pm.

We met at their office and then caravaned with about 8 other jeeps. Each jeep held approximately 14 people. A quick 15-20 minutes later, we unloaded at the entrance to the upper slot canyon at the head of a dry river bed. Each jeep had a guide who introduced us to the canyon and kept track of us. We were encouraged to take pictures as we moved through the slot canyon, because at the end, we would be turned around to go back through - but with no picture taking. The slot can get really crowded with people moving in both directions. The guides do a pretty good job of making sure everyone has time to enjoy while also keeping the lines moving. Our guide was an expert in every kind of camera setting, so she had a lot of advice about how to set up your SLR or smart phone to catch the best light. She would also point out great photo opportunities and was even willing to grab your camera to get you just the right shot.

We enjoyed our time so much that afterward, we secured a tour of the lower slot canyon for the next day through Dixie Ellis’ Lower Antelope Canyon Tours at 12:15pm. Luckily the vet had a cancellation, so we were able to have Wilson boarded again.

Lower Slot To access the lower slot canyon, we drove ourselves out to the site. While we waited, we were treated to a wonderful hoop dance by a Navajo dancer.

Afterward, we were gathered into groups of 15 and led out by our guide down the riverbed to the entrance point for the lower slot canyon.

Accessed by a series of steep, metal stairways - we needed to wait for awhile at the top while other groups were led below. It gave us some time to chat with our guide. He told us that they have a crew that goes through the slot canyons (upper and lower) every morning to clear out any rattlesnakes, scorpions, coyotes, or any other critters that visitors like us might not appreciate.

The lower slot is a one-way trip. It felt more adventurous than the upper slot. Narrower passages, different levels that were accessed by metal stairs, and a longer route. We were told that during the monsoon season (typically between July and September) the rain washes away the sand at the bottom, leaving the narrow floor difficult to traverse. The Navajo bring in sand, and dump it in at strategic points along the slot, and then it is shoveled throughout to create a flat floor to walk on. Any water that has accumulated in the carved out pockets on the floor, is pumped out and sand is added in to make it flat.

Because traffic only moved in one direction, there were many opportunities along the way where you could find a few seconds of time, alone, looking in wonder upon the way the light interacted with the sandstone.

At the end, you ascended another set of stairs and popped up onto the floor of the riverbed, close to where the tour company building lay.

Surroundings If you are willing to travel around a bit, there are some great areas to explore within a days drive of Wahweap. One day we visited Horseshoe Bend, the Navajo Bridge over the Colorado river, Lee’s Ferry (which we discovered has a wonderful campground (first-come / firstserved), and lunched around Marble Canyon.

Another day, we headed down the road to check out The Toadstools, which was an interesting hike, and then on the way back we discovered Cottonwood Road (Utah) - a dirt traverse through a portion of the Grand Staircase Escalante. Not advised if there is any chance of rain, we happened upon it during a bright sunny day - so took our chances. We were amazed at every turn - the scenery was incredible, and there were little trails you could explore along the way if you wanted. We got out to explore the Cottonwood Wash Narrows, then diverted to see Grosvenor Arch and Kodochrome Basin State Park (which looks like a wonderful place to camp with spaces that have full hook-ups).

We decided to drive a loop, rather than go back, so covered some new areas that we hadn’t seen before. We debated whether or not to pop into Bryce, but we wouldn’t have had enough time to really make it worth our while.

Not having planned for a long day trip, we ended up grabbing what we could find out of a small snack store located in a hotel and munched our way past beautiful scenery all the way back to Wahweap. Cottonwood Road turned out to be a highlight of our trip. Something that caught our eye as we headed down the main road and decided to take a chance on. One of the unexpected hidden treasures you can find around this area.

Navajo Bridge. On the left is the new bridge for through traffic. On the right is the old bridge for walking on - at the end is a visitor center.

Lee’s Ferry Campground. Dry camping only, right next to the river.

View of some of the Marbled hillsides.

This “mushroom” is one of the first you see and is about 20’ tall.

View of the terrain once you get to the top of the plateau that has the mushrooms.

Cottonwood Wash Narrows

Grosvenor Arch

Road to....

For this trip, we left Santa Barbara, heading south on Hwy 101, before cutting over to the 5 interchange on Hwy 134. We like to turn north on the 5 toward Gorman and then cut through Antelope Valley on the 138 to reconnect with the 14 on to Mohave continuing from there on to Las Vegas, our overnight spot.

We’ve found a nice RV park in Las Vegas that is pretty close to the freeway and offers fullhook ups. Oasis Las Vegas RV Resort is an easy in and out for a quick overnighter on the way to something more interesting. For a few special months out of the year, they have a 20% discount for So. Cal residents.

From Las Vegas we did a straight shot to Wahweap, but along the way we discovered a fun little stop - Pipe Springs National Monument.

Similar to La Purisima Mission, the monument has interpretive areas where rangers or volunteers explain different aspects of living for the Native Americans and later the Mormon settlers who built up the Pipe Springs.

Although we didn’t have time to take a tour of the Winsor Castle, it is something definitely on my list of places I’d like to plan to revisit.

While we were there, a ranger was sitting vigil next to a little bat she had fished out of the pond. It was still alive, but had obviously been swimming awhile and was fighting on the bank to rest up and survive. Not sure how it got caught in the water, maybe dipping too low for a mosquito, but we all crossed our fingers the little guy would live to fly another night.

Settler covered wagon

Built over the stream by 1872 to insure a water supply in case of another attack, the fort was an important stopping point for travels.

Road from....

On the way home, we decided to take our overnight near Zion. We’ve been there a number of times and always enjoy the area.

Before reaching Zion, we stopped for lunch at the Main Street Cafe in Hurricane, Utah. What another treasure! When I went inside to see if we could have Wilson on their outdoor patio they said “Sure! But would you rather eat in the ‘jungle’?” The “jungle” is a large grassy area, shaded by pecan trees where kids and dogs are welcome to run free. There are tables and chairs dotting the area with table side service. It was wonderful!! It’s mostly bounded on all sides by tall walls covered with a thick vine. The food was delicious, and I wish we could have stayed longer in the area so that we could experience their breakfast and dinner menus too.

After leaving Hurricane, we climbed up into the sugar pines before dropping back down. It was so refreshing to see and smell the trees although there were many-many acres that had been burned fairly recently.

Unfortunately, we discovered that Zion is NOT dog friendly. From March on, they only allow shuttle buses into the park - and dogs are not allowed on the shuttles. There is only one trail that a dog is allowed on, which is a short walk along the river from the Visitor Center.

Parking is limited at the Visitor Center, so the nearby town, which has built up considerably since we last went through (shocking actually), has some pay-to-park lots or parking along the street with meters. Since we didn’t have very many hours left in the day, we decided to just drive through one end of Zion, through the tunnel, and out the other side, before settling into our spot at the Zion River Resort RV Park.

Lake Powell Wahweap RV & Campground Online Reservations:

Visitor Center: Located at Wahweap. Has a small store and items for tourists to buy.

RV/Trailer Sites: There are full-hook up sites and dry camping sites.

Day Use: Visitors are able to make use of the picnic grounds for a day visit to the park or rent boats.

Tent Sites: Walk-in and bike sites available in addition to regular tent sites.

Ranger Activities: There is an amphitheater, but I didn’t see a schedule.

Hotels: There are a variety of hotel/lodging opportunities around the lake.

Firewood: Firewood is available for purchase at the store.

Fire pits: Campsites are equipped with campfire rings. Fire is only permitted in fire rings or camp stoves.

Bears: I didn’t see any signs that bear were a concern.

Dump Stations: There is a dump station on the grounds..

Self-guided Nature Trails: There are some paved trails around the campground and down to the lake.

Dogs allowed on 6’ leash.

Electricity: There are 139 full hook-up sites

Hiking Trails: Most hiking trails are outside the area. Check out the Page Visitor Center for maps and info of the area.

Propane: Not sure if there is propane available.

Bike Loop: Bikes are allowed on the roads. Not sure about the trails.

Water: Communal water spigots are situated at various locations throughout the campgrounds for dry camp sites.

Leashed Dogs: Dogs are allowed at campgrounds, lake, and on boats rented at the marina. It’s a fairly dog-friendly place. They are not allowed with buildings.

Visitors are able to reserve campsites and lodging in advance.

Hotel • RV/Trailers • Tent

Trash: All camps must remain clean at all times. Use communal trash cans to dispose of all waste.

Communal Bathrooms: Restroom buildings are available throughout the campsites. Showers are available at the Wahweap store.

For a complete outline of Lake Powel amenities and rules, please consult their website.

Issue II: Lake Powell & Surrounding Areas May 2018 Publication by HollyOutandAbout Stay in touch Email: info@hollyclinedesign.com Instagram: @holly_outandabout Editor & Publisher Holly Cline Š2018 Holly: Out and About Magazine All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced by any means without prior written consent from the editor, except in instances of review, as permitted by copyright law.

For permission, please write to the editor at: info@hollyclinedesign.com.

Photographs by Holly & David Cline.

Issue design by Holly Cline.

Issue II: Lake Powell & Surrounding Areas May 2018 Publication by HollyOutandAbout