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A State of Euphoria
by James Corns
Find boating ecstasy on Arizona’s lakes Powell and Havasu
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Arizona is a land of deserts, where the scorched earth is a helpless victim of the sun. However, it is also a land of breathtaking beauty -- and lakes that make boating a spiritually fulfilling experience.
It’s hard to imagine that two premier boating destinations could share the same state, but Lake Powell and Lake Havasu do just that. We can give you all the information you need to have a great time at both lakes, but don’t ask us to choose a favorite: You’ll just have to visit each one and make that decision for yourself.
Lake Powell: A Rockin’ Good Time
Thanks to its drop-dead-gorgeous scenery, where clear blue-green waters reflect red rock monoliths that puncture the sky, Lake Powell is one of the country’s most high-profile bodies of water. Since it was created in 1963, along with Glen Canyon Dam, the lake has been a premier attraction for boaters from throughout the country.
Most people prefer to visit Lake Powell in July, August or September, when the local temperatures usually hover around 100 degrees Fahrenheit during the day. At night, the temperatures drop to a comfortable 70 degrees or so.
The lake is less crowded in April, May and June, but the 70- to 90-degree temperatures in the day are still very hospitable to boaters. The winds are much stronger during these months, so there are fewer crafts on the water, but these are peak times for anglers, because the fish are less hesitant to come to the shallow waters to find food.
PWCs were banned from the lake last September, but after further review by the National Park Service, personal watercraft are expected to be allowed back on the lake by as early as this month, or as late as August. Waterskiers will also be back on the water this season, taking full advantage of the lake’s side canyons, which allow enthusiasts to stay out of the way of most boating traffic.
Lake Powell is very popular with hikers, who love to walk through and climb the many rock formations. Red sandstone is everywhere, and it even colors the beaches.
Swimming and snorkeling are common pastimes here, and nature lovers will get their fill of interesting creatures, as the lake is home to more than 170 species of birds, 800 different mammals and more than a dozen different reptile species. The combination of fauna and geological spectacle makes the entire area a photographer’s dream come true.
You’ll find many houseboats on the lake. The boats are a favorite of both visitors and locals. If you’re interested in cruising the lake on a houseboat, there are plenty of them available as rentals.
If you’re not going to be spending the night aboard a houseboat or your own boat, the best place to find lodging is Page, Arizona, which is near Wahweap Marina. Page serves as the center of boating life in the region.
Lake Powell’s scenic views of balancing rocks, arches, pinnacles and buttes are worth the trip in and of themselves -- and Rainbow Bridge is arguably the most spectacular of the lake’s natural wonders. Officially known as Rainbow Bridge National Monument, it is the largest natural bridge in the world.
Antelope Canyon is another nearby natural attraction. Known for its sculpted sandstone formations, the most famous part of the canyon, dubbed “The Crack,” can only be visited with a Navajo guide. You’re free to explore many of the other parts of the canyon on your own, though.
Five marinas currently serve Lake Powell, with a sixth marina proposed for the future. Lodging and boating services are available throughout the year at four of the five marinas, with Dangling Rope Marina being the sole exception.
Wahweap Marina is the largest marina on Lake Powell -- and it is the only one located in Arizona. The rest of the marinas are across the state line, in Utah.
Located near Page, Arizona, Wahweap Marina offers lodging, food, two campgrounds (one with hookups), laundry facilities, gift shops, showers and a service station. In addition to fuel, repairs and dry storage, the marina has slips, moorings, boat rentals and tours available. A public swimming beach is just north of the marina.
The second largest selection of services can be found at Bullfrog Marina, which is slightly less than 100 miles north of Glen Canyon Dam. Bullfrog Marina is home to a National Park Service visitor center, which sells various media (including maps) about the area, offers a medical clinic (from May to September), and has personnel on hand to offer advice and answer questions. The center is open during parts of March, and then 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily from April to October. It is closed from November to February.
The National Park Service provides a launch ramp, a dumping station for portable heads, a free pumpout station, a fish-cleaning station and a picnic area. Like Wahweap Marina, Bullfrog Marina offers lodging, food services, two campgrounds (one with hookups), laundry facilities, a gift shop, showers, a service station, boat tours, boat rental and boat repair; however, you’ll find a grocery store and a post office here, too.
Hall’s Crossing Marina is also a little less than 100 miles north of Glen Canyon Dam, but whereas Bullfrog Marina is on the western side of the lake, Hall’s Crossing Marina is on the eastern side. The state of Utah runs a ferry service between the two marinas; the ferry is available for a fee on a first-come, first-served basis.
This marina offers two campgrounds (one with hookups), laundry facilities, a grocery store, showers, a service station, boat rental and boat repair.
Hite Marina is at the northern end of Lake Powell. In addition to getting gasoline there, you can use the dumping station and the public phone. Groceries, supplies and fishing licenses can be had at the marina’s store.
There is one launch ramp, which has restrooms and water available. This area of the lake is popular for camping.
Located approximately 40 miles north of Glen Canyon Dam, Dangling Rope Marina is accessible only by water. The marina’s services are limited to a pumpout station, restrooms, a supply store and some boat repairs, but this is an important spot for boaters, because it is the only place to get fuel between Wahweap Marina and Bullfrog Marina or Hall’s Crossing Marina. Moreover, this marina is very near Rainbow Bridge National Monument.
When full, Lake Powell is 186 miles long and has more than 1,986 miles of shoreline, making it the second largest man-made lake in the country, behind Lake Mead. Although the lake is currently at record lows, it is still over 400 feet deep in the main channel and almost 150 miles long.
The lower water level brings both pros and cons: On one hand, the travel channels have become narrower, making navigation tighter -- but on the other hand, that has led to having more beaches available for camping. On average, only five percent of Lake Powell’s shoreline is landable beach (most of the shoreline is sheer cliff), so the addition of more beach area is a definite plus.
Navigation is still safe in the main harbor, because the hazards to navigation have been well marked, but be careful to watch out for submerged rocks that might not have been a problem before. Some landforms that were previously submerged are now visible for the first time in decades.
For many boaters, the rising and lowering water level is a bonus. It makes Lake Powell feel like a different destination every time you visit.
Lake Havasu: The Ultimate Family Getaway
Lake Havasu is Arizona’s other great lake. Located on the Colorado River, 16 miles north of Parker, Arizona, Lake Havasu is another man-made body of water that was created as a result of a dam: Parker Dam.
Approximately 45 miles long, the lake covers 25,000 surface acres and features close to 450 miles of public shoreline. Although the lake was created in 1938, Lake Havasu City wasn’t founded until 1963 -- 25 years later.
In 1968, the city purchased the London Bridge (which had spanned the River Thames from the 1830s until that time) for $2.46 million and had it reconstructed, stone by stone. The project wasn’t finished until 1971.
Today, Lake Havasu City and the London Bridge are virtually synonymous. The bridge, which serves as a focal point of the city, crosses over to a small island on the lake. Packed with restaurants and shops, the island attracts crowds of tourists who are eager to take in the entire Lake Havasu experience.
However, you can’t come anywhere close to taking in all of Lake Havasu if you’re not on board a boat for a good part of your trip. Havasu has become quite the watersports hot spot, thanks to its warm, dry climate and warm waters, which have combined to make the lake a magnet for boaters throughout the year. The temperatures here average 88 degrees Fahrenheit year-round.
Such warm climes make Lake Havasu a popular Spring Break destination for students from all over the country. During those few weeks, the lake’s Copper Canyon is filled, wall-to-wall, with houseboats and other crafts. The entire canyon becomes one big party. (This raucous revelry is not for the timid -- or children.)
During the rest of the year, Copper Canyon is empty and quiet. The canyon is an interesting area to visit, if only to compare its usually unpopulated waters to the packed ones that you usually see in pictures taken during Spring Break.
Speedboat and bass boat owners are often seen running at top speed, practicing for a race or running to their favorite fishing spot. Paddleboats, skiers and canoes are also prevalent.
The PWC is the true king of Lake Havasu, though. In fact, the lake is often referred to as the “Personal Watercraft Capital of the World.”
Although the lake itself is deep, there are plenty of shallow, out-of-the-way places to explore, and the Colorado River is shallow in many spots that only a PWC or other shallow-draft boat can reach.
If you don’t want to wait for the PWC ban to be lifted at Lake Powell, rest assured that you can take your personal watercraft to Lake Havasu right now -- and at any time in the foreseeable future.
Anglers visiting Lake Havasu have a quarry of fish from which to choose. Stripers, black crappie, channel catfish, largemouth bass, bluegill, green sunfish and rainbow trout are commonly caught at the lake.
Lake Havasu is host to the nation’s largest warm-water fisheries program -- a 10-year $28 million project designed to increase the lake’s fish stocks. The fisheries program has not only increased sportfishing opportunities, but also improved access and facilities for shoreline anglers. Take-off Point, Havasu Springs, Site Six and Mesquite Cove offer fishing access, and all four sites have parking, restrooms and fishing docks.
Lake Havasu State Park is open 365 days a year. Day use hours are from sunrise to 10 p.m.; the fee is $8 for a vehicle with one to four passengers. Checkout time for campers is 2 p.m., and campsites cost $14 to $16 a day (or $70 to $80 per week). The park has 42 campsites available.
The park offers three launch ramps (two for conventional watercraft and one for PWCs). The Site Six and Windsor Beach facilities provide a combination of launching, dry storage, boat rentals, gasoline, repairs and slips.
The park’s Arroyo-Camino Interpretive Garden puts the local wildlife on display. Birds, lizards and desert cottontails are common sights.
Two public campgrounds are located on the Parker Strip, outside the park, and the Empire Landing Campground offers 50 drive-in campsites and 28 tent sites. In addition, there are at least another 125 shoreside campsites available along the Arizona side of the lake.
If you’re not one for roughing it, there are plenty of hotels, motels and other places to stay in Lake Havasu City. However, the London Bridge Resort is probably the most popular place for boaters.
The resort offers access to a tennis court, three swimming pools, a spa, dancing, a wedding pavilion and -- most importantly -- boat slips. Sip libations at Kokomos, the resort’s friendly pub, or chow down at the Bridgewater Café. The late-night karaoke is a local highlight almost every night of the week.
Golfers can take advantage of the Bridgewater Links, which is located right at the London Bridge. If golfing doesn’t interest you, perhaps the nearby Aquatic Complex will. The 59,000-square-foot complex offers a wave pool, a leisure play lagoon, a 24-person circular whirlpool, a 250-foot water flume slide and a soaking pool complete with a ramp and stairs.
Rotary Park is also within walking distance. The park has numerous athletic fields, a skate park, playground equipment, jogging trails, beach volleyball, horseshoe pits and public beaches.
Lakes Powell and Havasu offer a wide range of amenities for boaters, and with all of the great fishing, watersports, hiking and other activities at your disposal, you’ll have a hard time running out of things to do. Moreover, both places are very family friendly and can be visited throughout the year.
These two desert oases are very different, but each one is well worth a visit. Why not go for the ultimate Arizona adventure and visit both places on one trip?
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This article first appeared in the May 1, 2003 issue of GoBoating Magazine. All or parts of the information contained in this article might be outdated. |
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