Wahweap Overlook

All of Lake Powell, one free viewpoint

⏱ 20-45 minutes👤 All agesFree

The overlook is the easiest way to understand the geography this guide keeps referring to. From one spot you can trace how Lake Powell drowned the lower reaches of Glen Canyon, see the marina that serves the boat tours, kayak rentals and houseboats, and pick out the landmarks travelers navigate by: Navajo Mountain, sacred to the Navajo and visible from much of the lake; the Kaiparowits Plateau's long cliff line; Tower Butte rising alone to the east; and the line of the dam and its bridge to the south. The white mineral band on the cliffs marks where the water once stood, and comparing it with the current shoreline makes the low-water era tangible. A little history helps the view make sense. John Wesley Powell's 1869 river expedition named Glen Canyon for its green side canyons. The dam's gates closed in 1963, and the reservoir took about seventeen years to fill, first reaching full pool around 1980. Glen Canyon National Recreation Area was created in 1972 to manage what became the country's second-largest reservoir by capacity. Everything you see from the overlook, from the marina to the drowned side canyons, is younger than many of the people looking at it.

Photographers should come for the edges of the day. Morning light comes over Navajo Mountain and backlights the eastern view, while sunset paints the cliffs above Wahweap Bay in orange and pink. A wide lens captures the panorama; a short telephoto isolates Tower Butte and the houseboats. After dark, the skies over the recreation area are wonderfully dark, and the overlook makes a convenient, safe-feeling spot for stargazing with the car nearby. Bring a jacket — wind is common on the high point.

Practicals: head north from Page on US 89 past the dam and the Carl Hayden Visitor Center and follow signs to the overlook; it takes only a few minutes. There is no fee. Keep children and dogs close since the viewpoint is unfenced, and keep pets on six-foot leashes. Pair it with the Hanging Garden Trail on the way out, or with dinner at Lake Powell Resort's lakeside restaurant below. If you are staying on the lake side of Page, at Lake Powell Resort or the Wingate on Scenic View Road, the overlook is close enough for a spur-of-the-moment sunset. It also makes a smart first stop on arrival day, since seeing the whole layout from above makes the boat tours, kayak launches and Lone Rock Beach easier to picture before you book them.