Area
Encompassing over 1.25 million acres, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area offers unparalleled opportunities for water-based & backcountry recreation. The recreation area stretches for hundreds of miles from Lees Ferry in Arizona to the Orange Cliffs of southern Utah, encompassing scenic vistas, geologic wonders, and a vast panorama of human history.
Facilities
Virtually all of Glen Canyon's land-based facilities are accessible. The Carl Hayden Visitor Center at Glen Canyon Dam offers tactile exhibits and open-captioned introductory films. Our park partner runs tours of the dam. There are no stairs on the tour route and wheelchairs are available for loan. Dam information is available in braille for the vision impaired.
Some water-based facilities (i.e. docks, marinas, launch ramps, etc.) will require assistance. Marinas operated by park concessioners Lake Powell Resorts and Marinas (LPRM) and Antelope Point Holdings will provide visitors with assistance onto the docks and to their vessels. Call 928.645.1030 for assistance. Park concessioners offer a limited number of houseboat rentals that are accessible, too.
Lodging and eating facilities within the park are accessible.
Outdoor Activities
Horseshoe Bend has a new trail to the rim that meets Architectural Barriers Act (ABA) standards for accessibility and blends with the natural environment, and two shade structures with benches. A small, ABA accessible viewing area with safety railing will be available at the overlook rim.There are no other maintained trails in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. Hiking involves following routes over uneven and varied terrain.
Scenic drives or boat trips may offer a good way for those with physical/mobility issues to see the vast backcountry of Glen Canyon. Accessible boat tours are also available. LPRM tours include individual audio sets with every tour and are available in English, Spanish, German, French, Italian, Mandarin and Japanese.
Float trips provided by Wilderness River Adventures use ADA compliant rafts with specialized equipment to accommodate guests with disabilities. Contact them at 800-992-8022 to discuss individual needs.
Service Animals
Service animals are allowed in national parks. For a definition of a service animal, please see the Americans with Disability Act (ADA) definition. For information on animals that do not qualify as service animals, see the Pets page.
Entrance fee is $30.00.
Admits one single, private, non-commercial vehicle and all its passengers
There are multiple districts in Glen Canyon very far away from each other. Avoid a two hundred mile detour and make sure you know which district you are going to before you begin travelling here.
The weather in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area is usually typical for the high deserts. Summers are extremely hot with little, if any, shade. Winters are moderately cold with night time lows often below freezing. Spring weather is highly variable and unpredictable with extended periods of winds. Fall weather is usually nice and mild, a great time to beat the heat (and the crowds!).
