Lake Powell

When the Colorado was dammed at Glen Canyon in the 1960s the water backed up for nearly three hundred kilometres and flooded a labyrinth of side canyons, creating a reservoir with a shoreline longer than the entire west coast of the United States. What you get is red and cream sandstone walls rising straight out of blue water, and hundreds of narrow side canyons you can take a boat into until the walls close in. Rainbow Bridge, one of the largest natural bridges in the world and sacred to several tribes, is reached by boat and a short walk from the water. Houseboating is the classic way to do it, tying up on a beach for the night. Falling water levels in recent decades have exposed old canyon walls and closed some launch ramps.

What you actually see

• The side canyons - narrow flooded slots explored by boat until the walls close.
• Rainbow Bridge - the vast natural bridge, reached by boat and a short walk.
• Houseboating - tying up on a sandstone beach for the night.
• Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend - both a short drive from Page.

When to go

April to June and September to October are the most pleasant; summer is very hot but the water is warm and the lake busiest. Water levels vary considerably year to year, which affects which ramps and canyons are open, so check current conditions before booking a boat.

Honest expectations

Water levels have dropped substantially over the past two decades, closing ramps and lengthening the walk to Rainbow Bridge, and this is a live constraint rather than a footnote. Houseboat rental is expensive and requires some competence. Summer heat on open water is fierce. The lake itself is a controversial piece of engineering, and the drowned canyon beneath it is mourned by many.

Nearby

Page, Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend are at the southern end; Escalante lies north.