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    Glen Canyon Dam Photos

    Recommended Reviews - Glen Canyon Dam

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    View from indoors
    Mel Y.

    In Page, AZ, this is a nice little visitor center to stop in to check out the dam, use restrooms and check out their small gift shop. You'll learn about the history of the site and you can also take a closer look. The AC was on blast in September so I had to go outside to warm up! If you have questions, staff are helpful to provide recommendations about trails and other things to see. Just a 15-minute drive to Antelope Canyon.

    The dam (view from the welcome center).
    Courtney B.

    I visited this dam last year on my trip to Sedona. The visit to this dam was part of the Pink Jeep tour. This dam is amazing to see in person and inside the visitor center, there is an education center where visitors can learn about the dam and its history. When there, I read about the controversy regarding the dam. Who knew a dam could have drama???? Glen Canyon Damn located just outside of Page is one of the largest and most important dams in the United States. The 710-foot high dam was built by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation from 1956 to 1966 and forms Lake Powell, one of the largest man-made reservoirs in the U.S. with a capacity of 27 million acre-feet. The dam is named for Glen Canyon, a series of deep sandstone gorges now flooded by the reservoir. The dam helps ensure an equitable distribution of water between the states of the Upper Colorado River Basin (Colorado, Wyoming, and most of New Mexico and Utah) and the Lower Basin (California, Nevada, and most of Arizona). During years of drought, Glen Canyon guarantees water delivery to the Lower Basin states, without the need for rationing in the Upper Basin. What I learned: Long after the Glen Canyon Dam was built and continuing to the present day, controversy remains between supporters of dam removal and those who believe it should be left in place. One of the earliest debates regarding the dam was its impact on Rainbow Bridge National Monument, whose 290-foot high natural arch is the highest in North America, and is a sacred site to the Navajo people.The environmental lobby wanted the Bureau of Reclamation to keep Lake Powell at or below a level of 3,600 feet (1,100 m), to prevent it from intruding into the monument. The Bureau of Reclamation proposed to build a barrier dam and pump system in order to keep water out of the monument. The proposal was fought over and litigated for years until it was permanently shelved in 1973. If taking the Pink Jeep Tour or visiting on your own accord, the dam is worth a stop and offers stunning views and it is truly a hidden gem with a lot of hands-on exhibits and an informative movie/documentary for visitors.

    Kathleen D.

    We were in Page to see Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend, and happened to stumble upon Glen Canyon Dam. Neither of us had heard of the dam previously, but it turns out it's larger than the Hoover Dam with a really interesting history. We parked next to the bridge and took the footpath that had little cutouts in the barbed wire for picture taking. The views were incredible, and the dam itself was striking. It's definitely worth a stop!

    Rhonda W.

    bigger than hoover dam. Cool dam and bridge. Easy to see. no fee for this area. Can walk across the bridge. Stop at visitor center for nice bathrooms and different view point. National Park pass will get you into other part. We went to a Mars event they had in the evening that is everything you want to know about Mars and much much much more. We also stopped at the overlook which ain't going to lie was hard for me . The steps were uneven and scary. The railing was painfully hot to try to hold but had no choice. But the view was worth the effort. I'm scared of heights and the overlook was out of my comfort zone. Glad I did it.

    Glen canyon dam
    Rachel B.

    We stumbled upon this attraction while driving from Page, AZ. The dam is very impressive and a great sight to see! They have a visitor center with a lot of very cool information about the dam and the Colorado River. They also have a learning and activity center for kids. There were lots of people walking on the bridge to see the dam. It was a great place to take some pictures. There is also a gift shop, water and restrooms inside.

    Glen Canyon Dam
    Travis T.

    We drove over this dam while passing through Page. I have only driven over it a handful of times in the past. Glen Canyon Dam was built after Hoover Dam and opened in 1966. It took ten years to built it and it is the 4th highest dam in the U.S. The dam is located on the Colorado River and forms Lake Powell (a popular vacation destination). Right next to the dam is Glen Canyon Bridge which allows cars on U.S. Route 89 to cross over the Colorado River. We stopped for a few minutes to admire the dam from the lookout spot next to the visitor center. Despite how beautiful Glen Canyon Dam and the Bridge are, this dam has had some controversy over the years. Many environmentalists feel the reservoir is unnecessary and destroys the canyon's ecosystem. There is sediment buildup behind the dam and the reservoir is currently half empty. The dam was also damaged due to flooding in 1983.

    Lake Powell, Glen Canyon Dam
    Christine G.

    Absolutely love how impressive the Glen Canyon Dam is. 710ft tall! 2nd largest Dam in USA, located in Page Arizona near the Navajo Reservation. There is a nice museum, gift store, restrooms and lots of great view points. It truly is outstanding! The weather was really nice and breezy, so made for a great day to visit.

    Glen Canyon Dam from the bridge
    Shayla B.

    Such a neat landmark to check out while in Page! Although the Glen Canyon Dam isn't as popular as Horseshoe bend or Antelope Canyon, it's still pretty mesmerizing in its' own right. It's one of the tallest dams in the US at 710 feet tall and impounds Lake Powell, the second largest reservoir in the US with a capacity of 27 million acre-feet. There's a visitor center right next to the dam (Carl Hayden Visitor Center) and a bridge that crosses over Lake Powell that you can walk across whilst admiring the views of both the dam and the lake. Who would have thought that a dam could be so pretty to look at?! The visitor center has all all kinds of interesting facts and history tidbits about the dam. I learned that the Glen Canyon Dam delivers water to Colorado, Wyoming, New Mexico, Nevada, and even California during drought years. There are several different viewing points of the dam which all provide excellent places for picture taking. The best pictures in my opinion are from the bridge. The gate makes it hard to get the best pictures, but there are a few pictures holes in the center of the bridge gate that allow for an unobstructed view. Another great place to see the dam up close in from the back patio of the visitor center. From here, you can even see Lake Powell and the canyon up above. This is also a free activity, making it worth your while to make a stop here while you're exploring the great city of Page. Make sure to stop at the visitor center and to make that walk across the bridge to maximize your visit.

    Jesus C.

    Glen Canyon Dam is definitely worth a visit, especially if you're traveling with family. The natural surroundings are beautiful--the earthy tones of the canyon and the reflections on the water create a really picturesque scene. While the dam itself is fairly average compared to others we've seen across different states, it's still an impressive structure and adds to the overall experience. A nice stop if you're in the area!

    Annette J.

    This dam was real damn impressive! I'd actually never seen one this huge before (I've never been to the Hoover dam and all the ones I've been to otherwise were a bit puny) so the sheer vastness of the structure and the canyon below was really impressive. I spent a lot of time just sitting and staring at the view. I never thought a concrete structure could be so mesmerizing but it was! The visitor's center adjacent has some great history and background on the dam so if you're a nerd like I am I highly recommend going and checking that out. They also offer tours so you can get real into the nitty gritty if you want! Or you can just wander around the grounds and enjoy everything on your own. That's what I did and I found it very enjoyable.

    (09/02/2024)
    Gwen W.

    Nice video playing at the visitors center telling why the dam was built, vegetation and ecosystem efforts. It is bittersweet, knowing that man built this ingenious water-stopper, but yet this dam has created problems in and of itself for the natural flow of earth's creations; however, still interesting to hear about many of the positives this dam has done for American civilization. It would be awesome to see the dam opened, but that doesn't happen too often at all (it's been for major flooding and high-flow experiments, only).

    Jennifer D.

    Stopped at the Glen Canyon Dam on the way to check out Lake Powell. There's a visitor center with viewing areas, a nice exhibit about the history of dam and surrounding area, cute gift shop, and bathrooms. Fun fact: this dam is bigger than the Hoover Dam! It's free, so why not visit? The extremely low water levels are alarming!

    Glen Canyon Dam
    Amanda L.

    I've never been to the Hoover Dam, so I can safely say that this is the biggest dam I've ever seen. Definitely very impressed and as an engineer, I fully respect this magnificent feat of engineering! It's so big, coming to the dam's visitor center is what I would consider as TOO CLOSE to really take in the whole view of it. But if you want to see it up close and personal, definitely come here! Also, I came here in December, and I think it's definitely a bit less impressive in the winter when the water levels are extremely extremely low. But all in all, that's a HUGE dam!

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    Glen Canyon Dam Reviews in Other Languages

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    Review Highlights - Glen Canyon Dam

    Bureau of Reclamation from 1956 to 1966 and forms Lake Powell, one of the largest man-made reservoirs in the U.

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    Street Of The Little Motels - Street sign with name

    Street Of The Little Motels

    4.0(1 review)
    2.1 mi

    Found the history of this Old Quarter online. A little bit of fun history to start your day…read more Walk along 8th Avenue in the Old Quarter of Page, Arizona, and you'll stroll down a street lined with motels. When compared to the newer accommodations that have popped up throughout the city, they don't look like much. But spend the night in one of these motels, and you'll be sleeping in one of the apartments once used by construction workers who built the nearby Glen Canyon Dam. Page is a relatively new city. It was founded in 1957, after starting out as a government camp for the construction of the massive Glen Canyon Dam. For seven years (1956 through 1963) large numbers of construction workers were housed temporarily in Page as construction on the dam, Rainbow Arch Bridge, and associated projects progressed. Since the construction's completion, Page has steadily grown from a town into a city and is now major tourist  destination for the area's stunning visual landscapes and vistas, such as Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Lower and Upper Antelope Canyon, Horseshoe Bend, Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, and a variety of other beautiful natural features in the region. As a result, many new hotels and lodging establishments have been built in and around Page in recent years. However, the first motels that were constructed date back to the original development boom of the mid-to-late-1950s when construction of the dam and related projects were taking place. These quaint mid-century motels are in many ways the historical foundation for Page. Today, several of them remain in operation and they are recognized with historical signage, street banners, and a special street name and designation: "Street of the Little Motels."

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    Street Of The Little Motels

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    Monument Valley - Monument Valley:

    Monument Valley

    5.0(4 reviews)
    50.3 mi

    Monument Valley is absolutely incredible. This is a Navajo Tribal Park, meaning it's on Navajo…read moreland, tribal land, so there is a fee to enter and explore the park that's independent of any tour fees you may have. It's $20 for 1-4 people in one car and additional people will be $5 (not 100% sure if that's per person or just anything over 4, I'm guessing it's per person though). If you come during the day (between 8 am and 2 pm), you could drive around about 50% of the park by yourself on a self guided tour. Be careful though because the roads are all dirt roads and your car will be covered in a layer of red dust by the time you leave the park. We could easily tell just from the cars parked in the parking lot who had just come from the park and who hadn't gone yet. For my family and I, we booked a guided tour, which I would HIGHLY recommend if you're interested in learning about the meaning behind all the mesas, buttes, and spires you'll see throughout the park and especially if you're interested in learning about Navajo history and get a small glimpse into their way of life. If you're here just for the photos of the cool rock formations though, then I'd say you probably wouldn't enjoy the tour as much and would recommend that you just get here early enough (probably 12 pm at the latest because the park closes to self guided tours by 2 pm) to drive through the park yourself. I love learning about the meaning behind everything though, how Monument Valley even came to be, why each rock formation is named what they're named, how the Navajo people live in this area, etc., so the guided tour was very worth it to me. PLUS, on the Navajo-guided tours, they can bring you into the park after 2 pm, so you can do sunset tours with them and ALSO have full access to the park, which is 50% more than what is accessible on a self-guided tour. Part of the reason is because a lot of these roads go through land upon which Navajo currently reside, so they only want guided tours have access to these roads and the other reason is because a lot of these pathways are much more difficult to drive through and require the skills of those who are used to driving them day in and day out. All in all, Monument Valley is 100% worth a visit. We were coming from Page, and it is really close by from there and was definitely worth the 2 hour drive over. Monument Valley is located right on the border between Arizona and Utah, so if you're anywhere within that vicinity, stop by and check it out! You will not be disappointed! :)

    It's a huge area with giant rocks that have cultural ties to the indigenous people in the area…read more It's worth it to stop and see!

    Photos
    Monument Valley - Monument Valley: Northern Window

    Monument Valley: Northern Window

    Monument Valley - Photo by Alex Fiore

    Photo by Alex Fiore

    Monument Valley - Monument Valley: The Thumb

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    Monument Valley: The Thumb

    Grand Staircase - Escalante National Monument - Willis Creek Narrows

    Grand Staircase - Escalante National Monument

    4.8(32 reviews)
    33.9 mi

    The Toadstool Hoodoos are cool rock formations formed by differential erosion. They look like…read moremushrooms, as the harder rock caps and protects the softer rock underneath. The hike is an easy 1.5 miles. The views at the end are worth it, and you can get close to the rock formations as you like (although don't topple the rocks!). It's suitable for families with small children. If you don't mind driving on an unpaved road (I did it in a 2WD sedan), check out House Rock Valley Road for unparalleled views of the landscape with swirling sandstone, painted hills, and other cool rock formations. Check out the Wire Pass Trail for amazing slot canyons, although check the weather. If there's any chance for rain, do not enter the slot canyons since the formations channel water and form deadly floods in the canyon.

    This feels like a review in progress because the area is so large - but was pleasantly surprised by…read morehow much more I want to explore this region. We did Willis Creek Narrows and Lower Calf Creek Falls - both incredible. Now adding to the wish list for return trips. The drive along US 12 is just spectacular. Definitely recommend a high clearance vehicle with 4WD to access some of the more remote locations. Be prepared to adventure and bring what you need as this is not a manicured national park, but more a haven for those looking for an off-grid escape.

    Photos
    Grand Staircase - Escalante National Monument - Visitor center

    Visitor center

    Grand Staircase - Escalante National Monument - Visitor center

    Visitor center

    Grand Staircase - Escalante National Monument

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    The Wave - 4/9/2022 (top) compared to 4/20/2025 (bottom).  Not much has changed, including where the shrubs grow.

    The Wave

    4.9(15 reviews)
    29.1 mi

    I've heard the lottery permit for The Wave is one of the hardest to win. I had previously missed…read moreout on the advanced lottery for 3 dates I submitted for mid-May and sorta planned out my 9-day roadtrip in AZ without visiting here. I really only had 1 day to fit in a trip to The Wave while I was staying in Page for 4 days and took a shot with the daily lottery permit and won! I was super pumped when I got the email notification! The 2-day advance daily lottery permit can only be applied for while you are in a nearby geofenced area and you have to pick up the permit and go through orientation/training at either Page, AZ or Kanab, UT. One tricky thing about the permit application hours is that it is based on UT and Navajo time, not AZ time. If you are in Page, you'll have to ignore the local time and make sure you are 1 hour ahead of the daily application closing time. Anyways, this was one of the most jaw-dropping other-worldy places I've hiked. The journey to reach The Wave features some of the most unique terrains and landscapes I've seen. There are geologic features all around, everywhere you look. Once you reach The Wave area, you almost can't believe what you are seeing. Some areas look like the rings of Saturn. Some areas look like huge ocean waves. I was in awe the entire time I was there. I can't even explain everything I saw, as words can't describe the scenery. Just look at the pictures. I didn't really explore past the main area because I was on a tight schedule and needed to head back. I would have to say this hike may be too challenging if you only rely on the paper map provided during orientation. I would highly recommend GPS tracking app, I used AllTrails to track my hike and even then I went off trail a few times, as this is definitely not a straight forward hike. Not a long hike at about 3.3 mile each way, but I would start early as it can get quite hot in this area. Also, there was a gentleman from BLM that was checking for permits at The Wave, if you were curious about enforcement.

    Everyone raves about this place, we hike a lot have done Angels and Half dome so gotta "Wave" right…read more? Took us 3 tries and scored hit early summer, bummer as you do need to plan your hydration carefully as it is dangerous out there when in the 90s We live close enough about a 4 hour drive to Page and overnight and early start to the trail head. Get a rental, you don't want to put your car thru the 9 rough miles and don't even think of doing it if it rains! Higher ground clearance is nice but not necessary but saw mostly SUV, drive your sedan at your own risk, we rented a compact SUV. Watch the weather carefully as for the two days we were there saw afternoon thunderstorms come in and the area did get a little rain the past day, saw some mud and standing water. As to the hike - summer is brutal! Start early, we did at 6am and did 8 miles but not all the attractions as we had to get back to Phoenix. Would it be worth the exhausting 13 miles to see it all, personal decision and gotta have the time. We've done 13 miles but wouldn't consider it here in summer or winter unless you are an Ironman Of course The Wave and Second Wave are amazing as does the arches and others look. We climbed past the second wave and ran outta time Must do, AllTrails or other offline map, the provided map and pictures are not enough. Consider a guide if you are a novice, but the guided tours were grouped and held back by what looked like the older crowd, YMMV. Four stars as between the difficulty with weather the slog the beauty not like Delicate Arch, Half Dome or Angels IMHO

    Photos
    The Wave
    The Wave
    The Wave - Beautiful scenery

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    Beautiful scenery

    Dinosaur Tracks - Filing a police report about assault incident.

    Dinosaur Tracks

    4.2(97 reviews)
    58.4 mi

    This is a quick and quirky roadside stop where there are real dinosaur tracks! We looked it up!…read moreIt's pretty amazing and there are Navajo men and women willing to walk you around to see specific fossils and tracks for donation/tip. We enjoyed the conversation and were happy to tip 20$ which felt fair--worth the stop

    DANGER! WARNING! DO NOT GO HERE! If you do not pay for a tour (which is not mandatory), you may be…read moreassaulted. We stopped here & politely turned down the optional "tour" that we were immediately pressured to take (since we just wanted to just walk around on our own). I told them we were simply going to spend a few minutes there. After about 15 minutes, as we were leaving, we were suddenly, from out of nowhere, verbally assaulted when one man began pounding on our car window and screaming at us. Then, two other Navajo guides (see photo 1)--a man and woman--began yelling at us & threatening us, telling us to "Get the F---- out of here" and "You're not welcome!" THEN IT GOT VIOLENT when one large man (see photo 2) said "You better get the F--- out of here RIGHT NOW," picked up a large rock, and actually threw it at our windshield. It cracked (see photo 3). If it had shattered, my wife would've been covered with glass. We were in shock! It had escalated from nothing at all happening to extreme violence and us being in danger in literally seconds! He then began to walk toward the car and I realized both my wife and I were in serious danger. The guy was like 6'4, 240-275 lbs and in his twenties. I am 65 years old!!! These people are not just pushy, they are extremely violent. We immediately called the police when a safe distance down the road (see photo 4) and are pressing charges. We absolutely in danger. These people practically force you to pay up (when there is no fee, supposedly)--and if you don't pay, then you will be threatened (see other 1-star reviews on YELP detailing violence & aggression & assault) and, as in our case, actually attacked -- they are very violent.

    Photos
    Dinosaur Tracks
    Dinosaur Tracks
    Dinosaur Tracks

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    Glen Canyon Dam - landmarks - Updated July 2026

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