CAMP SITE SELECTION
-
try
and choose a camp site that will have some protection against wind storms.
The wind generally picks up in the afternoon.

-
- Choose a camp site that offers
some protection from wind and waves when securing boat. Small coves and cuts
are good. Avoid dry washes where potential flash floods may occur during a
rain storm.
-
- When looking for campsites keep
in mind Lake Powell is a very large lake and if someone is already in a spot
that is nice, look for something more than a voice away... unless a huge
storm is brewing don't pull up close to other boats.
- Unless you're 1000% certain no
storms are on the way don't camp on the main channel unless very well
protected.

- Keep music turned down. Music
travels a great distance over the water. Be courteous of your neighbors
- Shut down generators after 10:00
pm out of respect to other campers. Your new quiet generator isn’t that
quiet!
Camp
cleanliness
- Always take along a Porta Potty.
You are required to have one while camping in the GCNRA (Glen Canyon
National Recreation Area) unless you are camped within 200 yards of a toilet
facility and that rarely happens. A small tent or shelter made for Porta
potties will provide some privacy.
-
Remove fire rings when done.
Do NOT burn bottles and cans. They don’t burn and are left for the next
group to pick up.
- Secure garbage bags out of reach
of Ravens and tie opening closed. Secure all food items in plastic storage
tubs with lids for the same reason.

-
Pack out what you pack
in……..plus some extra to help clean up a little.
-
Use dryer sheets in and
around food storage areas to keep out rats and mice.
- Try and keep food droppings off
the beaches, we really need to keep our camps clean to stop the rapid
proliferation of the mice population.
- No
fireworks! Sure they are beautiful, but they dirty the beaches and not
everyone appreciates being wakened by the sound and many pets are afraid of
them, and they are illegal in GCNRA.
-
don’t leave anything in the
bed of your truck. The Ravens will have a hay day with it and make a mess
out of your vehicle in no time.
-
a shovel and rake are nice
when you have to clear stickers or weeds off of your
beach.

TENTS & CANOPIES (tips
on securing) -
Several proven methods have been used to secure tents
against wind. Here are a few. Pick the one that suits you.

- Secure corners and ropes with
sand bags. Easy to carry, fill and empty when done.
- Secure corners with 18” pieces of
1” PVC pipe if camping in soft sand. Sledge hammer needed. Do NOT leave
stakes in the sand. As water rises they become dangerous to others.
- Use 18” squares of plywood
secured to ropes and bury them in the sand.
- Pile rocks on all corners and
stakes.
- For shade canopies (car type
w/1-1/2” poles); A 5 gallon bucket full of sand tied to each corner works
great.
- If leaving for the day consider
collapsing the tent to avoid problems. Make sure tent has enough weight in
it.
- DON'T stake anything to the slick
rock--stake it in the sand only. By staking into the sandstone, it breaks
the rocks, and it's hard to get the metal stakes back out of the rock. So
consequently they're left there for people to trip over and wreck boat hulls
on. The Trash Trackers pick many metal stakes out of the rocks each year,
hazards to everyone.
FOOD
- Dry Ice will keep food frozen for
up to five days. Try to limit the number of times you get into that cooler
and wrap the area between the lid and the cooler with duct tape to keep out
air leaks.
- Always keep a wet towel on your
coolers. The evaporating water will help with the cooling.
- Keep coolers in the shade and
follow the shade with them as the day goes on.
- Pre-freeze your water bottles and
milk jugs full of water.
- Use as much block ice as
feasible. It lasts much longer.
- Take an extra cooler for fish.
Fillet them immediately (leave some skin for identification), put them in
baggies, get as much air out as possible and layer fish and ice.
- Pre-making meals is fast and
easy. Freeze the meal at home and vacuum pack them for when you’re ready to
eat.
- Vacuum packing hamburger and
other meats will keep them fresh longer and avoid contaminating your cooler
and ice.
- If possible, pre-chill all of
your drinks and food at home before packing cooler. It will decrease the
amount of ice you need to initially cool the food.

PETS
·
Carry a container --
without a plastic bag inside -- for dog poop clean up and clean up after your
dogs. 1) It's no fun to step in dog poop -- your own dogs' or some rudely left
behind because someone stops along the way to let their dog go and then not
clean it up or people leaving camp and not cleaning up after their pets....
and 2) It ruins it for those of us who do like to bring our dogs and who do
clean up after our dogs... already a hiking area in GCNRA has been closed to
dogs because of hikers taking them and not cleaning up after them. Do not use
plastic bags as they cannot be disposed of in the porta potty dumpouts.
·
Be sure to have
plenty of clean fresh water.
·
Have a place for your pet to get out
of the sun and cool off. There are cooling mats also available that will help
keep them cool.
·
Pets must always be on a leash in
the GCNRA.
LOCATIONS –
See link
http://www.nps.gov/glca/pphtml/camping.html for info from the NPS.
See link
www.lakepowell.com for the concessionaire on the lake providing lodging
accommodations.
- Hite
- Bullfrog campground &RV
park
- Bullfrog north & south primitive
camping areas
- Stanton Creek primitive camping
area
- Halls Crossing campground & RV
park
- Wahweep RV park
- Lone Rock Beach
HOUSEBOATING TIPS
– See
Houseboating tips for lots of good information.
Securing to
beach -
another method of anchoring that I've found extremely effective for our
timeshare 65' houseboat over the years is to place your anchors just below the
water line driving the prongs into the dense sand.
Tying
directly to big rocks or tamarisk trees is the most effective and simplest
anchoring system.
Minimum two anchors; most often two per side. Haven't broken loose in over ten years now.
Also still set a beach anchor directly in front of the bow so that if
something did let loose on the starboard or aft, the boat would just pivot on
the bow anchor into the beach.
SAFETY
-
ALWAYS wear foot protection when off of the boat. #1 emergency room visit at
Powell is cut feet from broken bottles.
-
Apply and re-apply sunscreen often.
-
Drink plenty of water.
-
Avoid glass containers at all costs. See above
-
Always carry emergency flares. It is very difficult for emergency personnel
to find you, especially at night.
-
Carry a marine radio for emergencies and weather reports.
- Cell
phone coverage is very limited at Lake Powell. This is why your marine radio
is sometimes the only link to help.
- Put
down antennas and other high objects when a thunderstorm is near.
- If
camping with a large group, make a designated parking area and account for
all children and pets before moving any vehicle. Avoid moving vehicles if at
all possible. Children and pets love to play in the shade of vehicles.
GEAR LIST -
Here is a general packing list. This
is a starter. Customize it as needed.