Lake Powell Guide??

[89checkmate]

We are heading to Lake Powell for the first time.
We are taking the boat and staying at the wahweap lodge.
Any tips on where to go on the water?
and what to watch out for in the water, are there any hazards?
Any insider information would be great.
Thanks

[BoatFloating]

Checkmate, that lake is awesome. Most of the hazards are clearly marked. Are some rocks that are under water that look alot closer than they are because the water is so clear. The lake is so big it's hard to see during day trips. The best way to see lake is on a house boat. Dangling rope is at mile marker 40 and it has gas and is a fully stocked floating marina. At mile marker 46-48 is Rainbow bridge pretty cool to see. Down closer to wahweap is cookie jar bay that is nice area. I would buy a fold out Stan Jones map at the gift shop there. It gives you great detail for the whole lake. It's worth the money. Once yo go to Powell you never want to leave.
BF.....

[Livin Large 27Hallett]

Have to agree,BoatFloater. Been going to Powell for 10 years now every August and it is the best place....

[89checkmate]

Do you spend most of the time in your boat, or is it best to find a sandy beach and tie off?

[burtandnancy]

have to disagree with boatfloating, a houseboat is the worst way to see Lake Powell, but is a great outpost. You need a great cruiser with a large fuel capacity and LOTS of time. You won't be able to see all the sights in a month. Put your houseboat as far up lake from Wah Weap as possible and only come home at dark. Get a good map, there are many of them, and the lake is well marked, its hard to get lost for long.
Finally, if the sky gets black, be in a cove, on your trailer or out of there. They have some neat, short, lightning and wind storms. There is no more beautiful recreation lake in the world...

[jet496]

Last year when we went to Wahweap we stayed in the Navajo building (There's several seperate buildings) which had a sandy beach and is right next to the ramp. We kept our boat in the water on the beach (over night) the whole time we were there. You can see from your room balcony & watch the show as people pull out. I don't know what it's like gthis year since the lake is alittle lower.

[PACKERFAN]

89, pull an allday boat trip one day and head up to the Escalante River arm.There are all kinds of great things to see there. Lagorce Arch, Fifty Mile Canyon, Willow Creek Canyon, Three-Roof Ruins (very cool to walk up to).This trip will get you away from the crowds and take you to some of the best canyons on the lake. Dangling Rope Marina has gas, store,ice,3.2 beer(bring your own),and great soft serve ice cream.Have a great time!

[89checkmate]

Thanks to everyone for all of the information, I am printing all of the responses to take with me.

[flat broke]

89,
If there were 4 things I'd say you needed to know/have for a good Powell trip asside from a good boat, they'd go as follows.
1. A good map of the lake
2. Remember this phrase "Red Right Return" (I'll explain in a minute)
3. Know your boat's fuel consumption rate and estimated range at different RPMs
4. Leave plenty of time in your schedule
I got back from my first trip up there last weekend, and will definitely be going back. The lake is better marked than some freeways if you know what to look for and how to read a topo map. The main river channel has markers every couple of miles with green bouys to the left and red to the right as you travel up river/lake. This is where the navigational phrase red right return comes from. If you are returning up river/lake the red bouy should be on your right side. Simple stuff but it helps you keep your bearings when the channel looks like its dead ahead, but it actually bends off one way or the other.
Outside of the bouys if you have a good map with mile markers and topo markings you can use the landscape to help determine your locale. Just remember that the map was probably made when the water level was a little higher
Fuel and time will be your main handicaps if you're staying at Wahweap. You should plan your route and fuel consumption ahead of time so you don't get caught with your pants down. Most any 20' and up boat should have enough fuel to get you from Wahweap to Dangling rope. If you plan your fuel usage well you shouldn't have any problems. The only issue I could see is getting turned around somehow and going down one of the canyons thinking it was the main river channel, then having to back track which would eat up time and fuel.
As everyone has stated, the Dangling Rope marina is fairly well stocked and surprisingly the prices weren't set in full arse rape mode. The only thing that seemed waaay out of whack was their pricing on film, but if you're the type that takes lots of photos, you should carry plenty of film anyway.
The only other thing I can thin of is the stretch from Wahweap bay out onto the rest of the lake. It was getting really shallow and had been reduced to a no wake zone in order to keep the water passable. Other than that I thought the water level was more than adequate everywhere I went. One last thing you might want as a convienence item is a small set of field glasses. If you get turned around they can be helpfull in surveying your surroundings and looking for bouys that are too far off to see with the naked eye. The main benefit is that you will be able to get back on course without wasting gas/time probing around in different directions.
Good luck on your trip and bring back lots of pictures as its one of those places that is easier to show your friends than to tell them about.
Chris

[Pure Magic]

89checkmate:
We are heading to Lake Powell for the first time.
We are taking the boat and staying at the wahweap lodge.
Any tips on where to go on the water?
and what to watch out for in the water, are there any hazards?
Any insider information would be great.
Thanks