Lake Powell Camping: Wahweap, Lone Rock Beach and Camping Near Page

Lake Powell straddles the Arizona–Utah line in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, and its south end, around Page, Arizona, has the most camping choices. You can park an RV at a full-hookup site, sleep on the sand at Lone Rock Beach, or take a boat to an empty stretch of shoreline.

Lake Powell camping at a glance

Entrance fees to Glen Canyon apply on top of camping fees. The NPS-run campgrounds take no reservations: you can pay online at Pay.gov, but only after you've picked a site, and paying doesn't reserve one.

Wahweap Campground & RV Park

Best for: RVs and anyone who wants showers and a store.

Wahweap, near Page and the Wahweap Marina, is the most developed campground on the lake. It's run by the concessioner Lake Powell Resorts & Marinas, not the Park Service:

• 112 dry campsites (no hookups), 90 full-hookup sites and 6 group sites.
• Restrooms, showers, laundry, a store, a dump station and potable water.
• The amphitheater, a picnic area and a swim beach are nearby.
• Reservations at lakepowell.com or 800-528-6154; the camping store is 928-645-1059.

Lone Rock Beach

Best for: camping on the sand by the water.

Lone Rock Beach is a primitive camping area on a sandy beach and dunes, a short drive from Page. There are no designated sites: you pick your spot on the sand.

• $14 per vehicle per night, plus entrance fees. No reservations.
• Up to two vehicles per site.
• Open fires are allowed, kept within a four-foot square. No glass containers.
• 4 micro-flush toilets, 6 vault toilets, a wheelchair-accessible comfort station, an outdoor cold shower, a dump station, and potable water in season.
• An off-road vehicle area and day-use area. No launch ramp.
• No cell reception.
• Quiet hours 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.

Check how soft the sand is before you drive onto the beach.

Beehives Primitive Campground

Across the highway from the Wahweap south entrance, Beehives has 21 designated sites with picnic tables, at $14 a night, first come, first served. There are no hookups or dump station and no campfires or glass allowed, and it's pack in, pack out. Three-night limit.

Lees Ferry Campground

Best for: river views and a quieter base.

Lees Ferry sits on the Colorado River below the Vermilion Cliffs, downstream of Glen Canyon Dam. The NPS campground has 54 designated sites at $26 a night, first come, first served:

• No hookups, but an RV dump station, a modern comfort station and potable water.
• Grills provided; no open fires.
• Gas and supplies at Marble Canyon, about 5 miles away; the launch ramp is 2 miles from camp.
• The upper loop has been closed for renovations; the lower loop is open.

Camping on the shoreline

For many visitors, the best Lake Powell camping is a beach reached by boat. The rules:

• You can camp anywhere on Lake Powell's shoreline except in developed marinas. There's no camping fee or permit for undeveloped shoreline; entrance and vessel fees still apply.
• A portable toilet is required at every campsite unless there's a toilet on your boat or within 200 yards. Burying waste on the beach is prohibited; waste bags must be NPS-approved containment systems.
• Ground fires (wood only) are allowed below the 3,700-foot high-water line, except within developed areas, no more than 4 feet wide and 4 feet high. Fireworks are illegal.
• Anchor houseboats at least 100 feet apart to reduce carbon monoxide buildup, and don't camp under overhanging rock.

Rules for the whole recreation area

• Camping is limited to 14 consecutive days, and 30 days per calendar year.
• Quiet hours are 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. unless posted otherwise.
• Store food and trash in wildlife-resistant containers.
• Up to 8 people and 2 tents per designated site in campgrounds.
• No camping in Rainbow Bridge National Monument or on archeological sites.

For more Arizona camping, see our Arizona camping guide, and for the BLM land around the region, our guide to dispersed camping in Arizona.