Glen Canyon Dam rises 710 feet above the Colorado River just north of Page, Arizona. It is one of the largest dams in the United States and the second tallest concrete-arch dam in the country — shorter only than Hoover Dam by 16 feet. The reservoir it created, Lake Powell, stretches 186 miles into Utah and at full capacity holds enough water to cover all of Pennsylvania in one foot of water.
Quick Facts
Height
710 feet (216 meters)
Type
Concrete arch-gravity dam
River
Colorado River
Opened
1966
Reservoir
Lake Powell
Address
US-89, Page, AZ 86040
Admission
Free
Dam tours
Free — depart from visitor center
Parking
Free
Phone
(928) 608-6072
Distance from Antelope Canyon
5 miles
Distance from Horseshoe Bend
1 mile
Carl Hayden Visitor Center
The Carl Hayden Visitor Center sits on the canyon rim at the dam's east abutment, directly off US-89. It is operated jointly by the National Park Service and the Bureau of Reclamation and serves as the starting point for all dam tours and the primary interpretive facility for Glen Canyon National Recreation Area.
Inside you'll find permanent exhibits on the dam's construction, the engineering of arch-gravity dams, and the water systems of the Colorado River Basin. A large topographic relief map of the entire Glen Canyon area helps orient visitors to the scale of the reservoir. There is also a bookstore stocked with maps, field guides, and regional history titles, plus restrooms and a small gift section.
Hours: The visitor center is typically open daily from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, with extended summer hours. Hours can vary by season and are occasionally reduced during holidays. The NPS recommends calling ahead at (928) 608-6072 to confirm current hours before visiting.
Admission: Completely free. No National Parks pass or reservation required to enter the visitor center.
Free Guided Tours Inside the Dam
The guided dam tour is the highlight of any visit to Glen Canyon Dam. Rangers and Bureau of Reclamation staff lead groups through the dam's interior, descending via elevator into the structure itself. The tour passes through the generator room, where eight Francis turbines convert the force of the Colorado River into electricity for roughly five million homes across five southwestern states: Arizona, Utah, Colorado, Nevada, and Wyoming.
Tours also pass along the inspection gallery — a tunnel bored through the concrete body of the dam — and the penstock area where water enters the turbines. The view back up the canyon from inside the dam gives a visceral sense of the structure's scale in a way that standing on top never does.
Duration: 30–45 minutes.
Cost: Free.
Availability: Tours depart regularly during visitor center hours. No advance reservation is required. Groups simply gather at the visitor center entrance and join the next available tour.
Note: Security screening applies before entering the dam — the same type used at federal facilities. Leave large bags and prohibited items in your vehicle.
Lake Powell Kayak & Water Tours
Glen Canyon Dam created one of the most unusual kayaking environments in North America. Lake Powell's calm, clear water floods the side canyons that once fed the Colorado River, forming a network of slot canyon passages accessible only by boat. The most famous of these is Water Antelope Canyon — the same geological formation as the famous Antelope Canyon slot canyons, but approached from the lake by kayak rather than on foot.
Tours depart from Wahweap Marina, which is directly adjacent to the dam at the south end of Lake Powell. Most run 3–4 hours and combine paddling through the water canyons with a short hike to viewpoints above the lake. This is one of the most distinctive experiences in the entire Page area and consistently earns the highest traveler ratings of any activity in the region.
Antelope Canyon Lake Powell Guided Kayaking and Hike Tour
Small-group kayak tour through the flooded slot canyons of Lake Powell with a guided hike to canyon overlooks. Recommended by 98% of travelers. Likely to sell out — book in advance.
Antelope Canyon, Lake Powell Small-Group Kayak, Hike & Swim
The most-reviewed Lake Powell kayak experience on Viator. Small groups paddle through Water Antelope Canyon, hike to scenic overlooks, and cool off with an optional swim in the lake.
Lake Powell Kayak and Water Antelope Canyon Hike Guided Tour
Guided kayak adventure combining Lake Powell paddling with a hike through Water Antelope Canyon. Free cancellation. Departs from Wahweap Marina near the dam.
Getting There & Parking
Glen Canyon Dam sits directly on US-89, the main highway through Page, Arizona. From downtown Page, drive north on US-89 for approximately 1.5 miles. The Carl Hayden Visitor Center and dam overlook are clearly signed on the right (east) side of the highway just before the bridge that crosses the Colorado River gorge.
Parking: A free paved lot is adjacent to the visitor center. It accommodates cars and most RVs comfortably. During peak summer weekends, the lot can fill by mid-morning — arriving before 9:00 AM avoids the wait.
From Las Vegas: 272 miles northeast via I-15 N and US-89 N. Allow 4 hours.
From Phoenix: 270 miles north via US-89 through Flagstaff. Allow 4.5 hours.
From the Grand Canyon South Rim: 135 miles north via US-89. Allow 2.5 hours.
Best Time to Visit
Glen Canyon Dam is open year-round and the visitor center is free regardless of season. Timing your visit depends on what you want to do alongside it.
Spring (March–May) is the most comfortable season for both the dam visit and lake activities. Temperatures in Page range from 55–80°F, the air is clear, and the slot canyons are less crowded than summer. Wildflowers occasionally bloom along the canyon rim.
Summer (June–August) brings extreme heat — Page routinely exceeds 100°F in July and August. The visitor center itself is air-conditioned and a welcome refuge. Kayak tours on Lake Powell still run in the early morning hours (departing 7–8 AM) before the heat becomes oppressive. Monsoon season (July–September) brings dramatic afternoon thunderstorms that can affect slot canyon tours — check conditions before your Antelope Canyon booking.
Fall (September–November) rivals spring for the best conditions: temperatures drop to a comfortable 65–90°F in September and cooling further through November. Crowds thin significantly after Labor Day. Fall is the best time to combine the dam, Antelope Canyon, and Horseshoe Bend in a single trip.
Winter (December–February) is the off-season. The visitor center stays open with reduced hours, tours inside the dam continue, and the area is rarely crowded. Temperatures can dip below freezing overnight but are typically pleasant during daytime (50–65°F). Lake Powell kayak tours may have limited availability.
The Controversy: Why Glen Canyon Dam Divides Opinion
Glen Canyon Dam is arguably the most controversial dam in American history — not because of engineering failures, but because of what it buried.
Before the dam, Glen Canyon was a 186-mile stretch of the Colorado River described by explorer John Wesley Powell as "a curious ensemble of wonderful features." Conservationist David Brower, who approved the dam in a political compromise and spent the rest of his life regretting it, called it "the greatest mistake of my life." When the rising waters of Lake Powell submerged the canyon in the 1960s, they also covered an estimated 2,000 archaeological sites — Ancestral Puebloan ruins, rock art panels, and artifacts spanning thousands of years of human habitation.
The second controversy is contemporary. The Colorado River Basin is in a prolonged drought intensified by climate change. Lake Powell has fallen dramatically from its historical high — in recent years hovering near or below the minimum power pool level, the threshold below which the dam cannot generate electricity. The Bureau of Reclamation has had to release emergency water from upstream reservoirs to prevent the turbines from going offline. The situation has triggered a serious policy debate: should the dam be decommissioned and Lake Powell drained, allowing water to be concentrated in the larger Lake Mead (created by Hoover Dam) instead?
Proponents of removal argue it would restore Glen Canyon's ecosystem, eliminate the significant water lost to evaporation from Lake Powell's large surface area, and concentrate remaining Colorado River water in the more efficient Lake Mead. Opponents point to the loss of hydroelectric generation, the billions of dollars in infrastructure tied to Lake Powell, and the political complexity of renegotiating water rights among seven states and Mexico. As of 2026, no formal decision has been made — but the debate is more serious than it has ever been.
Nearby Attractions
Glen Canyon Dam is the geographic hub of the Page, Arizona area. Within a 10-mile radius you'll find three of the most-photographed natural landmarks in the American Southwest.
- Antelope Canyon — 5 miles south of the dam. The world's most-photographed slot canyon, split into Upper and Lower. All tours require a licensed Navajo guide and advance reservation. See our full operator comparison.
- Horseshoe Bend — 1 mile south of the dam. The Colorado River makes a 270-degree bend 1,000 feet below the canyon rim. Free to visit (small parking fee). The 1.3-mile round-trip hike takes about 30 minutes.
- Page, Arizona — The gateway city, 1.5 miles south. Restaurants, hotels, gas stations, and the Navajo Village Heritage Center are all within easy reach.
Most visitors do all three in a single day: dam tour in the morning, Antelope Canyon guided tour midday, Horseshoe Bend hike in the late afternoon for golden-hour light.
Is Glen Canyon Dam free to visit?
Yes — visiting the Carl Hayden Visitor Center and touring the dam itself are both completely free. There is no entry fee for the visitor center, no charge for the guided dam tour, and no parking fee. The only cost associated with Glen Canyon Dam is if you choose to book an optional boat or kayak tour on Lake Powell.
Can you tour the inside of Glen Canyon Dam?
Yes. The National Park Service offers free guided tours inside Glen Canyon Dam through the Carl Hayden Visitor Center. The tour descends into the dam itself, passing through the generator hall where eight massive turbines produce hydroelectric power for the Southwest. Tours are offered daily during visitor center hours and take approximately 30–45 minutes. No advance reservation is required.
Why is Glen Canyon Dam so controversial?
Glen Canyon Dam is controversial for two main reasons. First, its construction in 1963 flooded Glen Canyon — a 186-mile stretch of the Colorado River that conservationists called one of the most beautiful places on Earth, later nicknamed "America's lost national park." Thousands of Native American archaeological sites were submerged beneath Lake Powell. Second, the ongoing drought crisis in the Colorado River Basin has lowered Lake Powell to historically low levels, threatening the dam's ability to generate hydroelectric power and raising serious questions about long-term water security for 40 million people across seven states.
Will Glen Canyon Dam ever be removed?
As of 2026, Glen Canyon Dam's removal is actively debated but not decided. Several environmental organizations, including the Glen Canyon Institute, have formally proposed draining Lake Powell by rerouting Colorado River water to Lake Mead. The Bureau of Reclamation has not committed to dam removal. The political and logistical complexity is enormous: the dam supplies hydroelectric power to five states and is central to the Colorado River Compact that governs water rights for 40 million Americans. Most experts consider removal unlikely in the near term but no longer politically impossible.
Which is bigger — Glen Canyon Dam or Hoover Dam?
Hoover Dam is slightly taller (726 feet vs 710 feet) and generates more power (2,080 MW vs ~1,400 MW). However, Glen Canyon Dam contains more concrete by volume and Lake Powell, the reservoir it created, was once the second-largest reservoir in the US by water capacity (24.3 million acre-feet). Both are concrete arch-gravity dams on the Colorado River, built by the Bureau of Reclamation roughly 300 miles apart.
How far is Glen Canyon Dam from Antelope Canyon?
Glen Canyon Dam is approximately 5 miles from the entrance to Upper Antelope Canyon and 6 miles from Lower Antelope Canyon. Both are accessible within a 10-minute drive. Most visitors combine both in the same day: tour the visitor center in the morning, then take a slot canyon tour in the afternoon.
How far is Glen Canyon Dam from Horseshoe Bend?
Glen Canyon Dam is exactly 1 mile north of the Horseshoe Bend parking area on US-89. The bend itself is a 1.3-mile round-trip hike from the parking lot. It takes about 20 minutes to drive between the dam and the trailhead.
What would happen if Glen Canyon Dam broke?
A catastrophic failure of Glen Canyon Dam would release Lake Powell's approximately 24 million acre-feet of water in an uncontrolled surge down the Colorado River. The immediate downstream section — the Grand Canyon corridor — would experience flooding orders of magnitude greater than any recorded event, affecting the river ecosystem and any boats or hikers in the canyon. Lees Ferry, Marble Canyon, and communities along the lower Colorado would face extreme flooding. Downstream, Hoover Dam and Lake Mead would absorb much of the surge. The event would also eliminate hydroelectric power for roughly 5 million homes across five states. Engineers consider a total structural failure extremely unlikely given the dam's design and monitoring systems, but the 1983 near-miss with the spillways is a reminder that extreme water events carry real risk.
About this guide
Written by Diego Fresno, Travel writer and independent publisher specialising in the American Southwest. Latest research conducted on location in Page, Arizona during July 2025. Guides are verified quarterly — last review April 2026.. Verified quarterly — last review April 2026. About the author →