Until a few months ago, I had never considered visiting Lake Powell. I knew that it was a 7ish hour drive away, a favorite getaway destination for friends and neighbors, and close to the Insta-famous Horseshoe Bend.
Every time it would come up in conversation, people always seemed shocked that I’d never visited Lake Powell. For someone who grew up next to the ocean, I didn’t understand what the big deal was with a lake.
If I was going to drive 7 hours to reach a major body of water, why wouldn’t I just tack on 2-3 more and make it all the way to the Pacific? Or, at least, that was my initial way of thinking.
I moved to Salt Lake City back in 2009 and was perfectly content to never make the trek down to Lake Powell, but that all changed in Spring 2019. I volunteer with teenage girls in my neighborhood for my church, and every summer we take them on a camping trip. This year, our destination was going to be Lake Powell.
I guess I was going to Lake Powell after all!
But I still had no idea really what to expect. Why was this place so beloved to so many? What was it that kept drawing people back to the desert, hours away from any decent-sized town?
After having my first experience at Lake Powell, I now understand…and am excited to share with you a photo diary of why Lake Powell should be added to your Bucket List!
My friend told me that her favorite part of the day was sunrise (usually before 6am during the summer). While I knew that any sunrise was beautiful, I wasn’t able to fully grasp why she was of that opinion.
Until I was there for my first sunrise…
And it’s not like you could really miss the sunrise…the sun rays will illuminate your closed eyelids and the radiating heat will jerk you out of whatever dreams you might be having. The sunrises at Lake Powell act like a needy friend that just won’t go away, no matter how hard you try to will it into submission.
One of my top 10 things to do at Lake Powell is to watch the sunrise. And if you find yourself doing the same, give into that urge to sing “Circle of Life” from The Lion King.
And just like magic, the temperature will spike immediately after the sun crests whatever mountain it climbs over.
And naturally the sandy shores will look like they’re on fire as soon as the sun hits the right angle. I cherished these moments…because soon after the sun rose, the sand became literal fire without shoes on!
Something I wasn’t prepared for was how often the color of the Lake changes, depending on the position of the sun. While the sun is making its arch across sky, you’ll see brilliant variations of turquoise and cerulean, deep royal blues, and even emerald greens.
To be honest, it was weirding me out at first. I thought that the settings on my camera were askew. How could it look so naturally beautiful?
No, just because the water is green doesn’t mean it’s suddenly toxic. Although it does make you feel like you’re swimming in a magical location, possibly on another planet…
With sunlight dominating the majority of every 24 hours, it’s no wonder that Lake Powell is full of beautiful colors. Every corner is just begging to be photographed. To be remembered. To carve out a little place in your heart.
And now that I’ve been once, I can’t wait to plan a return trip!
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Did you have any idea that Lake Powell was so beautiful and had such a palate of colors?
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