Hiking The Glen Canyon Dam Overlook In Page AZ
Planning to visit the Glen Canyon Dam in Page Arizona? You’re in the right place.
Most people know Page for Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend, but it was originally founded to house the workers building the Glen Canyon Dam. This towering 710 foot tall dam, created Lake Powell, and is a must-see engineering marvel, for anyone visiting Page.
This article will cover how to get a breathtaking view of the dam, both from the Glen Canyon Dam Overlook trail, and walking over the bridge.
Here’s everything you need to know about visiting the Glen Canyon Dam.
Glen Canyon Dam Overlook Trail
- Duration: ~0.4-1.0 miles
- Difficulty: Easy
- Restrooms: None
- Dog-friendly: Yes, with leash
The Glen Canyon Dam Overlook Trail is a short trail that leads to an overlook of the Glen Canyon Dam and Colorado River. This is an excellent short hike to do as soon as you arrive in town.
To get here, you’ll park at the “Glen Canyon Dam Overlook”, rather than the visitor center.
There’s a small paved parking lot with around a dozen spots, and two different trails you can choose to hike.
To the left, you’ll see a short trail down a set of stairs that leads to a viewpoint of the dam and Colorado River. This is more of a viewpoint rather than a hike.
To the right, you’ll see a well-marked trail outlined by rocks.
This is a scenic trail over smooth sandstone rock that leads to an amazing view of the Colorado River, and slightly closer view of the dam.
If the weather’s nice, I recommend hiking this trail as well.
Once you see the trail marker for the “Colorado Viewpoint”, walk a little bit out to the left of the trail for an incredible view of the Colorado River.
I walked around a half mile until onto this trail until I reached the “Colorado River Viewpoint”, and a good view of the dam.
Keep in mind that this trail doesn’t connect to the actual bridge, so you can’t walk over the bridge from here.
However, there’s many unique rock formations and beautiful red orange sandstone throughout so this hike was definitely worth it.
Glen Canyon Dam Overlook vs Visitor Center
If you want to walk over the dam bridge, you’ll park at the Carl Hayden Visitor Center. It’s located right to the left of the dam, so you can walk directly over the bridge from the parking lot.
The visitor center also has restrooms, a gift shop, museum, and a theater with a film on the construction of the dam. There’s free parking, and no entrance fees at the visitor center.
I walked over the bridge, and there’s an incredible view of the dam up close, and Lake Powell facing north.
On the right side, there’s a nice view of the Colorado River, and what looked like a waterfall since I visited during a monsoon!
The bridge has a barbed wire fence with openings, but make sure to walk all the way to the other side (opposite from the visitor center), for the best view of the dam.
So, should you visit the Glen Canyon Dam Overlook or visitor center?
I’d recommend both if you have the time. The overlook has a spectacular view of the Colorado River, without all of the crowds you’d experience at Horseshoe Bend. But, the visitor center has a much better view of the dam up close.
There’s also restrooms at the visitor center, whereas the lookout doesn’t have any.
Can you tour the Glen Canyon Dam?
The Glen Canyon Conservancy previously offered guided tours of the dam, but these tours have been closed since March 2020. For the most up to date information, check the national park’s site.
Besides official tours of the dam, you can go on a guided kayaking tour of Lake Powell, the Glen Canyon Dam, and Antelope Canyon. This is a great way to see all of Page’s top attractions within a day, and have fun out on Lake Powell.
Glen Canyon Dam vs Hoover Dam
The Glen Canyon Dam is a 710 foot dam near the Arizona/Utah border, whereas the Hoover Dam is a 726 foot dam straddling the Arizona/Nevada border.
The Hoover Dam is the more well known and photographed dam, as it was the world’s greatest dam when it was created in 1936.
The Glen Canyon Dam is equally as impressive, but built 30 years later in 1966. Both of these dams capture water from the Colorado River, and generate billions of kilowatt hours of hydroelectric power each year.
However, the Glen Canyon Dam fills Lake Powell, while the Hoover Dam fills Lake Mead, the largest water reservoir in the United States!
Additionally, the Glen Canyon Dam is longer than the Hoover Dam (1560 ft vs 1244 ft), but the Hoover Dam is over twice as thick at its base (660 ft vs 300 ft).
Map of Glen Canyon Dam Overlook
FAQs: Glen Canyon Dam Overlook
Can you drive over Glen Canyon Dam?
Yes, you can drive right over the Glen Canyon Dam Bridge on highway 89. As soon as you cross the bridge (if visiting from town), you’ll see the visitor center on the right.
Where do you park to walk over the Glen Canyon dam bridge?
To walk over the dam bridge, you can either park at the large pullout before you cross the bridge, or the visitor center parking lot.
Parking at the visitor center’s the safer option, since there’s no signs indicating you can or can’t park at the pullout. From the visitor center, there’s well paved walkways to cross the bridge.
Do you have to pay an entrance fee to visit the Glen Canyon Dam?
No, there’s no entrance fee to visit the Glen Canyon Dam Overlook or visitor center.
What should you bring hiking on Page?
It’s best to wear light clothing, a sunhat, and sunscreen when hiking in Page. Most trails, including the Glen Canyon Overlook, don’t have any shade, and it often reaches temperatures over 100°F in the summer.
Also make sure to keep a water bottle with you. I highly recommend keeping a cooler in your car, so you don’t have to worry about getting ice and drinks throughout the day.
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