For the first time since 2021, Lake Powell’s water levels have risen enough to restart boat tours to Rainbow Bridge National Monument in southern Utah.
That means tourists can visit the isolated red rock arch by hiking a short trail — roughly one mile each way — from a boat dock. Without access from Lake Powell, the only other way to visit the arch is a strenuous hike that’s more than 30 miles round-trip.
As Lake Powell’s water levels declined in recent years, the availability of this boat dock drastically changed Rainbow Bridge’s visitor numbers.
More than 115,000 people traveled to Rainbow Bridge National Monument in 2019 — back when boat dock access made it easier.
Last year, the monument had just 81 visitors.
Lake levels sank to new record lows in the first few months of 2023, pushed to the brink by a decades-long drought and the water demands of thirsty farms and cities.
But the abundant snowmelt rushing into Lake Powell this spring and summer elevated water levels by nearly 65 feet, enough to re-open several boat ramps around America’s second-largest reservoir.
In late July, after nearly two years, the boat tours resumed.
Judy Franz, executive director of the Page-Lake Powell Chamber of Commerce, said that’s a big deal for local tourism.
“Everyone is very excited,” Franz said. “We've had a tremendous amount of response.”
Franz, who also helps run the Lake Powell visitor center, said she expects the return of the boat tours to particularly attract international tourists. In 2019 when visitor numbers were at their peak, Rainbow Bridge National Monument contributed $4.3 million to the Utah economy.
At 290 feet tall, Rainbow Bridge is one of the largest known natural bridges in the world. But for the Navajo and other tribes who have called the region home for countless generations, it is also a sacred place.
Effie Yazzie, park manager at the Lake Powell Navajo Tribal Park, said the Navajo believe that Rainbow Bridge is a living thing that breathes just like humans do. So, the Navajo ask that visitors not walk under the bridge.
“If you take the time to visit something, please have respect for it. And please have respect for the people who have ties to the area that hold those structures sacred.”
The backpackers who take the longer hike to Rainbow Bridge through Navajo land in far southern Utah must get a permit from Navajo Nation Parks. Most of them, Yazzie said, are careful about not disturbing the natural surroundings.
But as boat access opens Rainbow Bridge to more visitors, there are concerns about them bringing in trash, going off trail or otherwise disrupting the site.
Some tribal members, she said, have mixed feelings about opening Rainbow Bridge up to a bigger crowd.
“Yes, we are concerned about having too many people there,” Yazzie said. “For those that are coming from the lake and boats, they just need to be considerate of these beautiful places and not pollute it in any manner. That's what we ask.”
It’s part of a broader challenge whenever thousands of people gather in delicate natural areas.
Franz from the Lake Powell chamber said some lake visitors still carve their initials into the red sandstone rock. Her husband, who runs a fishing business, often spends time picking up trash that tourists have thrown overboard into the lake.
“That's an ongoing problem,” Franz said. “The whole concept of ‘leave no trace’ is so important.”
The boat tour ferries visitors on the seven-hour, 50-mile journey three days a week for $135 per adult. The booking calendar is open into the early fall, and Franz is confident water levels will stay high enough to allow tours to run through that time.
“We'll be OK this year,” Franz said. “And we're praying for another heavy winter.”
But the tour’s long-term future may be up in the air.
Despite the extra runoff from the wet winter, Lake Powell only gained enough water for levels to recover to where they were in 2021. Although water levels remain roughly 60 feet higher now than they were earlier this year, the levels have already begun to decline.
As climate change ramps up extreme heat across the Southwest, evaporation is likely to gobble up more and more of Lake Powell’s water. To plan for a future with less water, the National Park Service wants to build new structures at the Rainbow Bridge dock to allow for lake access at lower water levels.
But even if boat access once again disappears, Yazzie of Navajo Nation Parks invites seasoned hikers to experience the longer trek to Rainbow Bridge that few people get to see.
“It's harder to get to, but it makes up for it. … It's a very beautiful area.”
