Lake Powell and the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area should be a place where adventure thrives — not a shadow of the world-class destination it once was.
Over the past several years, critical recreation infrastructure at Lake Powell has been neglected. Fuel docks have closed, marina services have become unreliable, and basic amenities like restrooms, shuttle services, and food options have either deteriorated or disappeared. Houseboat rentals are inconsistent and overpriced, floating restrooms are poorly maintained, and navigation buoys are often broken or missing altogether. This is not the experience the public was promised, nor is it what the laws and contracts require.
The National Park Service and its concessionaires have a legal and moral obligation to maintain Glen Canyon as a National Recreation Area—not manage it like a remote wilderness area. That means year-round fuel availability, reliable boat rentals, fair fuel pricing, clean bathrooms, functional pump-out stations, and safe navigation aids.
This obligation was reaffirmed under President Trump’s 2020 “Make America Beautiful Again” Executive Order, which directed federal land managers to improve infrastructure, expand public access, and maintain recreational assets in good condition for the American people. The Order also makes it clear that managing lands and waters for commercial benefit should be a priority of federal land management agencies. Above all, this directive makes clear that national recreation areas like Glen Canyon must be managed with public enjoyment and access as the top priorities.
The National Park Service is currently asking for public feedback on Park experiences. According to their release, NPS “seeks comments and information to identify improvements that could be made to visitor services in parks, including more efficient ways to deliver and manage those services. This RFI is part of the U.S. Department of the Interior’s implementation of Executive Order (E.O.) 14314, which directs the Secretary of the Interior to take steps to improve services for U.S. residents visiting national parks.”
We’ve drafted a letter that outlines a clear list of improvements — most of which are already required by contract — that must be implemented to bring Glen Canyon back to the standard visitors deserve. Our form letter below contains 12 priorities that we’ve developed with other concerned users of the lake.
Of course everyone’s experience on the lake is different, so we also invite you to customize the form below and add your own feedback to the National Park Service.
