Lake Powell is truly a national treasure. For many of us, it’s a place tied to family memories, time on the water, and a connection to the outdoors and environment you can’t replicate anywhere else. It’s where generations have learned to boat, ski, fish, camp, and explore.
Water levels have declined this year, and with that, so has reliable access. Today, many of the existing launch ramps simply no longer reach the water. National Park Service is proposing to build two new launch ramps as water declines to help ensure continued access.
Bullfrog:
Bullfrog, while still functioning, is feeling the pressure too. As other areas lose access, more people are funneled into fewer launch points, leading to congestion, long waits, and growing strain on existing infrastructure. And even that access is not guaranteed long term if conditions continue to trend downward. The new ramp at Bullfrog would provide access to Lake Powell closer to the Colorado River’s main channel near the Stanton Creek Primitive Camping Area, southeast of the existing Main Launch Ramp in Bullfrog Bay.
The Bullfrog North Launch Ramp is currently the only ramp in the north (uplake) section of Lake Powell that provides relatively consistent access at low water levels. However, with anticipated ongoing drought conditions it is anticipated that water levels will eventually render even the Bullfrog North Launch Ramp obsolete at low-water times of the year.
Construction is predicted to take two years. The road would be designed to accommodate a truck hauling a 125-foot-long boat.
Hite:
At Hite, facilities have closed, access has become unpredictable, and what remains is often unsafe or unusable. Where there used to be a marina and consistent access now, there is a boat launch used by river rafters that are left navigating unstable terrain or using unmaintained areas at their own risk.
The new ramp would be upstream of the Dirty Devil River, the existing Hite ramp, and the North Wash takeout near the SR 95 bridge on the south side of the river (Figure 3). The proposed action would include improving the existing dirt road, constructing upper and lower parking areas, and constructing a primitive fixed launch/retrieval ramp as described as follows. No utilities or other amenities are included at this location.
The National Park Service is proposing Alternative A (current management, no change) and Alternative B that would extend these two ramps. NPS is accepting public input on this proposal through April 24, 2026.
You can download the proposal here.
It’s important to pair support for these infrastructure improvements with broader efforts with the Colorado River Abundance Act. This bill will not only support better infrastructure and lake services but policy and water management solutions that will keep Lake Powell viable for many more generations to build those same family memories.
Submit your comment to the National Park Service below.
