It was fun to drive the UTV, but also great to be a passenger. I’m so glad I went! I took turns driving with my guide Ray Golden from the Ticaboo Adventure Center. I’ve been ATVing (All-Terrain Vehicle) before, but prior to this trip, I hadn’t been on a UTV (Utility Terrain Vehicle) tour. This is a place where it’s not unreasonable or out of the ordinary to go UTVing and canyoneering in the same day. This is one of the only places you can experience true desert canyoneering. In this little pocket of the world, you can do things that you can’t do almost anywhere else. When I found myself with a last-minute opportunity to join a trip to North Lake Powell to go UTVing, canyoneering, and paddleboarding this spring, I jumped at it.

Indeed, Lake Powell lives up to its reputation as a bucket list destination, but I know if I’m only going to pseudo-yacht on a houseboat and ride jet skis, I’m missing out on other explorations. Who can resist? With more than 1,900 miles of shoreline, the exploration possibilities are nearly infinite. Visitors to the expansive Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, home to Lake Powell, have more than doubled since 2013, bringing the estimated total visitors to 4.3 million in 2018, which makes it on par with Zion National Park. And it seems we’re not the only ones who are on to its charms. Utahns know that when we get invited on a trip to explore this region to say yes because there’s no other place like it.

Map of slot canyons in lake powell