Glen Canyon Dam
Glen Canyon Dam
4.5
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The controversial dam that was built to create Lake Powell.
Duration: 1-2 hours
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CATTSAR
Provincetown, MA22,598 contributions
Nov 2020
I have always been fascinated by dams, so when I stumbled across this I was excited. The dam stands over 700 feet tall (215 m) above the Colorado River and Lake Powell. While the actual dam is not accessible, the U.S. 89 bridge serves as a observation deck both looking at the dam and looking down the river. One thing that about the bridge is that there are openings in the fence allowing for pictures without fencing in it. In addition to the dam there is a area dedicated to the history of the development of the Colorado River Storage Project. There is a large visitors center as well, though it was closed indefinitely due to Covid 19. Visiting the dam is free but I would not recommended to anyone with a fear if heights.
Written December 22, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
James K
Winnipeg, Canada91 contributions
Feb 2020 • Solo
I took the tour of the Glen Canyon Dam and was amazed at the history behind building the dam and the work involved. This dam is only 16 feet lower than Hoover Dam who h gets all the attention.
It's quite a feeling to be at the bottom of the dam knowing that it is the only thing holding back all that water!
Our guide was fantastic and took the time to answer any questions. He told us about the workers who constructed it and examined how the dam was built for maximum strength.
For the $4.00 this cost me the tour was an incredible bargain. It would say this is a must see. And after the tour you can walk over the bridge to get a different view of the dam. I found the whole experience very interesting!
It's quite a feeling to be at the bottom of the dam knowing that it is the only thing holding back all that water!
Our guide was fantastic and took the time to answer any questions. He told us about the workers who constructed it and examined how the dam was built for maximum strength.
For the $4.00 this cost me the tour was an incredible bargain. It would say this is a must see. And after the tour you can walk over the bridge to get a different view of the dam. I found the whole experience very interesting!
Written February 19, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
DREGS
Grafham, UK385 contributions
May 2024 • Couples
What an amazing place. Going on a hot Memorial Day we thought it would be packed. Yes plenty of people but we shared our huge parking lot with a few other cars but much of the time it was alone! Inside are films showing which are very interesting - the history of the dam, how it was built and the environment. Cool and plenty of free fresh cold water! A ranger gave a great talk on the building of the dam and the displays are b clear and well written.
Thanks
Thanks
Written May 29, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Leslie Driskill
Oklahoma City, OK139 contributions
Feb 2021 • Solo
I stopped at the visitors center to check out the dam and pedestrian walkway over the bridge near the dam. The scenery here at sunset was absolutely amazing. The visitor center was unfortunately closed due to COVID. There are a few informational signs outside the center.
Written April 4, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Bernard H
Thonon-les-Bains, France2,048 contributions
May 2024 • Couples
Already the overlook (at the back of the visitor center or from the road bridge) are superb and impressive (it is much higher with its 216m than the highest French dam: Tignes and its 180m), what a behemoth in a gleaming state after 60 years !
And what about the reservoir (Lake Powell) which is simply gigantic: the second largest artificial lake in the USA!
The visitor center is very informative for discovering hydroelectric energy, other applications (irrigation and drinking water) and learning everything about its titanic construction: more than 10,000 workers for 7 years, the construction of Page to house them, the extreme conditions (15 deaths during construction), ...
Exciting
They also approach with a model the gigantism of Colorado's equipment.....to the detriment of these poor Mexicans whom they overlook ("America first")
There was no guided tour of the dam at this time
Allow one to two hours, not stopping there would be regrettable
And what about the reservoir (Lake Powell) which is simply gigantic: the second largest artificial lake in the USA!
The visitor center is very informative for discovering hydroelectric energy, other applications (irrigation and drinking water) and learning everything about its titanic construction: more than 10,000 workers for 7 years, the construction of Page to house them, the extreme conditions (15 deaths during construction), ...
Exciting
They also approach with a model the gigantism of Colorado's equipment.....to the detriment of these poor Mexicans whom they overlook ("America first")
There was no guided tour of the dam at this time
Allow one to two hours, not stopping there would be regrettable
Written May 18, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
fiamma11
Tysons Corner, VA5,776 contributions
Jun 2021
Not as impressive as Hoover Dam, however, it is still quite interesting and a sight to behold. This created beautiful Lake Powell. You don't have direct access to the dam, but the views from the bridge on US 89 are really good.
Written December 29, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
helensims61
Wark, UK662 contributions
May 2022 • Solo
Stopped here for about an hour on a coach tour. Nice view of the dam,walked out onto the bridge there are gaps in the fence at certain points so you can get pictures. Gift shop ,visitor centre lots of information on the dam
Written May 31, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Underdog_SPP
Cuenca, Ecuador1,580 contributions
Apr 2011
Glen Canyon Dam is a very impressive looking federally built and run concrete dam. Situated just a few miles from Page, Arizona, the dam's Carl Hayden visitor center (named in honor of the first Senator from Arizona) has a long, deep parking lot suitable for recreational vehicles and tour coaches, as well as abundant automobile parking. Rarely have I seen the lot ever full - and when it is full, it is in the Summer season.
Like other reviewers here, I too remember - fondly - the days before the security measures were put into place at this site. While the Carl Hayden visitor center is still free and has not changed from years - and decades - past, the tour is now a $5 charge per person. Additionally, it is no longer self-guided as it once was, and though our guide Curtis was very knowledgeable with facts and figures, the contemplative nature of the viewing is lost due to the pacing required to always stay with the guide (and of course, the now requisite security detail individual). Total time for the guided tour is approximately 60 minutes - at *their* pacing, not yours. While the pacing is not hurried, it also isn't self-guided at your own pace anymore. That fact I mourn.
Treat the guided tour as you would an airport. Keep it simple. . . just bring a water bottle (with water in it), your keys, and your camera. Don't forget your wallet, of course. Guided tours start at 8:30 AM in April, and operate on the half hour hourly through the day in this Spring season month. As the Summer season approaches, the guided tour start times change and frequency will increase, fyi. The guided tours are run on a first come, first serve basis. Tour group sizes are no more than twenty tourists, so if you have a large group with you, it would be wise to go in person early in the day and make a reservation with the National Park Service Ranger on duty in order to keep your group together. During the busier Summer season, going early in the day for a guided tour reservation (for later that same day or the next day) would also be a wise move. So for larger groups or busier tourism season times, think of planning on driving to the dam twice for the day. A helpful thought.
One benefit the Summertime tourist gets that the offseason visitor doesn't is the wonderful cooling effect of going down deep into the lower part of the dam interior. Aaah. . . two elevator stops along the way allow for this. Of course, in the offseason, this cooling effect is not readily noticeable. On the flip side, the offseasonal visitor has a more reasonable temperature outside walking to and from their vehicle, while the Summerime visitor gets the heat effect from 100 plus degree temperatures while walking through concrete and asphalt. Choose your season for what you desire, if you can.
Yes, there is also a gift shop in the visitor center building.
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Finally, I offer a compare/contrast with Hoover Dam, which is the next dam downstream past the Grand Canyon.
Glen Canyon Dam is more modern, built between 1957 and 1963. Hoover Dam is the older, more historic dam, built between 1931 and 1936.
Glen Canyon Dam offers free parking. Hoover Dam charges each automobile a $7 entry fee.
Glen Canyon Dam offers a free visitor's center. Hoover Dam's visitor's center costs $8 per person admittance.
Glen Canyon Dam, because it gets more of a subsidy, only charges $5 per person for its guided tour. Hoover Dam charges $11 per person for its non interior dam structural tour (only visiting down to its hydroelectric power generating plant and back) and $30 per person for seeing all of the dam. That is to say, the interior dam structure as well as everything the $11 per person tourist gets to see.
Total cost to tour Glen Canyon Dam: $5 per person
Total cost to tour Hoover Dam: $7 + $8 +11 or $30 = $26 or $45, depending on what level of guided tour taken
My considered thought: if one intended to visit one or both of these dams, I'd only spring out the cash for Glen Canyon Dam guided tour. Both are federally funded and run dams, both are concrete construction, and similarities abound in their engineering. The larger the tour group you have, the more the cost difference you will see. By all means, if you are planning to see both of these dams, please do so. . . view both dams at your leisure. . . but if it were me, I'd only take the Glen Canyon Dam guided tour for the cost savings and the similarities noted above and not take the Hoover Dam guided tour.
Like other reviewers here, I too remember - fondly - the days before the security measures were put into place at this site. While the Carl Hayden visitor center is still free and has not changed from years - and decades - past, the tour is now a $5 charge per person. Additionally, it is no longer self-guided as it once was, and though our guide Curtis was very knowledgeable with facts and figures, the contemplative nature of the viewing is lost due to the pacing required to always stay with the guide (and of course, the now requisite security detail individual). Total time for the guided tour is approximately 60 minutes - at *their* pacing, not yours. While the pacing is not hurried, it also isn't self-guided at your own pace anymore. That fact I mourn.
Treat the guided tour as you would an airport. Keep it simple. . . just bring a water bottle (with water in it), your keys, and your camera. Don't forget your wallet, of course. Guided tours start at 8:30 AM in April, and operate on the half hour hourly through the day in this Spring season month. As the Summer season approaches, the guided tour start times change and frequency will increase, fyi. The guided tours are run on a first come, first serve basis. Tour group sizes are no more than twenty tourists, so if you have a large group with you, it would be wise to go in person early in the day and make a reservation with the National Park Service Ranger on duty in order to keep your group together. During the busier Summer season, going early in the day for a guided tour reservation (for later that same day or the next day) would also be a wise move. So for larger groups or busier tourism season times, think of planning on driving to the dam twice for the day. A helpful thought.
One benefit the Summertime tourist gets that the offseason visitor doesn't is the wonderful cooling effect of going down deep into the lower part of the dam interior. Aaah. . . two elevator stops along the way allow for this. Of course, in the offseason, this cooling effect is not readily noticeable. On the flip side, the offseasonal visitor has a more reasonable temperature outside walking to and from their vehicle, while the Summerime visitor gets the heat effect from 100 plus degree temperatures while walking through concrete and asphalt. Choose your season for what you desire, if you can.
Yes, there is also a gift shop in the visitor center building.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Finally, I offer a compare/contrast with Hoover Dam, which is the next dam downstream past the Grand Canyon.
Glen Canyon Dam is more modern, built between 1957 and 1963. Hoover Dam is the older, more historic dam, built between 1931 and 1936.
Glen Canyon Dam offers free parking. Hoover Dam charges each automobile a $7 entry fee.
Glen Canyon Dam offers a free visitor's center. Hoover Dam's visitor's center costs $8 per person admittance.
Glen Canyon Dam, because it gets more of a subsidy, only charges $5 per person for its guided tour. Hoover Dam charges $11 per person for its non interior dam structural tour (only visiting down to its hydroelectric power generating plant and back) and $30 per person for seeing all of the dam. That is to say, the interior dam structure as well as everything the $11 per person tourist gets to see.
Total cost to tour Glen Canyon Dam: $5 per person
Total cost to tour Hoover Dam: $7 + $8 +11 or $30 = $26 or $45, depending on what level of guided tour taken
My considered thought: if one intended to visit one or both of these dams, I'd only spring out the cash for Glen Canyon Dam guided tour. Both are federally funded and run dams, both are concrete construction, and similarities abound in their engineering. The larger the tour group you have, the more the cost difference you will see. By all means, if you are planning to see both of these dams, please do so. . . view both dams at your leisure. . . but if it were me, I'd only take the Glen Canyon Dam guided tour for the cost savings and the similarities noted above and not take the Hoover Dam guided tour.
Written April 14, 2011
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
mjp51us
Port Deposit, MD123 contributions
We went on the tour on August 4, 2006. You have to go to the counter and sign up for a specific time. We went at 10am. Me, my husband and 15 yr old daughter. Our guide was very informative, as my husband and I asked a lot of questions. The view in the visitor center is unbelieveable. We walked across the dam top then took a elevator to the bottom. Then was walked across the bottow into the generator building. Then headed back up. The whole tour took about 40 minutes. Very worth the time.
Written August 16, 2006
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mary D
Sarasota, FL567 contributions
The visitor's center offers three movies (15 min each) shown pretty much continuously in its small auditorium which give a great overview of the construction of the dam, the environmental issues it created and desert habitat. You can sign up for one of the free tours offered each hour by the Historical Society volunteers which will take you down into the dam, even into the hydroelectric plant. It is much more interesting if you have seen the movie before going on the tour. There is plenty of parking and a nice bookshop and several displays.
This is a good spot to walk out on the bridge over the Colorado river, which had to be built in order to get supplies to the site for building the dam. There are vertical slots cut in the chain link fencing to allow unobstructed photographs/video of the dam and the river.
There is plenty of security at the dam. You cannot bring any purses with you, but a camera bag (and photographs) are allowed.
This dam was uncrowded when we visited in March which made for a nicer visit than the Hoover Dam, which was a giant traffic jam of cars and tour busses parking and pulling out of the various lots along the snaking road that led down to the dam. I am grateful that a Trip Advisor member advised us to spend our time here, at Glen Canyon, instead of the Hoover Dam.
This is a good spot to walk out on the bridge over the Colorado river, which had to be built in order to get supplies to the site for building the dam. There are vertical slots cut in the chain link fencing to allow unobstructed photographs/video of the dam and the river.
There is plenty of security at the dam. You cannot bring any purses with you, but a camera bag (and photographs) are allowed.
This dam was uncrowded when we visited in March which made for a nicer visit than the Hoover Dam, which was a giant traffic jam of cars and tour busses parking and pulling out of the various lots along the snaking road that led down to the dam. I am grateful that a Trip Advisor member advised us to spend our time here, at Glen Canyon, instead of the Hoover Dam.
Written April 7, 2008
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
How late one can visit the Glen Canyon Dam just for pictures and walk?
Written June 18, 2022
The question is not really clear but you cannot drive on the dam itself. There is a bridge across the Colorado River just below the dam. It has a pedestrian walkway as well as lanes for cars/trucks. If you take the Dam Tour, you can walk on the top of the dam and then go down inside to where the turbines are. Great tour. Hope this helps.
Written August 27, 2017
John W
Orem, Utah
Can tickets for the Dam tours be purchased on site? What is the cost and schedule?
Written March 1, 2017
yes...they can. Inexpensive....maybe $5. There was construction going on last fall so you could not go down into dam. Was still a good tour.
Written March 2, 2017
Hi
Is Glen Canyon Dam visit free? Can i just walk in and get a view of the dam or do i need to take the tour?
Written November 7, 2016
You don't have to book any tour, or pay any money to walk on the bridge, look around the Dam and take photos .
Just make sure you have a hat, cold water bottle, as the sun is very strong.
And enjoy . :-)
Written November 8, 2016
Stayed in the lake Powell motel . Full fridge and kitchenette
Written January 10, 2015
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