Lake Powell, RV or hotel? What do you recommend?

[B0at1n]

So, this is super infancy, but wife made the comment of wanting to go to the Grand Canyon and I’m interested in Lake Powell.

Being that these are national parks, I would assume very little hotel options.

I was thinking it would be cheaper, more effective and convenient to rent maybe an RV that could pull the boat.

RVs are quite a bit more than I expected to rent and then would still have to pay for camp grounds.

I will be driving from the DFW area so it’s a 15hr 1,100 mile drive one way.

What do you guys recommend that have made a similar trip?

Rent RV or drive truck and find hotels to stay at?

Any other recommendations appreciated, I have a ton of reading to do on here and other places.

 

[Rumbo]

I think I just replied to your thread in Lake Powell must see spots. If you are going to be spending money on an rv my guess is that you can rent a houseboat for the same $$$ as the rv. There is no better way to see lake Powell than a houseboat! Check out lakepowell.com for rental rates and availability. If it’s only between a hotel and rv I would opt for the hotel personally. There are several hotels in Page, AZ which is just minutes from the Wahweap Marina and launches.

Maybe @swatski will chime in here with his experience. He just spent a week there staying in Page and I think he said he launched and retrieved each day. You can also rent a slip by the day in Wahweap if you want to leave your boat in the water.

I’ve been going to Lake Powell several times a year since I was a toddler in the early 80’s and am fairly familiar with the lake and the area so if you have any questions feel free to ask, I’m happy to help however I can. I’ve also seen several other members here very familiar with the lake with some very good info! Lake Powell is an incredible place and hope that you get the privilege of seeing it!

 

[Rumbo]

Wahweap Marina Houseboat Rentals in AZ | Lake Powell Resorts & Marinas

Wahweap Marina, located just south of the Arizona state border, is our largest marina and home of Lake Powell Resorts. Wahweap Marina can be found at the most southwestern point on Lake Powell and is open year round.

www.lakepowell.com

Here’s the link to houseboat rentals at Powell

 

[JBehrens]

If you are thinking about September, the weather will be really nice for camping making that an easy option (if you like camping and have the gear). Houseboats are by far the best way to take a LP trip IMO but they can get expensive and a little cumbersome depending on how many people are on your trip and what you are trying to do. If you just want to take day trips for a few days then stay in Page but if you are planing a week trip with another family or some friends then the houseboat would be my choice.

 

[B0at1n]

If you are thinking about September, the weather will be really nice for camping making that an easy option (if you like camping and have the gear). Houseboats are by far the best way to take a LP trip IMO but they can get expensive and a little cumbersome depending on how many people are on your trip and what you are trying to do. If you just want to take day trips for a few days then stay in Page but if you are planing a week trip with another family or some friends then the houseboat would be my choice.

The house boat sounds fun, prices are not cheap though, and operating a 50ft boat seems a little bit daunting, plus it’s just our family of 4. I was thinking renting the RV would be cheaper for the trip towing the boat plus sleeping, but it actually looks like it would be more expensive than driving our truck and staying in page so that’s the route we are thinking about going.

 

[JBehrens]

The house boat sounds fun, prices are not cheap though, and operating a 50ft boat seems a little bit daunting, plus it’s just our family of 4. I was thinking renting the RV would be cheaper for the trip towing the boat plus sleeping, but it actually looks like it would be more expensive than driving our truck and staying in page so that’s the route we are thinking about going.

If it is just 4 then do not go for the houseboat. We go with two families plus a few friends and it takes us 5+ guys to comfortably tie up a 75ft houseboat, driving is not as bad as you think but beaching is another story.

 

[Rumbo]

I’ve done several houseboat trips with 4 people, many of them with two of those being small children. It’s not nearly as intimidating as it seems. They are very maneuverable and not much different to pilot. They also rent some 46’ and 48’ models which are more properly sized for a small family trip but they are very expensive.

We usually shore camp. as @JBehrens said above, if you have the gear it’s great that time of year! We love shore camping there!

Hotels are a very nice option too. Later September is past prime season so rates should drop significantly. The drive from Page to Wahweap or Antelope point is only a few miles so you’re on the water in no time, all with the creature comforts at night.

One thing while I’m thinking about it, by September lake levels will likely be dropping again so be aware if you do stay on the water and beach any boats they may be a bit more boat on the beach when you wake up the next morning. When we used to beach our old boat that time of the year I would push it off to where it was barely touching the beach at night before bed and there were some mornings that it took quite a bit of throttle to back off. Changing water levels also present some hazards that were not hazards in the days before so a good Navionics map is highly recommended.

 

[swatski]

The house boat sounds fun, prices are not cheap though, and operating a 50ft boat seems a little bit daunting, plus it’s just our family of 4. I was thinking renting the RV would be cheaper for the trip towing the boat plus sleeping, but it actually looks like it would be more expensive than driving our truck and staying in page so that’s the route we are thinking about going.

I think that going with a whole family and kids a Page hotel option is a safe bet. Per @Rumbo, we used the North entrance to the Wahweap daily and it was super easy, never any wait.
The ramps there are something else, man, so massive - you could confuse one for a landing strip. One of your crew will do some serious walking to park the tow vehicle, but those ramps are amazing and there's plenty of parking.

We stayed in Hampton Inn off of the 89 in Page, very nice. The Shell gas station next to the hotel parking lot recently started selling premium non-EtOH (91) - those pumps are at the back of the station, I think few people know about it as it was no wait while the Maverick was always busy.

We would eat breakfast at the hotel, pack the boat (at the back parking lot) and head out to launch in Wahweap, it's like $60 or 70 for a week or so. We ate dinners in town on the way back to the hotel, after pulling the boat out.
Rinse and repeat!

There is a lot of detail on the "must see" Powell thread, really good advice.

--

 

[PEARCE]

@B0at1n I think @swatski 's route of seeing and enjoying Powell is the way to go. I've been toying with the idea of a trip like this and it would be the way I'd do it with the four of us and possibly a dog or two. The only thing that's stopping me is the 1,100 mile tow each way. I look at the other possibilities that are so much closer that are beautiful in their own way with the round trip less then the one way distance to Powell for us. Powell is certainly on our bucket list so we'll eventually get there. With more vacation time in hand and less obligations bookending that time it will be a trip worth making.

 

[B0at1n]

@B0at1n I think @swatski 's route of seeing and enjoying Powell is the way to go. I've been toying with the idea of a trip like this and it would be the way I'd do it with the four of us and possibly a dog or two. The only thing that's stopping me is the 1,100 mile tow each way. I look at the other possibilities that are so much closer that are beautiful in their own way with the round trip less then the one way distance to Powell for us. Powell is certainly on our bucket list so we'll eventually get there. With more vacation time in hand and less obligations bookending that time it will be a trip worth making.

I think your right and what we plan to do.

What other lakes here local are on your list? I’m not far from you in Frisco.

 

[PEARCE]

I think your right and what we plan to do.

What other lakes here local are on your list? I’m not far from you in Frisco.

The first lake that comes to mind is Broken Bow in SE Oklahoma. It's a deep and clear lake in a National forest. Instead of sandstone and canyons it's all trees and with only one marina. It's an easy weekend getaway trip from the metroplex. The other one that comes to mind that's more of vacation destination for us is Tablerock in Missouri. We've been there once and really want to go back. It's less then 500 miles each way so you can arrive and launch to go to dinner and a sunset cruise. If you want to do something other then be on the boat then Branson is right there. If you want to stay in our great state of Texas then the lakes in the hill country are great too. Lake LBJ and Buchanan are the two that I've been on. LBJ is more like two rivers that come together to form a wider lake area before the dam. It's mostly lined with houses with boat houses on very expensive property. Lots to see and explore. Of course there's Texoma, we're there almost every weekend, even in the winter, so it's like our second home and we love being there. If you want to go a little farther east into Arkansas, again a destination type of trip, DeGray lake and the lake that @Bruce lives on, that's next to DeGray, are beautiful places to boat on with many lodging options. We've only camped at DeGray and have always wished that we had the boat with us.

Hope that gives you some other ideas with these closer options for boating vacations.

 

[sysinu]

If you really want to experience Lake Powell, you need to do it from a houseboat. I would not suggest hauling an RV. The camp grounds kind of suck and are pretty far from the lake. I would rather stay in Page and commute daily to the lake than deal with an RV (but that's just me).

If it's in its super infancy, plan ahead - you might find someone on this forum with a houseboat down there that you can meet up with and share in the experience for MUCH much less $$ .

 

[B0at1n]

If you really want to experience Lake Powell, you need to do it from a houseboat. I would not suggest hauling an RV. The camp grounds kind of suck and are pretty far from the lake. I would rather stay in Page and commute daily to the lake than deal with an RV (but that's just me).

If it's in its super infancy, plan ahead - you might find someone on this forum with a houseboat down there that you can meet up with and share in the experience for MUCH much less $$ .

Well, who’s got a house boat in lake Powell????

 

[sysinu]

Well, who’s got a house boat in lake Powell????

Present company included? . We manage (and are owners of) a shared owner houseboat slipped in wahweap.

 

[B0at1n]

The first lake that comes to mind is Broken Bow in SE Oklahoma. It's a deep and clear lake in a National forest. Instead of sandstone and canyons it's all trees and with only one marina. It's an easy weekend getaway trip from the metroplex. The other one that comes to mind that's more of vacation destination for us is Tablerock in Missouri. We've been there once and really want to go back. It's less then 500 miles each way so you can arrive and launch to go to dinner and a sunset cruise. If you want to do something other then be on the boat then Branson is right there. If you want to stay in our great state of Texas then the lakes in the hill country are great too. Lake LBJ and Buchanan are the two that I've been on. LBJ is more like two rivers that come together to form a wider lake area before the dam. It's mostly lined with houses with boat houses on very expensive property. Lots to see and explore. Of course there's Texoma, we're there almost every weekend, even in the winter, so it's like our second home and we love being there. If you want to go a little farther east into Arkansas, again a destination type of trip, DeGray lake and the lake that @Bruce lives on, that's next to DeGray, are beautiful places to boat on with many lodging options. We've only camped at DeGray and have always wished that we had the boat with us.

Hope that gives you some other ideas with these closer options for boating vacations.

Broken bow is definitely on the list, buddy of mine is from there. We’ve been talking about planning something.

I’ve also thought about lake Travis, I don’t know a whole lot about LBJ or the lakes in Missouri. Will prob make it texoma at least once this summer since it’s only 45 mins for me.

 

[B0at1n]

Present company included? . We manage (and are owners of) a shared owner houseboat slipped in wahweap.

Nice, do y’all live near by? Or will you be in or around the area the last week of September?

It seems like this gathering idea is growing, we have 3 or 4 people and a possible house boat now!...maybe...

 

[sysinu]

Nice, do y’all live near by? Or will you be in or around the area the last week of September?

It seems like this gathering idea is growing, we have 3 or 4 people and a possible house boat now!...maybe...

We are 6 hours away. Typically we will do one last "hurrah" very late September or early October, but you have to be careful with weather that time of the year. I have people on the boat all the way up until the 27th of September for this year.

 

[Bilmon]

There are also lodges at Bullfrog and Wahweep that were fairly reasonable when I was checking. Couple of shots of the ramp at Wahweep

 

[Rumbo]

There are also lodges at Bullfrog and Wahweep that were fairly reasonable when I was checking. Couple of shots of the ramp at Wahweep View attachment 97268View attachment 97269

They are expensive but very nice. Are you there now?

 

[Bilmon]

They are expensive but very nice. Are you there now?

No, the trip didn't happen though I'm in the area almost yearly. Most recently last month on my way from Mesa to Moab