Kayaking Marble Canyon - Glen Canyon Dam to Lee's Ferry
Kayaking Marble Canyon - Glen Canyon Dam to Lee's Ferry
We have hiked all around Page and Lee's Ferry. Each time I'd drive over the bridge, I would look down below the dam at the canyon downstream and tell Tina "I want to go down there and check that canyon out."
Well, we finally did. And man, oh man Marble Canyon awesome. The video speaks for itself with the scenery.
A few things to know if you want to do this yourself;
You can absolutely kayak Marble Canyon from Lee's Ferry up to the dam, but that would require paddling about 15 miles against the current. Instead, we opted to pay a local business (we used Kayak the Colorado) to bring us upstream. The trip up through Marble Canyon to Glen Canyon Dam took about 45 minutes and cost (I think) around $70~80 per person. That included taking our kayaks and gear.
I'm sure you can rent kayaks from the back haul place, but we had a couple inflatable kayaks already, so we just used those. I'll put a link below for what we used below. (If you purchase using this link, I will get an affiliate reimbursement from Amazon, just FYI. Note that we purchased the kayaks with our own $.) The inflatables we had were sturdy and worked great for a tame river like this. They are two person kayaks, but you can position the seats like we did in the video to use them as individual kayaks with lots of room for gear. The oars that come with them are a little short, so we bought new oars. You can try putting parts from both oars (each kayak comes with 2) together as a single, longer oar, which might work too.
Anyway, on to the trip. Once you're at Glen Canyon Dam, you'll be dropped off on a beach to start your trip back through Marble Canyon to Lee's Ferry. There are several camping areas along the way, if you want to stay overnight or for a few days. A couple notes on that though; First, make sure you park your car in the right parking lot. If you use the long term parking, you're fine, but if you park right at the boat ramp, you'll be ticketed; that's day use only. Secondly, there are strict designations of where you can camp. There are day use areas that look like they would work, but you can't camp there. And there are rangers in boats that enforce the rules too. So make sure you take note of where to camp on your way in. The campsite and most of the day use areas have toilets, but no water. So bring your own or a filtration device for water from the river.
As for kayaking conditions, the water is a constant 47~48 degrees. REALLY chilly for swimming and you can't stay in it for long. Bring life vests in case you fall in; hypothermia is a real risk and you'll need any advantage you can get.
We are beginners to kayaking. And this stretch is, as you can see in the video, very beginner friendly. There are no rapids at all. As I said, the current is kind of strong, but as long as you're going with it, it's not a problem. The area sees a lot of wind, which can really help or really hinder you, depending on what way it's blowing.
If you like to fish, we saw plenty of people fishing. I'm not sure what the rules are regarding fishing, so if you're interested, make sure you read up on the rules and regulations.
Aside from the clear water of the Colorado and beautiful, towering red rock walls of Marble Canyon, there are a few other sites. You can check out the many campsites and day use areas. One of them has petroglyphs (shown in the video. There are two slot canyons you can walk up into until you hit impassable dry falls; Waterholes Canyon and Fall (?) canyon. I've been in upper Waterholes, but never heard of Fall before (and we didn't make it this trip.) Note that these canyons may extend into Navajo Nation land, so check with the appropriate agency about access. (Our guide didn't say anything about needing a separate permit, but I'm not sure.) And of course you get to see a different perspective of horseshoe bend. (If you don't know what horsehoe bend is, google it. It's a gorgeous, albeit crowded overlook at the Colorado River.)
Lee's Ferry has a fee booth when you first come in, so make sure you pick up a permit at the self pay kiosk a few miles outside Lee's Ferry.
If you want to spend some time at Lee's Ferry, there are some really great day hikes (I'll put links below.) There is an established campground at Lee's Ferry, although we have not used it. We found a spot on BLM land outside Lee's Ferry and camped there. We woke up in the middle of the night with our tent collapsed by wind and ended up leaving though. (It was a sweet spot, though.)
If you are at all intrigued by the video, start making your plans and check it out.
Backhaul we used:
www.kayakthecolorado.com/
Cathedral Wash (video link below):
• Cathedral Wash Trail, ...
Spencer Trail (video link below):
• Hiking the Spencer Tra...
Kayaks we used (paid link):
amzn.to/2WzMU0Z
Пікірлер: 82
That hot beaver shot was worth the wait thank you
I'm not gonna lie, I Came for the kayak video, but stayed for the beaver shot. That may have been the best beaver shot I've seen. On a serious note. This is my new favorite channel. You make, all around, great videos. Tina is just as much too blame as you are
@JerryArizona
Жыл бұрын
Glad you enjoy. And Tina definitely makes the trips much more fun.
Tip from a thru hiker. Buggables wipes are the only thing that made the gnats go away for us. And it only lasted 30 minutes or so, but it was enough to get us through lunch
@JerryArizona
Жыл бұрын
Good information to know. Those northern AZ/southern UT gnats are horrible. I usually just resort to bug face nets.
We did this thanks to your video. It was awesome. Thank you for your videos. We love them.
@JerryArizona
3 жыл бұрын
It is such a beautiful area and a fun trip. Glad you got to check it out!
Love you guys, y'all so funny! The water is so clear! Great video!
Best one yet! Amazing views.
Ha,ha ... Keep up the good work of simply ENJOYING yourselves . Wonderful video !
This was so fun to watch. All the years of visiting all around there and we never realized we could kayak that section. Now it's on our list. You Rock!
I enjoy your videos.. keep on keeping on!!!
My boyfriend and I recently hiked Aravaipa Canyon, and prepped for it in part by watching your Aravaipa video. Now we want to kayak this little slice of awesome! And props for the Tiger King refs : D
So beautiful area there and great presentation . Enjoyed and liked.
Every video of yours I watch makes me want to go. I did a bunch of these trips as a scout but want to go back with my wife and dogs!
@JerryArizona
4 жыл бұрын
There are a lot of great ones out there, for sure.
Fun video, clear picture and good editing. Love Tina and her jestures, she knows how to use that finger. She made the video so much better. I bet she really knows how to put you in your place. Thanks for sharing.
@JerryArizona
2 жыл бұрын
I always deserve it when I get the finger......
Great content keep it up !
I like the videos you guys make. You go to so many places I've never been to, and some I've never even heard of. If it is not too sexist to say, I like Tina's pony tail. I have known a lot of women who refused to put their hair in a pony tail, saying it was too childish. Thanks Tina. You don't look childish one bit.
@JerryArizona
Жыл бұрын
I have an ongoing joke about my hair. When we're out there, neither of us care too much about appearances.
Loved it! New subscriber
Nice Beaver shot! 🤣
chop chop good times
Wow. Like somebody else said. This brings back memories. I only did this once about 1985 in a Coleman Scanoe with a 5hp motor. Up and back. Didn’t camp. It was really pretty. That was when I had Ed, the Good Boss of the East who allowed me to take long vacations. Now I have Bob, the evil boss (he looks just like Ming the Merciless. I even have a picture in my office of Ming and people have commented on the likeness and the likely reason it’s there) who can’t get along w/o me for more than 2 weeks at a time which makes doing these things impractical for now. But soon that will change.
@JerryArizona
2 жыл бұрын
Too much work, not enough PTO. I have that problem too...
Wow brings back memories. The last time I was there was about 25 years ago. The water is unbelievably clear isn’t it? The water temp up by the dam is closer to 39-40 degrees. Did you see a lot of trout? We used to camp on a sandbar around the first bend from the dam and fish 3-4 days then drift and fish our way all the way back to Lees Ferry on the way home.
@JerryArizona
4 жыл бұрын
There were tons of trout and plenty of people fishing.
It would be good if you would change the name of your video, because it is inaccurate. The name of this stretch of river is Glen Canyon. Marble Canyon is BELOW Lees Ferry, and requires a special Grand Canyon river running permit. Many people have tried to save Glen Canyon over the past 50 years or so. Please don't make it disappear even more by changing its name.
Aw.... Shoulda stayed at Lees Ferry Lodge.....I SO want to do this....
@JerryArizona
4 жыл бұрын
It's all good. We have a spot just up the road we could have dispersed camped....Or we could've gone back upstream to 8 mile camp. It was still a great day. You should definitely go for it. I've driven over the bridge and looked down into that canyon for years now and am so happy we checked it out.
Nice beaver!
@JerryArizona
2 жыл бұрын
I cannot believe you're the first person to say something about that. Kudos!
You just inspired me to add this to my itinerary. I have same kayaks in my rv. Word of advice: get a 12v air pump at walmart. We inflate 3 kayaks in 15 minutes.
@JerryArizona
3 жыл бұрын
This trip was an absolute blast. I hear you on the pump. Just didn't think of it since we're more hikers than kayakers.
nice beaver '')
You should've camped the canyon, it's entirely worth it. Why rush your trip?
Awesome video as alway- thanks! Did you rent from a local outfitter? And what was the distance from the dam to lees ferry? Thanks again!
@chrismckinley9311
3 жыл бұрын
Never mind the distance- I posted before you said 15 miles a handful of times!
@JerryArizona
3 жыл бұрын
We have the kayaks (link in the description, although they recently went WAY up in price) from Amazon. They work pretty good, but I'm no expert. We got a back haul from Kayak the Colorado, but there are a bunch of places that do back hauls and rent equipment.
Awesome video. Can you pls tell me what did you use to film it? Really great quality.
@JerryArizona
3 жыл бұрын
This was shot on GoPro Hero 8 Black. I usually set it in Protune with flat profile, low sharpness, wide angle, 4k, 60p. I'll edit in 24 p, but I should probably shoot in 24 p if I really want the right camera blur....60 p gives me the option to slow shots down in post though. I also use ND filters (or EV comp) that helps a ton to keep the highlights from clipping. Then it's a lot of color correcting in post. I really like the 8. They finally nailed the stabilization so you don't need a gimbal for steady shots. I also shoot on Canon EOS R with a Weebil S gimbal when I can. But that rig is heavy, so most of my stuff ends up being shot on GoPro...Probably more info than you wanted, but I tend to geek out a little on that stuff.
@ivanaferrante3334
3 жыл бұрын
Jerry Arizona Thank you so much. Great info!
Marble Canyon starts at Lee's Ferry. You were in Glen Canyon.
There's dispersed camping at Badger creek its about 4 miles south of the T in the road at Marble canyon. Maybe better than a tired drive home. cheers. Where did you see the most fish? Thanks
@JerryArizona
3 жыл бұрын
I'm not really a fisherman, so I didn't pay enough attention to the fish. Saw quite a few people fishing down there though. We camped at Badger a few months before; great spots. Just felt like being home this trip.
Righteous float on the Colorado River
Jerry awesome video. Can you share the name of the company that took you from Lees ferry to the dam?
@JerryArizona
4 жыл бұрын
www.kayakthecolorado.com/
Jerry, what month did you do this? I’m heading for the same trip on august 19th. Think I will have trouble getting a campsite? I’m coming from toroweap camp ground and won’t get there until 10:00am. I know, we are crazy
@JerryArizona
Жыл бұрын
Not 100% sure, but I think it was May. You should be fine. We made the mistake of continuing too far to get to the very last campsite before Lee's Ferry. And we were looking for a completely secluded spot without anyone else there. I'm sure if we were less picky (and paid more attention to Bob telling us where the last spot was), we could have found a spot.
We've done this many times, and the best place to stay is at the vermilioncliffs.com/ and the best kayaking business to use is kayakthecolorado.com/ It was so much better than the experience shown here. We had an absolute blast and discovered and shown some secrets that we'll remember all our lives! Thank you KayakTheColorado!
@JerryArizona
4 жыл бұрын
Kayak the Colorado did a great job on our back haul, and I believe they run the lodge as well. (We've only camped down there, so I can't comment on the lodge.) Our boat captain gave a ton of info on the ride in; it's highly likely we didn't hear him correctly about the camping situation at 6/8 mile because we were staring at the scenery. We could have squeezed into 8 mile campground, but we don't like camping on top of people. That was our choice. Overall, we had an absolute blast and would recommend this trip and Kayak the Colorado to anyone.
What time of year did you go to Marble Canyon? I want to avoid the nats...
@JerryArizona
3 жыл бұрын
We went in May and they were pretty bad. I did some canyons in southern Utah a couple weeks after and they were pretty bad then too. In June they were gone - in Utah, anyway. Not sure exactly around Lake Powell.
Did you book the boat ride from Bob at Lee’s Fairy in advance? can you provide details?
@JerryArizona
2 жыл бұрын
Can't recall how far in advance we booked them, but I know it's more popular now, so I would check as soon as you can. We used Kayak the Colorado. Just Google them and call for more info. It's really that simple. They even rent kayaks if you don't have any. Outside of that, all you have to do is pay the use fee at the kiosk off the road when you're driving in. And make sure you park in the overnight lot if you plan to camp.
wHAT HAPPENED TO THE BEAVER SHOT??
great vid. seems like the lake is not deep there
@JerryArizona
2 жыл бұрын
This is past the dam, so it's just a river at this point. Slow current, no rapids and really cold water.
I have the exact same kayak. Did you lose air as you went with the cold water?
@JerryArizona
4 жыл бұрын
I didn't notice any loss, but I don't have much kayaking experience. We've used them 2~3 times now and I'm pretty impressed with them so far.
@rschmot
4 жыл бұрын
@@JerryArizona After about 2.5 years the K2 start getting pinholes and I store it indoors, especially in winter. Happened about 4x. Have to spray it down with soapy water till you see bubbles. I have a good patch sytem/kit if you're interested. I got another one now and am going to use it in August for the Lees Ferry trip. And the K2 does lose air in cold water. Your trip sounds great. www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0098PNZLO/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007DEEYFS/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Hi Jerry. I will back to this Utah/AZ area with my family. Could you suggest any good camping spot on BLM land near lees ferry? Thank you.
@JerryArizona
3 жыл бұрын
Try the turn off across from the Vermilion Cliffs Lodge (36.787591, -111.684667). There's a gate, but just shut it when you go through. The road is a little rough, but about any vehicle can make it. There are some campsites with great views of the canyon (and condors, if you're lucky!) further down (not far though.) It was really windy when we were there though. We ended up packing up and leaving in the middle of the night because it was blowing our tent over. Not sure if that's normal there, but thought I'd mention it. There's also the lodge/hotel and a campground (google lee's ferry campground) that you can try too. I know there are other areas, but we haven't camped down there except the one time. White Pocket isn't too far away; you can also park there. But the road is DEEP sand, so you have to have a high clearance 4WD and the appropriate gear to make it.
@lycheer
3 жыл бұрын
Jerry Arizona Thank you for such detailed info. Very helpful. Will check out this camping spot as most of us drive regular car this time. We have camped white pocket before, indeed beautiful place.
What time of year was this trip?
@JerryArizona
3 жыл бұрын
This was May 2020.
You guys are funny. F bombs away….
your back hurts??
Nagulero has died.
It would be much easier if you turned the paddles over. The kayaks must be rentals.
@JerryArizona
2 жыл бұрын
Nope. The kayaks are owned. The problem is that the kayakers are hikers, not kayakers....I'm going to have to rewatch the video to see what you mean so we don't continue making the same mistake.
Guys, please wear your life vests next time. I enjoy you both too much!! Take care of yourselves!
Why not just go camping somewhere else?
@JerryArizona
3 жыл бұрын
The current is really strong going downstream from the dam to Lee's Ferry, so turning around and going upstream to another camping area would have been difficult paddling. But we definitely could have. We also camped up there a few weeks before this trip, right by the hotel/lodge on BLM ground. But it wasn't that long a drive home, and we just decided to do that. Sometimes we just change our minds when we're out there, and in this case, it just seemed like it would be more enjoyable to head home.
is there a SMART reason none of you are wearing a life vest know as a personal safety device ? Maybe not so smart ... Water at horseshoe bend is 1000 ft deep.
Boring!! Not even fishing.