Why is Lake Powell so famous?

Five things. Size: by storage capacity it’s the second-largest reservoir in the U.S. after Lake Mead, 186 miles long with 1,960 miles of shoreline, more than the whole U.S. Pacific coast. Rainbow Bridge: a 290-foot sandstone arch you reach by boat and a short walk, one of the largest natural bridges on earth. The canyons: 96 major side canyons flooded as Lake Powell began filling behind Glen Canyon Dam in March 1963, including the water end of Antelope Canyon. Houseboating: it’s the lake most people picture when they hear the word. And Hollywood: the 1968 Planet of the Apes crash scene was filmed here. The drowned canyon under all of it is its own story; the history of the lake tells it.

Facts checked October 2026.