Lees Ferry – Glen Canyon Recreational Area

Lee’s Ferry is one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen. Though it was scorching in June, the water was icy cold and so refreshing. This was my first camping experience and it’s brilliant to camp almost on the banks of the river! Camping spots are first come first served (no reservations), but given the warm weather, there were spots available right up until 8 – 9 pm. The rest rooms are great — clean with flush toilets. Most impressively, there are wild condors roosting at the Navajo bridge just outside the park! I cannot recommend this spot highly enough!

Breathtakingly beautiful in every sense. If you get anywhere close, take the boat ride from the Glen Canyon Damn downriver to the old ferry launch. Truly one of the prettiest places on earth.

here’s the thing with lee’s ferry: if you haven’t been there, you just can’t understand. it’s surreal. i like beautiful places, but this is ridiculous. i can’t really describe it; all i can say is that it isn’t about what you see. it’s also how you feel when you’re there. this is my happy place.
the steep canyon walls twist and turn 15 miles back to the dam. the current is strong; wading is exhausting and cold. the fishing is exciting. the water is clear. the grand canyon starts here for goodness sake! water seeps through the rock walls and a rainstorm may create spontaneous waterfalls so dramatic you almost don’t believe they’re there. lee’s ferry can be one of the most memorable trips of your life.
ok, no more mushy. here’s the rest of the scoop:
to fully enjoy lee’s ferry, you’ve got to get out on the water — the colorado river water. the water level changes frequently, and «prop bar» is called prop bar for a reason. if you don’t want to use a something with a motor and have some time to explore, there are a handful of campsites along the river banks. you could easily have someone tow a canoe or kayaks up river and float down at your own pace, setting up camp as you go. like i said, the current is strong so don’t try to tell me i didn’t warn you.
the hoodoos (i just love that word!), or balancing rocks, on the way to the boat ramp are just freakin’ cool. speaking of the boat ramp, don’t go trying to camp out overnight there. the parks service is not so fond of that action. visitors can camp away from the water at the campground. facilities are basically bathrooms (no showers) and each site has a shade structure that walked out of 1974, a picnic table and a fire pit. some sites have river views. camping costs $ 7/​night or something. it’s cheap. the $$ you pay goes back to the ferry to keep it beautiful.
even though the pay station is broken each time i make the trek (about 4 hours from phx) to the ferry, i’m still awarding 5 stars. it is way too hard to deduct a star from such a special place.