Lake Powell Houseboating Trip | A Day in the Life

Lake Powell Houseboating trips are hands down our favorite vacation!  We don’t usually go on the same trip twice, but some places, like Lake Powell, are so spectacular that we can make an exception.

It’s an enormous man-made reservoir located in southern Utah and northern Arizona. With all of its serpentine canyons, it has 1,960 miles of shoreline, which is more shoreline than the state of California.

Lake Powell Houseboating combines everything we love into one jam-packed adventure. In just a few amazing days there’s boating, water sports, fishing, grilling, hiking, cliff jumping, swimming, kayaking, stargazing, games, and more sunshine and freedom than you ever thought was possible. Houseboats offer such a unique experience. It’s like having a sweet beach house that goes wherever you want.

And to expand the possibilities we always rent a powerboat or two.  The powerboats add a little more adrenaline to the trip and allow us to explore the tighter canyons on the lake.  And we also can enjoy waterskiing, wakeboarding, tubing, etc.

Planning a Lake Powell Houseboating trip can be quite challenging, because of all the logistics.  But the reward is always worth it because the scenery at Lake Powell is second to none and it’s such a surreal vacation destination.

One most difficult parts of the trip is remembering to take photos and videos. The trip is so action-packed that I often go an entire day without taking out my camera. So I wish I could make a more comprehensive video of the trip, but I just don’t have that much footage to work with.

Welp, at least I know I was living in the moment.

Planning the Trip

The planning usually starts about 6 months before the trip.  To make the trip reasonably affordable, we always bring a large group of people.  So even though the total cost of the trip is several thousand dollars, once you divide the cost by a dozen people it actually becomes quite affordable.  And having a big group ensures there’s never a dull moment!

We also plan the trip for spring or fall when the prices are way cheaper, but the weather is still plenty warm enough.

Each day, you beach the houseboat on one of many beaches around the lake.  Using a couple of anchors buried in the sand, you can make sure your houseboat stays put throughout the night.  And then you call that beach your home for as long or short as you like. 

Morning Activities

The morning is a perfect time for people to partake in some quieter individual activities before any big group activities commence.  For some, that means reading a book, casting some fishing lines, or doing some yoga/stretching to get the muscles ready for another day of adventure.

A hardy few may already be jonesing some adrenaline and assemble a group to take a powerboat for some morning turns on the waterskis/wakeboard.  The temperature hasn’t yet warmed up from the cooler night air, but that doesn’t stop them. 

Meanwhile, the rest of the crew, some of who may have overindulged in beverages the previous night wake up a little slower.  They fumble their way through firing up a pot of coffee, and maybe making a little breakfast. Someone will throw on some music to help set the tone for another amazing day on the lake. And it doesn’t take long for the sun to climb up higher in the sky and heat things up.

Those needing more than just a cup of coffee to wake up may hop on the waterslide and take a quick dip into the lake in lieu of a shower.  The refreshing lake water always provides a nice jump start to your day.

Or an early morning kayak into one of the many side canyons can be such a peaceful and enchanting experience.  It’s amazing to stare up at the giant red canyon walls towering hundreds of feet above you.

For such immense formations, the canyons can be eerily quiet.  So quiet, that the only sounds you hear are your own breathing and sound of your kayak paddles slapping the water and echoing back at you off the canyon walls.  The hectic pace of everyday life melts away while you marvel at the million-year-old canyons, and just for a moment, time stand still…

Once mid-morning hits, the temperature is usually up in the high 80’s to 90’s, and that’s when I assemble the crew for our daily group activity.  The tunes get ramped up and people are in the mood to start the party.

We usually devote one day to a giant tournament of games, and another day to hiking into one of the side canyons.  The rest of the trip is mainly just finding a couple people who want to do the same thing you do.  Whether it’s getting a group together to take out a powerboat, finding some opponents for some beach games, or enjoying some cocktails while sunbathing on pool floaties.

Epic Beach Games Tournament

For a bit of fun competition, we always organize a giant tournament of games.  We split the crew into two teams, and then break down into smaller sub-groups to complete in a multitude of games.

There’s Kan-Jam, Cornhole, Spikeball, Bocce, BB-gun marksmanship, drinking games, relay races, and anything else we can think of.  The groups rotate among the games and each win counts as a point for your team. The winning team is exempt from doing any chores for the next 24 hours and gets major bragging rights.

Hiking Adventures

On a different day, another fun group activity is a hiking one of Lake Powell’s world class hiking trails.  Our personal favorites are the slot canyons. A slot canyon is a narrow section of canyon that has been eroded by wind and water over millions of years.

The result is spectacular canyons sections that are sometimes no wider than your shoulders. Not great for those with claustrophobia, but super exciting for anyone with a rugged sense of adventure.  And oftentimes, pools of water will collect in the rock, requiring a little bit of swimming or wading. And the crazy part is that even though it might be 90 degrees out, these pools receive such little sunlight that the water can be as cold as 50 degrees sometimes.

This is when Emily and I are glad to have a big group of friends with us. The camaraderie of the group helps provide the courage needed to wade through the dark, cold pools of water. If it were just the two of us, I think I would be too scared to take the plunge. And it good to have a trusty pair of shoes or sandals specifically for hiking in water.

To access these slot canyons we load everyone onto the powerboats and motor up one of the side canyons.  The water keeps getting shallower until eventually we just need to pull up the propellor and beach the powerboats.  From there, we continue on foot up the canyon as the walls get progressively narrower. We usually have at least a few people who have never been in a slot canyon, and it’s always so cool to watch their minds get blown.

After the hike, we pile back into the powerboats and head back to the houseboat. It’s always a huge relief when we return to our beach and our humble houseboat. Home at last. Everyone enjoys a cold beverage and some time in the shade.

Late Afternoon Activities

The late afternoon is usually the hottest time of day, and everyone is exhausted from being in the sun all day.  It’s usually a good time to find some shade and relax a bit. Most are just a little too sunburned and exhausted from the heat to spend much more time in the sun today. But it’s a perfect time to get dinner started.

We always break into groups and designate each group in charge of dinner for one night.  So a couple people will start preparing a hearty meal.  And nearly everyone else is just waiting for the sun to dip below the nearby canyon walls.  And once it does the temperature drops and everyone catches their second wind.  

A couple people might try to squeeze in a few more laps on the waterskis/wakeboard, while others use the last daylight to play some more beach games.  The golden hour just before and after sunset is so amazing at Lake Powell.  The sky ignites with color and the reflections on the water and rocks are beautiful.

Bonfires and Stargazing

We commence nearly every evening with a bonfire on the beach.  With everyone gathered around the fire, we take a moment to reflect on the day with a game of “Highs and Lows”.

We go around the circle and each person says their “high” and “low” moment of the day. They can be funny or serious, sarcastic or triumphant!  For some, their “high” might be getting up on a wakeboard for the first time ever, and their “low” might be forgetting to put sunscreen on their entire left leg.  This simple activity is such a good way to unite the group since much of our day is divided up doing different activities. It helps us live in the moment and reflect on the joys or challenges we faced each day.

Everyone enjoys the warmth of the fire and unwinding after an adventure-filled day. The stars always come out and it’s almost a guarantee that you will see a shooting star if you look.

The houseboat has a few modest bedrooms, but on warmer nights it can almost be too stuffy to sleep inside the houseboat.  Some will opt for sleeping on the roof of the houseboat or setting up a tent on the beach. Time for some much-needed sleep to recharge for the next day of adventure.

Future Plans | Lake Powell Houseboating

While we ramp up for our third annual Lake Powell Houseboating trip, I’m not sure I can see taking a year off. [Edit 5-7-2020, we took a year off due to weddings and other trips, and then coronavirus blew up everything anyway. But we are already discussing plans for a return in the future].

Even among lots of other adventures, Lake Powell is always the highlight of our year. With all the variety, it’s like 5 vacations in one.  The combination of adrenaline and relaxation, all with the company of great friends makes Lake Powell Houseboating a truly unforgettable trip.

And there are a million different ways you can do this trip.  No matter what your interests are, you can cater the trip to be exactly what you desire. If you want help planning a trip like this for your family and friends, reach out to me in the comments because I am working on putting together a guide.