Glen Canyon NRA--Lee's Ferry

Tips for Birding

In-depth information is found on the Glen Canyon Dam National Recreation Area webpage.

About this Location

Lees Ferry is the only place within Glen Canyon where visitors can drive to the Colorado River in over 700 miles of canyon country, right up to the first rapid in the Grand Canyon. A natural corridor between Utah and Arizona, Lees Ferry figured prominently in the exploration and settlement of northern Arizona. Lees Ferry is now a meeting of the old and the new.

Just upstream from the Lees Ferry launch ramp is the ferry crossing site and several historic buildings. Different ferryboats and pioneers, miners, Indians, and tourists crossed here from 1872 until 1928. Of special interest is Charles H. Spencer’s attempt to extract gold from the clay hills here in 1910. Two of the stone buildings, a steam boiler, and the remains of a sunken paddlewheel steamboat remain from his efforts.

About Glen Canyon National Recreation Area

See all hotspots at Glen Canyon National Recreation Area

Glen Canyon has been home to people for thousands of years. Archaic and prehistoric Indian cultures roamed and lived in the canyons. Later, a vast panorama of explorers, miners, ranchers, historic Indian tribes, and others left their mark here. In more recent times, a few hardy homesteaders, river runners, and uranium miners lived, worked, or played among the canyons until they were filled by the waters of Lake Powell.

Today, Glen Canyon still provides the opportunity for modern-day explorers to seek their own adventures, whether it be on the water or in the backcountry. Many of the stories of Glen Canyon are the stories of people.

Notable Trails

Lees Ferry Historic Site & River Trail

Just upstream from the Lees Ferry launch ramp are the ferry crossing site and several historic buildings. Different ferryboats and pioneers, miners, Indians, and tourists crossed here from 1872 until 1928. Of special interest is Charles H. Spencer’s attempt to extract gold from the clay hills here in 1910. Two of the stone buildings, a steam boiler, and the remains of a sunken paddlewheel steamboat remain from his efforts.

The trail is about a 2-mile (3.2 km) round trip over mixed terrain with nominal elevation gain. Take the steep Spencer Trail spur and climb over 1,500 ft up switchbacks. There is little shade, so do not hike in heat of summer. 

Content from Official Website and Glen Canyon National Recreation Area Official Website