Can you still launch your kayaks at Antelope Point Public Boat Launch?

Lake Powell rests inside Glen Canyon, a steep-walled basin of sandstone cliffs, rarely offering a convenient way to access the water. Without many easily accessible beaches or banks, a kayaker or paddleboarder’s best bet to kayak Antelope Canyon is via a boat ramp- like the Antelope Point Public Launch Ramp, from which we operate. This location is the best option for access to Antelope Canyon on the water! Unfortunately, due to low water levels on Lake Powell, the water fails to reach the end of the boat ramp (by about 60 feet!). Which means there is now an additional hill to tackle to get to where the water meets a rocky beach. This final hill is an absolute beast to go down and up. In this post we’ll discuss why it’s there, how to tackle it, and other important notes to keep in mind. While these hurdles make the beginning and end of your adventure a little bit of an extra challenge, it’s still absolutely worth it to be able to see the magic of Lake Powell and experience some of the most unique scenery in the world!

WHY IS THERE SUCH AN EVIL HILL?

As of writing this in the summer of 2026, Lake Powell’s water levels are sitting at around 23% capacity (172ft. below full pool). Before the construction of the Glen Canyon Dam a few miles west of the boat ramp, the canyon held only the mighty Colorado River, a previously untamable force of nature that surged with powerful tides of snowmelt each summer. As snow from the Rocky Mountains melts and flows its way into streams, it all gets collected into the Colorado River to be flushed southwestward into the Sea of Cortez. Since the dam’s construction, all of the excess water that makes its way into the river during the summer gets collected to form Lake Powell. Each summer, the lake’s water levels will increase up to a foot per day through the summer months, yielding a massive increase in water levels. However, due to a series of poor winters, the lake received only around a 4ft increase in 2025, and will get even less in 2026. And since the dam has a responsibility to let water through its gates to produce electricity and continue the flow of the Colorado River, we experience a typical decrease of around a foot per week throughout the year. Over the past couple of years the lake has experienced way more decrease than increase and so the water has receded to near-record lows. The Antelope Point Public Launch Ramp, along with much of the other infrastructure that offers access to the water, was built at a time when it was expected that the water would remain much higher. The boat ramp is just under a quarter mile long and still misses the water by a good amount, which is why it’s a bit of an extra trek to the water.

WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT THE HILL

The hill at the bottom of the boat ramp is the bane of any paddler’s existence. It’s steep and long and takes several minutes to go down and several minutes to summit. The National Parks Service has put in a trail down the hill but it’s still sandy and rocky and, towards the bottom, the sand collects and is softer and less stable which makes it a little frustrating to get good traction. We say all of this not to scare or discourage you, but because everyone deserves a fair warning. And for anyone who has an injury or who is elderly and might struggle doing the hill, it may be worth going to check it out before scheduling tours or rentals to see if you may need to reconsider other ways to experience Lake Powell. Here are some tips for getting up and down the hill:

• Use your paddle as a walking stick. They’re fairly sturdy and can help provide support
• Go slow on the way down, loose sand can make it kind of slippery!
• Take your time on the way up, it’s not a race!
• Watch out for those who are carrying kayaks up or down the hill, they’re working hard so try to give them right of way if possible

A NOTE FOR OUR RENTERS

We have a barge that delivers a load of kayaks to the beach at the bottom of the hill each day, saving our rentals staff from a whole day of carrying kayaks up and down the hill. On our busier days, every single kayak from the barge is being used and carrying down the hill becomes unavoidable, and trips up and down the hill in the heat really start to add up. On days like these, any help carrying gear is greatly appreciated, and carrying your paddleboard may be expected from anyone who’s able. We know being asked to help with carrying can be frustrating, especially after a long day of fun, but for anyone who wants to totally avoid the extra responsibility, tours are available! Your tour guide works a shorter shift than the rentals staff and so can really put in the work to do all the carrying needed for their tour, and so your only responsibility would be your lifejacket, paddle, and personal belongings. The hill being so huge isn’t anyone’s fault, and trust us- if we could raise the water, WE WOULD. And despite the hill, this location is still the very best option to kayak Antelope Canyon!

IT’S SO WORTH IT

While the journey out to Antelope Canyon may have a couple more bumps in the road than in years past, it’s still one of the most incredible experiences Page has to offer! Putting in the extra work to see what’s out there has always been what makes time in nature so special- plus, it means less crowds. And by the time you’ve made it back to your car and you’re looking at the pictures from your amazing time on the water, you will have completely forgotten the hill was there in the first place! And the lower the water gets, the more impressive the views are of the canyon walls, as more and more of the sandstone is revealed. So what are you waiting for? Get out there and kayak Antelope Canyon!

Check out our Antelope Canyon Kayak rentals!