Boat Through Forbidding Canyon

Lake Powell, Utah

Description

Forbidding Canyon is home to one of the world's largest natural bridges.

Since Forbidding Canyon is at mile marker 50, it is about halfway between Wahweep and Bullfrog Marina, and is a good trip from either marina. It can get busy, so I recommend going early.

Navigate your way to mile marker 50, and then look for the canyon. If you are coming from Bullfrog, it will be on the left, and if coming from Wahweep, it will be on the right.

Once inside the canyon, it snakes back and forth until you reach the dock at the end, which is essentially the trailhead for Rainbow Bridge. The canyon is closed off once at the dock, and you must hike to the bridge. You can choose to go right at the fork in the canyon, which will take you the opposite way of the hike, but you won't be able to go far before the canyon closes up.

After exploring the canyon, I recommend fueling up at Dangling Rope Marina, and then heading back to wherever you came from!

Download the Outbound mobile app

Find adventures and camping on the go, share photos, use GPX tracks, and download maps for offline use.

Get the app

Features

Photography

Chillin

Bathrooms

Beach

Family Friendly

Lake

Boat Through Forbidding Canyon Reviews

Have you done this adventure? Be the first to leave a review!

Leave No Trace

Always practice Leave No Trace ethics on your adventures and follow local regulations. Please explore responsibly!

Nearby

Explore Lake Powell's Clear Creek Canyon by Powerboat

To access this adventure, you'll want to park at Bullfrog Marina. From there, you can rent a boat at the Bullfrog Marina Rentals, and head out straight from there, going south on the lake. Clear Creek Canyon lies about 2.5 miles past the entrance to the Escalante River Arm, which is located between miles 68 and 69. It is important to note that this is only accessible via boat, and due to the re...

Boat-In Hike to Rainbow Bridge

If you need to rent a boat for this adventure, you can rent one from Lake Powell Resorts and Marina.The canyon leading into the Rainbow Bridge is located between mile markers 49-50. This is almost exactly halfway between Page and Bullfrog, making this a great trip from either marina. Plan on around a 2 hour boat ride to get to this canyon. This is one of the busier areas on the lake since you c...

Explore Reflection Canyon via Boat

Note that this is not the same as Backpacking Reflection Canyon. This trip is done by boat, and can be done in one day. To begin, you'll want to leave Bullfrog Marina somewhat early in the day, since it will be a long trip to the canyon. I recommend doing this in addition to something else in the area, such as Rainbow Bridge and/or Clear Creek Canyon. Regardless of what you do before or after, ...

Kayak or SUP Lost Eden Canyon in Lake Powell

IMPORTANT: Before entering any canyons in the Lake Powell National Recreation Area, always be sure to check the weather. Flash floods are common in this area and it is very unsafe to be in a canyon during a flash flood. The easiest way to reach this canyon is via Bullfrog Marina or Halls Crossing Marina. This canyon is only accessible via watercraft, so be sure that you have some kind of power...

Boat-In Camp at The Rincon in Lake Powell

To get to The Rincon, you will first want to park your car and rent a boat (or bring your own power boat) at Bullfrog Marina. The marina does rentals for everything from houseboats to power boats to jet skis and kayaks/SUP boards. For this adventure, I recommend either a houseboat or a power boat. Once you have your boat and all of your gear loaded up, you'll want to start heading south on the ...

Hike to the Ancestral Puebloan Ruins in Forgotten Canyon

The Ancestral Puebloan Ruins found up Forgotten Canyon can only be described as awe inspiring and humbling. The small adobe brick homes are known as the Defiance House. It is believed that there were a couple of families (15-20 people) who dwelled in these homes circa 1200 A.D. These ruins can only be reached by boat either from Halls Crossing or Bullfrog. Forgotten Canyon is located 12 mile...