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Rising Lake Powell Allows Houseboats And Large Vessels To Use Bullfrog North Ramp

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By Compiled From N... - May 10th, 2023

Increasing reservoir levels are allowing houseboats and larger vessels to use the Bullfrog North Boat Ramp at Lake Powell/NPS file

Spring runoff has raised Lake Powell at Glen Canyon National Recreation Area by nearly 10 feet since April 30, allowing the National Park Service to open the Bullfrog North Boat Ramp to houseboats and larger vessels.

While the lake's elevation on April 30 stood at 3,524.4 feet at the end of April, by Wednesday morning it was up to 3,532.8 feet.

The Bullfrog North ramp became operable for motorized boats when lake levels reached 3,529 feet. NRA staff recommend that houseboats and large vessels launch and retrieve from the left side of the ramp only due to the topography of Bullfrog Bay on the right side of the concrete ramp. A courtesy dock is available at the ramp. To reduce congestion, boaters are asked to limit use of the courtesy dock to 10 minutes or less. All launch and retrieval of vessels is at your own risk.

Visitors should expect congestion at the Bullfrog North Ramp and are asked to exercise caution in all visitor use areas. To relieve congestion, boaters are asked to prepare their craft before accessing the Bullfrog North Ramp. Visitors may prepare their vessels in the National Park Service Bullfrog Visitor Center parking lot and the Old Marina Store asphalt parking lot.

The Bullfrog Main Spur Ramp will become operable when lake elevations reach 3,540 feet and will be operable for all size vessels. At that time, Colorado River rafters are asked to use the Bullfrog Main Spur Ramp for takeout, instead of the Bullfrog North Ramp. Visitors to the Bullfrog area should only park in designated parking lots.

Bullfrog North access points/NPS graphic

Rising lake levels result in rapid changes to the shoreline. Property left near the shoreline can quickly become submerged in mud and/or water. Depending on the grade of land, a foot of water rising vertically will cover approximately 30 to 50 feet of land horizontally. Visitors should park 300 to 400 feet away from water's edge, as a week-long visitor’s vehicle could be inundated (depending on the inflow of water). Additionally, boaters need to be aware that rising water levels overnight and wind can cause float toys and other objects left too close to the shoreline to float away. Houseboat users should check and possibly reset their anchors each day while they are recreating on Lake Powell.

Lake Powell water level fluctuations are determined by a wide range of factors, and it is not possible to predict daily elevations with absolute certainty. It is imperative that boaters check the park’s Changing Lake Levels webpage about the status of preferred visitor use areas before heading to the lake. Real-time information is available 24/7 about Lake Powell’s fluctuating water levels, marina operations, and water-based visitor services at this link. 

Lake Powell's daily elevations are also posted on this webpage.

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