Lake Powell’s sunken city

The Cathedral in the Desert hasn’t lived up to its name in years. But now the red-rock amphitheater, below, in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, which has been submerged under Lake Powell’s waters for more than three decades, is reclaiming its title. “It’s a spectacular experience,” says Chris Eaton, incoming executive director of the Glen Canyon Natural History Assn., who recently visited the site. “With the current lake level, you float up to a sandy beach and a waterfall comes down through the slot canyon. It’s very peaceful and serene.” Due to five years of drought, the water level at Lake Powell has dipped to 3,557 feet, its lowest point since 1963, when Glen Canyon Dam sealed off the Colorado River to fill the lake. It’s early for the summer houseboat crowd, but those in the know are heading to the recreation area -- which sits mostly in Utah but spills over into Arizona -- to see the dramatic slot canyons and rock formations reappearing from the deep. Other newly emerging sights include an Anasazi dwelling known as Fort Moqui, the top of Gregory Natural Bridge and a list of names carved into stone by Mormon pioneers who crossed the canyon along the Hole in the Rock trail in the late 19th century. The rediscovered rock world has thrilled the nonprofit Glen Canyon Institute, which considers the canyon “America’s lost national park.” “My personal favorite part is the lower Escalante River,” says spokesman Chris Peterson, who adds that the organization happily leads guided trips to the formations. “It’s the best place to see vegetation and wildlife coming back. And you don’t have to get to it from a boat; you can hike in.” The show won’t last long this year as a record snowpack in the basin above the lake starts running off in the next few weeks, raising water levels about 50 feet by July. For more information about the lake, go to www.nps.gov/glca/; for a schedule of guided hikes, visit www.glencanyon.org/.

-- Mary Forgione