IT'S TIME TO BOARD

HOUSEBOATS, SPEEDBOATS, CANOES, KAYAKS. THERE ARE MANY DIFFERENT WAYS TO EXPLORE LAKE POWELL AND ITS SEEMINGLY ENDLESS SERIES OF SIDE CANYONS, ANOTHER OPTION, IF YOU'RE PRETTY GOOD AT STANDING UPRIGHT, IS A PADDLEBOARD. BY EMILY BALLI Lake Powell is often described as an impressive collection of breathtaking canyons and expansive vistas. Josef Muench, the renowned landscape photographer and longtime Arizona Highways contributor, described it by saying, “Nothing has given me the emotional thrill as a photographer as has Lake Powell.” Generations of photographers have followed in his footsteps. In awe. And so have the sightseers. Houseboats, speedboats, canoes, kayaks ... there are many different ways to explore the big lake and its seemingly endless series of side canyons. Another option, if you're pretty good at standing upright, is a paddleboard.

“I think one of the great things about paddleboarding on Lake Powell is that you can get into some of the smaller canyons, places the boats can't get to,” says Lynette Davault of Lake Powell Paddleboards, which is based in Page. “You can truly see the lake the way it's meant to be seen. It's completely calm, quiet and peaceful.” The company offers stand-up paddleboard rentals, plus boat-assisted paddleboarding tours that allow you to explore canyons you can't reach in a car. One popular excursion is to paddle across Wahweap Bay to Wahweap Window, a natural arch that makes a picturesque lunch spot. Even more popular is Rainbow Bridge, one of the largest natural bridges in the world. The site, which is managed by the National Park Service, is located at the end of a long canyon that's ideal for paddleboarding.

Just about anybody can do it, but if the notion of standing up on what amounts to a surfboard makes you nervous, don't be. “You can try it your very first time and stand up,” Davault says. “The whole experience is so unique.”