It has been almost a year and a half since Lone Rock has been surrounded by water. Many were able to hike or drive near the monolith since around January 2022. As of June 2023, Lone Rock is alone again, in Lake Powell and can no longer be accessed by land.
From left to right, photos by Phil Clark:
Lone Rock is surrounded by Lake Powell on Father’s Day 2023.
Lone Rock seems to rise out of the carpet of desert primrose and globemallow.
Phil Clark stands at the base of the Lone Rock monolith in January 2022.
The top of the white line at the base of the monolith represents the maximum reservoir level of Lake Powell, 3,700 ft. The lake elevation on January 15, 2022, was 3534.57 feet above mean sea level. On June 18, 2023, the lake elevation was 3577.52 ft, or about 43 feet higher than over a year ago.
Watercraft may travel around Lone Rock and up some of the side canyons again. Skippers should be mindful of hazards to navigation, including submerged vegetation and sunken debris, floating driftwood and other debris. Some of the side canyons can have more driftwood than other areas. As is always the case, one should always be mindful of rocks and other shallow water.
Lone Rock beach has a sort of ‘double’ beach and is a popular recreation area. A higher beach level is easily accessed by most vehicles. The lower level, closer to the water requires driving down a steep sandy area. Four-wheel drive vehicles are recommended.
Above the beaches, there still are acres of desert primrose. Earlier in the spring, Lone Rock experienced a super bloom, as did many other areas in Kane County and Page.
Primitive camping is allowed on the beach and at a designated camping area. Public land passes are honored for entrance and camping. For more information about camping at Lone Rock, visit https://www.nps.gov/glca/planyourvisit/camping.htm.
