Park geography

Detailed analysis of terrain types, administrative regions, and environmental features.

Geographic Profile and Mapped Boundaries of Glen Canyon National Recreation Area

This geographic profile tracks the spatial characteristics of Glen Canyon National Recreation Area across its 5075.23 square kilometer expanse in Arizona and Utah. Mapped data encompasses diverse upland terrain including canyon networks, riverine corridors, and desert habitats. Key features identified within the boundary range from named peaks and cliffs to extensive bay systems and fluvial drainages.

View park overview

A stylized, colorful illustration of a winding river flowing through deep, layered desert canyon walls under a sunburst, with small boats on the water.

A vast reservoir-and-desert landscape straddling the Arizona, Utah border, centered on Lake Powell and the canyons of the Colorado River.

Glen Canyon National Recreation Area

Glen Canyon National Recreation Area is a large federal protected landscape in the southwestern United States, straddling the border between northern Arizona and southern Utah. It surrounds Lake Powell, the reservoir created by Glen Canyon Dam on the Colorado River, and extends through the rugged canyon country south of Canyonlands National Park. The recreation area preserves an immense stretch of high desert terrain shaped by rivers, wind, and ancient seas, with soaring sandstone cliffs, narrow side canyons, and broad slickrock benches. Unlike a strictly preserved national park, Glen Canyon NRA was created to balance public recreation with the protection of scenic, scientific, and historic values. Visitors come for houseboating, watersports, fishing, and sightseeing on Lake Powell, while also exploring tributary slot canyons and backcountry mesas. The recreation area is bordered by other iconic Colorado Plateau landscapes, including Capitol Reef, Canyonlands, Grand Staircase–Escalante, and the Navajo Nation, placing it firmly within one of the most geologically distinctive regions of the American West. The presence of the reservoir defines much of the modern experience of the recreation area, but the underlying landforms remain those of the Colorado Plateau: layered sandstones, canyon labyrinths, and arid mesas stretching toward the horizon. Glen Canyon NRA serves as both a major outdoor recreation destination and a gateway to the broader canyon country of the Four Corners region.

Location: United States of America
Park type: Protected landscape
Established: 1972
Area: 5,075.2 km²

Glen Canyon National Recreation Area Atlas

Location overview

Recorded country memberships and administrative state regions

Glen Canyon National Recreation Area Location and Regional Geography

United States of America holds the recorded territorial authority across the designated Arizona and Utah state regions. Administrative records confirm non-transboundary, inland status without coastal, island, or marine designations.

Countries: United States of America
Regions: Arizona, Utah
Primary location: United States of America
Geographic setting: Inland

Boundary and coordinates

Interactive boundary geometry and calculated area metrics

Glen Canyon National Recreation Area Boundary Map and Spatial Extent

Mapped boundary outlines provide spatial context for the protected landscape and its regional spread. Derived measurement data details coordinate limits, center points, and total area coverage.

Boundary area: 5,059.9 km²
Boundary perimeter: 1,628.6 km
Northernmost point: 38.5° N
Southernmost point: 36.8163° N
Easternmost point: 109.945° W
Westernmost point: 111.6592° W
Geographic centre: 37.5157° N, 110.7735° W
North–south span: 186.9 km
East–west span: 151.3 km

Glen Canyon National Recreation Area

Terrain and natural features

Catalog of upland terrain classifications and recorded landscape features

Glen Canyon National Recreation Area Terrain and Named Natural Features

Upland terrain classifications define the regional landscape spread across Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. Linked feature cards supply recorded names, types, and spatial relationships.

Selected named natural features

Streams

Pothole Fork of Sleepy Hollow

Cliffs

Trail Cliff

1,207 m

Streams

Piute Creek

Peaks

Johnson Point

1,149 m

Peaks

Rincon Point

1,476 m

Peaks

Trachyte Point

1,592 m

Glen Canyon Natural Features Atlas

Environmental setting

Analyzed desert canyons, major water bodies, and upland terrain classifications

Glen Canyon National Recreation Area Environmental Classifications and Landscape Settings

Recorded landscape features, habitat types, and relief categories provide structured interpretive perspectives on the physical terrain. Stored classification records link directly to relevant atlas destinations for regional comparison.

Relief: Upland
Water: Major water bodies
Forest cover: No forest cover
Seasonality: Year-round

Landscape features

Canyon · Cliffs · Lakes · Rivers · Beach

Habitat types

Desert habitat · Riverine habitat · Lacustrine habitat

Park atlas

Discover adjacent protected areas, regional sandstone canyons, and connected desert terrain across the American Southwest.

Explore Parks Near Glen Canyon National Recreation Area and Surrounding Colorado Plateau Landscapes

Compare protected areas near Glen Canyon National Recreation Area to evaluate regional geological formations, high desert terrain, and connected canyon networks. Analyzing adjacent conservation landscapes reveals broader regional patterns across the Colorado Plateau and surrounding river basins.

A stylized, flat-design illustration of a desert canyon landscape with mesas, a winding river, and distant buttes under a soft sunset sky.

National parkUtah

Park boundaries overlap#1 closest

Northeast

Canyonlands National Park

Explore its vast geography and protected area boundaries.

Canyonlands National Park, in Utah, United States of America. Landscapes: canyons, plateaus, and hills.

Area: 1,366.21 km²
Established: 1964
IUCN: II
Visitors: 818.5K annual

Canyonlands National Park Protected Area Atlas

A flat-style digital illustration of a desert canyon landscape with tall rock formations, sparse desert shrubs, and a bright sun in a pale sky.

National parkUtah

Park boundaries overlap#2 closest

North

Capitol Reef National Park

Explore Capitol Reef National Park's mapped terrain and boundaries.

Capitol Reef National Park, in Utah, United States of America. Landscapes: mountains, valleys, and plateaus.

Area: 978.95 km²
Established: 1971
IUCN: II
Visitors: 1.4M annual

Capitol Reef National Park Protected Landscape

A graphic illustration of the Grand Canyon showing layered geological rock formations, distant ridgelines, and pine trees in the foreground.

National parkArizona

Park boundaries overlap#3 closest

Southwest

Grand Canyon National Park

Explore mapped boundaries and regional atlas context.

The Grand Canyon exposes layers of rock across a vast canyon landscape in Arizona.

Area: 4,926.08 km²
Established: 1919
IUCN: II
Visitors: 4.9M annual

Grand Canyon National Park Atlas

A watercolor painting showing a panoramic view of rolling green mountains with a winding stream through a forested valley.

Protected landscapeUtah

14 km away#4 closest

North

Manti, La Sal National Forest: Geographic Overview of Utah's Mountain and Canyon Landscapes

Mapped protected forest boundaries across the Colorado Plateau

Spanning over one million acres, Manti, La Sal National Forest defines a critical segment of Utah geography. This protected landscape encompasses diverse terrain including subalpine mountains, aspen-rich uplands, and deep canyon networks. Use this atlas to examine the distinct environmental characteristics that separate the northern forested plateaus from the southern wilderness canyons.

Area: 5,143.09 km²
Established: 1950
IUCN: V
Visitors: 900K annual

Manti, La Sal National Forest Geography

A horizontal watercolor illustration showing a calm lake in the foreground, surrounded by grassy banks, evergreen trees, and rolling mountains in the distance under a pale sky.

Protected landscapeArizona

35 km away#5 closest

Southwest

Kaibab National Forest: Protected Plateau Landscapes and Forested Geography in Arizona

High-elevation forest terrain bordering the Grand Canyon

Spanning over 1.6 million acres in Arizona, Kaibab National Forest is characterized by its split geographic configuration, with distinct sections flanking the North and South rims of the Grand Canyon. The terrain ranges from the high-altitude Kaibab Plateau to volcanic uplands near Williams, encompassing four designated wilderness areas and varied forest ecosystems that provide a critical buffer for the surrounding canyon country.

Area: 6,500 km²
Established: 1909
Relief: Mountain
Climate: Temperate

Kaibab National Forest Protected Area

A digital illustration of Delicate Arch in Arches National Park, set against a desert landscape with scrub vegetation and distant mesas.

National parkUtah

36 km away#6 closest

Northeast

Arches National Park

Explore mapped terrain and geographic context.

Arches National Park, in Utah, United States of America. Landscapes: plateaus and cliffs.

Area: 310.31 km²
Established: 1971
IUCN: II
Visitors: 1.5M annual

Arches National Park Protected Area

A minimalist watercolor painting depicting a pale desert landscape with soft green hills and light reddish rock formations against a white background.

Wildlife reserveArizona

65 km away#7 closest

Southwest

Kanab Creek Wilderness: Protected Canyon Landscapes and Geography of Northern Arizona

Extensive tributary canyon systems and plateau terrain

Kanab Creek Wilderness represents a vast protected area in northern Arizona, defined by deep gorges and vertical cliffs etched into the Kanab and Kaibab Plateaus. This geographic atlas entry provides insights into the canyon network that feeds the Colorado River, highlighting the extreme elevation gradients and archaeological significance of this rugged wilderness.

Area: 305 km²
Established: 1984
IUCN: Ib
Relief: Upland

Kanab Creek Wilderness Geography

A digital illustration showing a scenic view of colorful hoodoo rock spires and evergreen trees in Bryce Canyon.

National parkUtah

66 km away#8 closest

Northwest

Bryce Canyon National Park

Explore the unique geology and protected boundaries of Bryce Canyon National Park.

Bryce Canyon National Park, in Utah, United States of America. Landscapes: plateaus, cliffs, and canyons.

Area: 145.02 km²
Established: 1928
IUCN: II
Visitors: 2.5M annual

Bryce Canyon National Park Protected Area Atlas

MoriAtlas Explorer

Continue Exploring the Protected Landscapes of Glen Canyon National Recreation Area

Delve deeper into the mapped geography and environmental context of Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. This MoriAtlas destination provides a structured overview of the sandstone cliffs, slot canyons, and reservoir systems that define this significant American protected area.

Browse next

Countries→Continents→Parks→

Global natural geography

Glen Canyon National Recreation Area Atlas

Explore related park routes

Explore MoriAtlas Global Parks Browse All MoriAtlas Parks Global Park Map Discovery MoriAtlas: Browse All Countries Browse All MoriAtlas Continents National Park Environment Atlas Grand Canyon National Park Atlas Yellowstone National Park Atlas Yosemite National Park Atlas and Geography Serengeti National Park Atlas Galápagos National Park Protected Landscape Banff National Park Geography and Atlas Kruger National Park Atlas Entry Explore Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park Geography Plitvice Lakes National Park Atlas Fiordland National Park Protected Landscape Great Smoky Mountains National Park Atlas Zion National Park Protected Landscape Atlas Afghanistan National Parks and Protected Areas Albania National Parks and Protected Areas Algeria National Parks and Protected Areas American Samoa National Parks and Protected Areas Andorra National Parks and Protected Areas Angola National Parks and Protected Areas Antarctica National Parks and Protected Areas Antigua and Barbuda Park List