All parks › Glen Canyon National Recreation Area
Glen Canyon National Recreation Area: fees, hours, camping and when to visit
- Private vehicle entrance
- $30[1]
- Busiest month (2025)
- June[2]
- Recreation visits, 2025
- 3,729,502[3]
- Campgrounds
- 11[4]
Glen Canyon National Recreation Area is a National Park System unit in Arizona and Utah[5]. NPS lists a $30 entrance fee for a private vehicle, and the area is open around the clock all year[1][6].
Entrance fees and passes
Fees as listed by the National Park Service. Fees change, so confirm on the park's official fees page before you go.
| Fee or pass | Price |
|---|---|
| Private Vehicle[1] | $30 |
| Motorcycle[7] | $25 |
| Per Person[8] | $15 |
| Annual Entrance - Park[9] | $55 |
The America the Beautiful pass is accepted here[10].
Entrance fee payment is cashless (card or mobile payment)[11].
America the Beautiful passes cover entrance fees at national parks and other federal recreation sites.
| Pass | Who can get it | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Resident Annual Pass[12] | US citizens and residents | $80 |
| Non-Resident Annual Pass[12] | Non-US residents | $250 |
| Senior Annual Pass[12] | US citizens and residents 62+ years old | $20 |
| Senior Lifetime Pass[12] | US citizens and residents 62+ years old | $80 |
| Military Annual Pass[12] | Current US military and dependents | Free |
| Military Lifetime Pass[12] | Gold Star Family members and veterans | Free |
| Access Pass[12] | US citizens and residents with permanent disability | Free |
| 4th Grade Pass[12] | US 4th graders | Free |
| Volunteer Pass[12] | Federal recreation site volunteers with 250 service hours | Free |
When to visit and hours
NPS says the area is open 24 hours a day all year[6]. If nobody staffs the entrance station, you can pay at the automated fee machine[6]. Launch ramps stay open all day unless low water closes them[6]. NPS describes summers as extremely hot with little shade, and winters as moderately cold with nights often below freezing[13]. Spring weather is variable with extended windy periods, and NPS describes fall as mild[13]. In 2025 the busiest month was June with 532,013 recreation visits[2]. The quietest month was December with 119,757 visits[2].
Show visits by month
| Month, 2025 | Recreation visits |
|---|---|
| January | 142,072 |
| February | 140,255 |
| March | 384,974 |
| April | 368,179 |
| May | 373,556 |
| June | 532,013 |
| July | 479,862 |
| August | 419,144 |
| September | 310,766 |
| October | 300,097 |
| November | 158,827 |
| December | 119,757 |
Camping
NPS and Recreation.gov list 11 campgrounds here[4]. The largest is Wahweap Campground & RV Park with 266 sites, followed by Antelope Point RV Park with 104 sites[4]. Several primitive camping areas are also listed, including Lone Rock Beach and Stanton Creek[4]. NPS lists nightly individual-site fees from $12 to $480, so check the listing for the campground you want[4].
- Wahweap Campground & RV Park, 266 sites[4]
- Antelope Point RV Park, 104 sites
- Bullfrog RV & Campground, 98 sites
- Halls Crossing RV & Campground, 72 sites
- Lees Ferry Campground, 54 sites
- Beehives Primitive Campground, 21 sites
- Colorado River Primitive Camping Between Glen Canyon Dam and Lees Ferry, 5 sites
- Lone Rock Beach Primitive Camping Area
- Stanton Creek Primitive Camping Area
- Dirty Devil Primitive Camping Area
- Farley Canyon Primitive Camping Area
Pets and dogs
The national NPS pet rule says that where pets are allowed, they must be kept in a crate or cage or held on a leash of six feet at most[14]. Pets are not allowed in public buildings or on designated swimming beaches, with service animals excepted[14]. Each park can close more areas to pets[14]. NPS marks pets as permitted on 8 of its 12 listed things to do, including Driving the Burr Trail and Swimming in Lake Powell[15].
Before you go
- Entrance fees are cashless, so bring a card or mobile payment[11].
- A Motorcycle entrance costs $25 and is valid for 7 days[7].
- The Annual Entrance - Park pass costs $55[9]. The area also accepts the America the Beautiful pass, and the Resident Annual Pass costs $80[10][12].
- NPS lists 6 visitor centers, including Carl Hayden Visitor Center and Bullfrog Visitor Center[16].
- Confirm fees and hours on the official park page before you go.
Questions people ask
- How much is the entrance fee at Glen Canyon National Recreation Area?
- NPS lists $30 for a private vehicle, $25 for a motorcycle and $15 per person on foot or bicycle[1][7][8]. Fees are cashless[11].
- Is Glen Canyon National Recreation Area open 24 hours?
- NPS says the area is open 24 hours per day all year[6]. Launch ramps can close due to low water[6].
- What is the best time to visit Glen Canyon?
- NPS describes summers as extremely hot and fall as mild[13]. In 2025 June had the most visits at 532,013 and December the fewest at 119,757[2].
Facts and sources
- Entrance fee, Private Vehicle: $30. National Park Service
- NPS recreation visits by month, 2025 (chart on this page). NPS Visitor Use Statistics
- NPS recreation visits per year: 2021: 3,144,318, 2022: 2,842,776, 2023: 5,206,934, 2024: 4,725,610, 2025: 3,729,502. NPS Visitor Use Statistics
- Campgrounds in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area (list on this page). National Park Service
- Glen Canyon National Recreation Area is a unit of the U.S. National Park System (designation: National Recreation Area) in Arizona and Utah. National Park Service
- Operating hours, Glen Canyon Open Hours: Glen Canyon National Recreation Area is open 24 hours per day, year-round. If there is not a person staffing the entrance station, you may pay your entrance fee at the automated fee machine. Launch ramps are open... National Park Service
- Entrance fee, Motorcycle: $25. National Park Service
- Entrance fee, Per Person: $15. National Park Service
- Annual Entrance - Park: $55. National Park Service
- Glen Canyon National Recreation Area accepts the America the Beautiful (interagency) pass for entrance. National Park Service
- Entrance fees at Glen Canyon National Recreation Area are cashless (cards or mobile payment, no cash) according to NPS. National Park Service
- America the Beautiful pass prices (table on this page). NPS Passes
- NPS weather and seasons overview for Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. National Park Service
- National Park Service rule 36 CFR 2.15: where pets are allowed they must be crated, caged or on a leash no longer than six feet at all times, and pets are not allowed in public buildings, on public transportation or on designated swimming beaches (service... eCFR, 36 CFR 2.15
- NPS lists 12 things to do at Glen Canyon National Recreation Area: Scramble down Cathedral Wash Trail, From Your Boat To The Bridge, Driving the Burr Trail, Swimming in Lake Powell, Day Trip or Backpack Hike to Coyote Gulch, Off Road Vehicles in Glen... National Park Service
- Visitor centers listed by NPS: 6 (Escalante Interagency Visitor Center, Carl Hayden Visitor Center, Bullfrog Visitor Center, Navajo Bridge Interpretive Center, Glen Canyon Conservancy Flagship, Halls Crossing Contact Station). National Park Service