Lake Canyon is the first major canyon south of Halls Crossing, and is located on the east side of the lake at mile 88. The upper reaches are quite open and frequently exposed to winds.
Historically, the confluence of Lake Canyon and the Colorado was one of the few rapids of any severity in otherwise gentle Glen Canyon. Here, the Colorado flowed over the southern reaches of the upturned strata of the Waterpocket Fold. In high water, it was little more than a riffle, but at lower levels the river spread out over a rocky terrace that made navigation tough. Robert Brewster Stanton even reported encountering an ice jam here in January 1898.
Lake Canyon derives its name from a half-mile long lake that formed at its head about eight miles from the Colorado. The lake formed behind a dam of wind-blown sand and was kept full by a spring-fed stream. The Hole-in-the-Rock party rested here in 1880, and crossed to the east side of Lake Canyon by driving its wagons over the dam. In November 1915, after three days of rain, the lake overflowed and cut through the dam. This natural dam may partially explain why there were so many Anasazi sites in Lake Canyon. Today, the natural lake site is above the waters of Lake Powell.
