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What you need to pack for your Lake Powell adventure

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Knowing what to pack for Lake Powell, ensures you’ll have everything you’ll need to make sure your trip STAYS magical and fun!

If you ask my kids what their favorite part of the past year was I guarantee all three, without fail, would rattle off our week on a houseboat at Lake Powell.

Awe, and what a magical week it was. It was the week where cell phones and screens were a memory, our kids got along and we lived in our own quiet, peaceful bubble.

I would have to agree with my kids because it is, by far, my favorite family vacation to date. And yes, that even includes our trip to Disneyworld. Sorry super Disney fans.

If you crave peace, quiet, family connection, sun, and warmth then Lake Powell is for you. 

Lake Powell is a magical place the runs the border of Arizona and Utah. It is known for both its beauty and serenity. 

Whether you launch your boat in Bullfrog, Utah or Page, AZ, you can’t miss. There are some pros and cons to both but I will get into those in my next Lake Powell post. 

Today I am going to impart my experience of house boating at Lake Powell. I will share with you what to pack for Lake Powell to ensure your week is indeed magical and not a disaster. 

What you need to pack for your Lake Powell

We stayed on the Escape, which we rented from Lake Powell Resorts and Marianas. They stock it with almost everything you need, so if you’re thinking you need to pack bare-bones essentials you really don’t. They’ve got you covered! 

You can find a complete inventory of what’s included on your boat on their website. I recommend reviewing this before you go to double-check and see if there are any additional items you feel your family might need.

It was just our little family of 5 on our houseboat and there was plenty of room, but if you wanted to go with another family, there was room to sleep more! We could have easily had another family join us! 

Now, let’s talk about what to pack for your Lake Powell Excursion 

When it comes to food we kept it super simple. I think it’s easy to get carried away and pack too much. 

The good news is during the peak season, they have these awesome Porters that carry everything from your car right to your boat! Worth every penny of a tip! 

What Foods To Pack For Lake Powell: 

I recommend mapping out a meal plan for your entire trip and then filling it in with snacks and plenty of drinks! I don’t usually condone juice boxes and Gatorade for my kiddos. Still, the name of the game at Lake Powell is keeping everyone hydrated. So I made sure to pack PLENTY of both and LOTS of water! You will not want to drink the tap water. 

For breakfast: I packed cold cereal, pancake mix, and my kid’s favorite biscuits and gravy. I made sure we ate a hearty breakfast so that we could go light on lunch and then eat a normal dinner. Well, normal for a vacation anyway. 😉 

For lunch: I had lunch meat for sandwiches, peanut butter and jelly, chips, and fresh-cut veggies and dip. I also packed apples, cheese sticks, and greek yogurt cups so there were some healthier options alongside the fun stuff. 

For dinner: There is a grill on the boat so we did hamburgers, chicken, and hot dogs. Then I would pull out our veggies, and chips for sides. My goal was to make everything SUPER simple and easy. 

You could also whip up some of your family’s favorite salads and have those on hand. I made a huge batch of my Boating Salad, which is my favorite thing to eat when we go boating. It is super refreshing and tastes like perfection on a hot day. It may not look like much, but man o’ man is it GOOD. 

Other Items you’ll want to pack for Lake Powell: 

  • Sand Toys- You’ll sometimes dock your houseboat on a beach, and then your kids will promptly want to go play on the beach. There are so many terrific sandy beaches that are perfect for this. Next week, I’ll go into the best canyons to check out for some beachy fun! 

Lake Powell - What To Pack

  • Snorkel Gear– We went in October so the water was starting to get colder. But my kids still loved swimming and exploring with their snorkel sets. 
  • Extra Towels- The towels included on the boat are bath towels and NOT beach towels, so you’re gonna want to pack your own. 
  • Games- This is where I failed BIG time! I had all our favorite games set aside to bring, and I totally forgot to grab that bin. So we did not get to sit around the table playing games as I had envisioned. We played games like M.A.S.H and tic tac toe – we made it work – but games would have been SOOO much fun! 
  • Movies- The boats do come equipped with DVD players and satellite TV. We did not have ANY luck on service with our satellite tv. Fortunately, we had packed a few movies and it was fun to wind down after a long day by cuddling up and watching a movie together. Then we would put our swimsuits back on and head up to the hot tub to soak while we talked and looked up at the stars. 
  • Fishing Gear- If you’re into that. 
  • Water + Drinks– Cannot emphasis this one enough! 
  • Sunblock- Do not forget this! 
  • Reading Material– while your kids are playing in the sand use this time to read a fun book, my favorite part of any beach involved trip. 
  • Cell Phone or Camera- You will not have cell service, which is fantastic. It was very hard at first, but then I absolutely loved it, especially not having my husband on the phone with work “crises.” But having your phone for pics and video is a total win! 
  • Sunglasses + Extra Flip Flops- Pack your cheap sunglasses as you may lose them and shoes have a way of getting lost too. Kelly lost a flip flop will we were anchoring the boat. 
  • Medicines: I made sure and packed Emergen C, Tylenol, Kids Tylenol, Pepto Bismol. You’ll wanty to pack any medicines or natural remedies your family uses regularly.

Everything else you may need is on the boat waiting for you. I was impressed by how well our boat was accommodated. 

In my next post in this Lake Powell series: 

  • Review of some cool places/canyons to dock.
  • Some pro tips so your boat won’t float away… may or may not be speaking from experience. 
  • Bull Frog, UT side vs. Page, AZ side. 

If you have ANY questions about Lake Powell feel free to shoot me an email I will be more than happy to answer them! It is such an amazing trip and worthy of ANY bucket list. andie{at}andiethueson.com 

Truth be told, owning a Lake Powell houseboat timeshare is now on my wishlist. 

5 Comments

  1. Thanks for the tips!! We aren’t too far & I’d love to take my family!

  2. wilhelmina says:

    Wow! What a great family vacation! This is super helpful for planning our vacation on Lake Powell and beyond!

  3. Great tips!! I’m dying to get up there with my family!

  4. So many great tips and ideas! Definitely saving it for our next trip!

  5. Wow, there’s a lot of useful information here. Thanks for the awesome tips you shared in this post!

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