Cathedral in the Desert

Natural formation in Utah, United States

The Cathedral in the Desert in 2021 with a red boat

The Cathedral in the Desert is a natural formation, sometimes referred to as an amphitheater,[1] buried under Lake Powell in Glen Canyon.[2] Due to the Southwestern North American megadrought, the cathedral has been visible in 2005 and 2019. Lake Powell must drop to 3,605 feet for the cathedral floor to be visible.[3][4]

The Cathedral is located at the head of Clear Water Canyon off the Escalante.[5] Most are familiar with the feature from a Phil Hyde photo in 1964 taken just before Lake Powell began to fill, and many are seeing it for the first time now.[6][7]

OARS, the first National Park Service-authorized rafting outfitter that travels the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon has a dory named in the cathedral's honor.[8]

## References

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1. ^ Groetzinger, Kate (2021-05-04). "Scientists Are Studying The Changes Occurring In Glen Canyon As Lake Powell Recedes". Retrieved 2022-03-25.
2. ^ "Explore Cathedral in the Desert". www.theoutbound.com. Retrieved 2022-03-25.
3. ^ Stauss, Jack (2019-06-05). "A Journey to Cathedral in the Desert". Retrieved 2022-03-25.
4. ^ Rott, Nathan (2022-01-07). "The Western megadrought is revealing America's 'lost national park'". NPR. Retrieved 2022-03-25.
5. ^ Stegner, Wallace (2017-08-08). The Sound of Mountain Water: The Changing American West. Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. pp. 118–26\. ISBN 978-0-525-43543-3.
6. ^ Stiles, Jim (2005-06-13). "The brief but wonderful return of Cathedral in the Desert". High Country News. Retrieved 2022-03-25.
7. ^ Kolbert, Elizabeth (2021-08-06). "The Lost Canyon Under Lake Powell". New Yorker. Retrieved 2022-03-25.
8. ^ "Inaugural Voyage of Cathedral in the Desert Dory". Outside Business Journal. 2021-09-13. Retrieved 2022-03-25.

37°17′18″N 110°54′56″W﻿ / ﻿37.288306°N 110.9155°W﻿ / 37.288306; -110.9155