History & Culture

Glen Canyon has been home to people for thousands of years. Archaic and prehistoric Indian cultures roamed and lived in the canyons. Later, a vast panorama of explorers, miners, ranchers, historic Indian tribes, and others left their mark here. In more recent times, a few hardy homesteaders, river runners, and uranium miners lived, worked, or played among the canyons until they were filled by the waters of Lake Powell.

Today, Glen Canyon still provides the opportunity for modern day explorers to seek their own adventures, whether it be on the water or in the backcountry.

 
sandstone canyon. A group of people hikes up into the center.
People

Many different cultures have passed through Glen Canyon.

Two stone masonry buildings with green roofs. Sandstone canyon in background.
Places

In such a big park, there are many sites significant to the different cultures of the area.

park ranger with scientific measuring tools at an ancient stone masonry structre
Preservation

Glen Canyon National Recreation Area preserves a record of more than 10,000 years of human presence.

Historic photo of Navajo weaver at loom making a rug. Two children and a Park Ranger in a 1970s mini
Collections

Our museum collections of over 900,000 items contribute directly to the understanding and interpretation of the park’s purposes.

 

Cultural Past

Glen Canyon has been periodically used by a variety of human groups from about 11,500 years ago through the present. Currently these groups are classified by archeologists into a system that divide the Native American culture history of Glen Canyon into different temporal and/or cultural periods.

 

Other National Park Service History & Culture websites

Cultural Resources
Discover History
Archeology Program
Archeology for Kids

Last updated: July 11, 2024

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Contact Info

Mailing Address:

PO Box 1507
Page, AZ 86040

Phone:

928 608-6200
Receptionist available at Glen Canyon Headquarters from 7 am to 4 pm MST, Monday through Friday. The phone is not monitored when the building is closed. If you are having an emergency, call 911 or hail National Park Service on Marine Band 16.

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