At The Point
(Courtesy photo)
Built in partnership with the U.S. National Park Service and the Navajo Nation, Antelope Point Marina is located on the main channel of Lake Powell, floating over a depth of more than 480 feet. The marina is accessible via a quarter mile, 12-foot-wide walkway.
All kinds of choices at the watery playground of Antelope Point
By Krista Allen
Special to the Times
LE CHEE, Ariz., July 23, 2011
Located near the Navajo Generating Station east of Page, the $80 million peninsula is the closest land-accessible marina on the lake.
Fed by melting snowpack in Colorado, Wyoming and Utah, the pool is rising about one foot per day. Antelope Point - "the Point" - harmonizes the clear blue waters and the granular walls of Navajo sandstone.
It was developed and is operated by Antelope Point Holdings, and employs 281 local people, 181 of whom are Native American.
"We have a diverse employment," said General Manager Michael Anderson.
The Point features a 27,000-square-foot floating platform built of concrete and rebar on 122,000 cubic feet of Styrofoam, on which rests the marina village with its boat slips, 5,000-square-foot grocery and supply store called The Market Place, The Sand Bar lounge, and an ice cream and coffee bar named Grandma Betty's.
It is the world's largest floating concrete island, according to Dan Wittenberg, president of International Marine Floating Structures of Vancouver, B.C.
The Point's most exquisite feature is the Jád' Tooh (Antelope Springs) Restaurant, which highlights a Southwestern cuisine with a Native American fusion. Its specialty is a state-of-the-art oak wood-fired brick pizza oven.
The custom-made oven reaches a temperature of 1,200 degrees so pizzas only need to bake two minutes. "This way, pizzas stay crispy and stay crunchy," said sous chef Matt Martin.
The store and restaurant face east and a skylight in the entryway represents the hole in the roof of a traditional hogan.
And there's more to come - the Point is only half-developed.
"We are implementing plans for future construction projects to break ground within the next couple of years," Anderson said. "We are very proud of it."
Among the plans are a campground and RV park, convenience store and gas station, a public safety station, an amphitheater for special events, a 225-room casita resort, and a cultural center.
The Point caters to the luxury houseboat market and is entering its peak season this month.
"Business is going good," said store manager Marita Hudson, noting, "We sell about 100 bags of ice a day."
T-shirt and hat combos, ice cream, sandwiches, sunglasses and sunscreen are among the best sellers, she said.
Visitors come from as far away as Europe, as well as the Four Corner states, California and the East Coast, Anderson said.
Among fans of the houseboat vacations are pop star Justin Bieber, Motley Crue drummer Tommy Lee, and extreme sports athlete Travis Pastrana.
The marina offers a range of houseboats for rent, from basic to luxury. Built by Forever Houseboats, they vary in size from 59 to 75 feet in length and depending on the model, feature DirectTV service, TVs, DVD and CD players, indoor and outdoor living areas, kitchen, two to five staterooms, waterslides, wet bars, and a gas barbecue, according to boat rental manager Jeremy Hart.
Rental fees range from $950 to $2,114 per day.
Antelope Point Outfitters, located on the docks of the marina, offers two-hour interpretive tours of spectacular Antelope Canyon in the Little Miss Magic. Captains David French and Ryan Thurner, both licensed by the U.S. Coast Guard, take turns at the helm.
"We go about 200 yards farther into the canyon than Wahweap boat tours," French said. "It's like the rocks are hugging you, and that brings out the magic of the canyon."
The tour guides introduce visitors to the history of the land and Navajo culture, and explains the formation of majestic Glen Canyon, of which Antelope Canyon is an offshoot.
"Without the permission of the Navajo Nation we wouldn't be here," French said.
The Point also offers fishing, kayaking, kneeboarding, wakeboarding, waterskiing, and water tubing. An ultra-modern overhead cable system tows riders without the need for a motorboat.
"It's a wakeboard tower, and it pulls wakeboarders in," said marina services supervisor DeRon "Dejay" Lister. "It's really cool."
On Sept. 26, the Point will host a cable-tow wakeboard competition with a course featuring rail slides, jumps and other obstacles. To register or for more information, contact Leif Kolb at 801-688-9704.