Wahweap Campground

NPS Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, AZ

Client: National Park Service, ARAMARK Leisure Services

Glen Canyon National Recreation Area (GCNRA) provides a dramatic example of one of the nation’s most inspiring settings combined with a most ambitious human project. Impounded behind the Bureau of Reclamation’s Glen Canyon Dam, waters of the Colorado River and tributaries are backed up almost 200 miles, forming Lake Powell. The lake and more than 1 million acres of desert and canyon country offer leisure-time activities for millions of visitors each year. Camping, fishing, water sports and scenic tourism are the dominant activities. Several campgrounds in the GCNRA provide lodging and camping experiences for visitors.

FiLL p.l.l.c. principal Phil Hendricks Jr. ASLA managed the various prime contract mechanisms over a 15-year period providing masterplanning, design development, and construction documents and administration for the phased expansion and renovation of the Wahweap Campgrounds, doubling their size to 335. Master plans were developed for with planned improvements, including new visitor and administrative facilities with showers, laundry, store, food service, campground registration and information; parking and roads; paved camping spurs in a variety of configurations; walk-in campgrounds; group camping areas; site furnishings; signage; new restrooms; amphitheaters; multi-use trails; utility infrastructure, including full campsite hookups; and landscaping and irrigation involving extensive restoration. The plans balanced the needs of tent campers with RV campers and apply modern standards for vehicles and camping facilities. The design focused on the implementation of Best Management Practices in order to integrate the project into the site, while minimizing visual and physical impacts to the environment. Eight (8) project phases of construction documents and construction administration were completed for the phased implementation.

FiLL p.l.l.c. principal Phil Hendricks Jr. ASLA served as the: principal-in-charge, contract manager, lead site planner and landscape architect for these projects at Glen Canyon NRA while at a previous firm (EDAW/AECOM)