Horseshoe Bend is a well known Instragrammable site located in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. Literally, just a 5 minute drive from the nearby city of Page, Arizona, Horseshoe Bend's amazing vista can be seen after an easy .75 mile trek from the parking lot.
It is named Horseshoe Bend for obvious reasons, it is a bend in the Colorado River that resembles a horseshoe! Once part of Navajo Nation, Horseshoe Bend is now owned by the city of Page, AZ. In the busy summer months a shuttle runs from Page to the parking lot of Horseshoe Bend. If you aren't just "passing through" Page, AZ, check out the many hotels in the city and stay a night or two. We stayed at the nice and convenient Day's Inn so we could visit the Lower Antelope Canyon and then head towards the Grand Canyon the next day.
To get here, take US-89 S about 2.2 miles from Page, Arizona where you will see the sign and parking lot for Horseshoe Bend. There is a $10 parking fee to enter the parking lot, which does have convenient restrooms. Once parked, trek the short 1.5 mile roundtrip for vistas worth driving here for. We journeyed to Page, AZ from Phoenix, AZ, which is a 4.25 hour trip by car. Horseshoe Bend has been on my bucket list to visit for some time now and conveniently it is located near the Lower Antelope Canyon, which I visited as well, and makes this trip totally worth it.
We visited in March and the weather was a cool and crisp 50°. If visiting in the summer I would suggest you bring sunscreen, hat and some water since the temperature can reach near 100°. The trail has a minimal decline heading towards the bend, therefore, you will notice the slight incline on the walk back to your car. Fortunately, there are a couple of benches with a canopy for people to rest under on this short journey to Horseshoe Bend. In addition, strollers and wheelchairs can be used. Plan on spending roughly 30 -60 minutes here.
Once at Horseshoe Bend you can witness the rushing beauty of the Colorado River raging 1000 feet below!!!!!! There are rails in place to safely lookout, or for that perfect picture, you can slowlllllyyyyyy ease out onto the edge for a perfect photo shot. As you can see in the photo below, I wasn't as adventurous as some people that were here (they walked right up, sat down, and dangled their feet over the edge, yikes!!!). It was a very windy day and I did not want to get blown away!!!! The view is fantastic and you can see boats cruising the verdant green Colorado River slicing through the majestic orange and red canyon.
Surrounding Horseshoe Bend is a ton of organically sculptured orange and red rock to peruse about. It is fun to check out the area, however, signage suggests that you stay near the trail for safety reasons.
In all, Horseshoe Bend was a stunning place to visit. I will forever have the view of this famous horseshoe in my mind. Also, I highly recommend you visit Lower Antelope Canyon located just ten minutes from here. Because the canyon is owned by Navajo Nation, you will need to make a reservation with a tour company to see it. Check out my blog post here about visiting this scenic and remarkable canyon.
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