Located near the town of Page, Arizona, in the United States is a horseshoe-shaped incised meander of the Colorado River known as the Horseshoe Bend. It is quite an iconic place. Known throughout the country and one worth a trip to experience. It is very close to another world-famous Arizona attraction we visited – the Antelope Canyon.
Horseshoe Bend is located 5 miles (8.0 km) downstream from the Glen Canyon Dam and Lake Powell within Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, about 4 miles (6.4 km) southwest of Page. It is accessible via hiking a 1.5-mile (2.4 km) round trip from U.S. Route 89.
Horseshoe Bend for Two
We went to Page, AZ during the month of January, and weather-wise it was somewhat chilly. Once we started the walk however and warm up it was just perfect. The main time-consuming thing here is the parking. Once that is taken care of this place is just amazing to see.
It takes about 15-20 mins to get to the actual main viewpoint from the parking lot. It is a nice hike with probably about 30 degrees incline and then about 45 degrees decline. Once there there are plenty of other viewpoints of the bend but also quite a few people trying to get a picture from them so be patient. As we mentioned it is quite a popular destination and it most likely would be packed.
Moment of Silence
Please be careful! This attraction has had more than a few fatalities (2-3 per year is one estimation) when people try to be too creative with their daredevil photos/selfies. Social media is not that important to risk your life for it. While we were there we witnessed various near-death experiences by some of the “brave” souls there. We (as you can see) stayed a good distance from the actual edges.
The View
Lodging
We stayed for one night at the city of Page and managed to visit both the Antelope Canyon and the Horseshoe Bend in one day. Everything there is conveniently close, it is not a big city. When there make sure you try the BirdHouse for lunch or dinner. You would thank us later 🙂
We highly recommend both of the attractions as they are both easy to get to and amazing to experience. Just make sure you are careful with children and family when at the Horseshoe Bend.
The only guy with Rick & Morty t-shirt at the bend 🙂
How to get there
Page, Arizona: Mile Marker 545, Highway 89, Page, AZ 86040
Parking
Parking at the Horseshoe Bend is tricky. It gets really busy during the peak season. We did notice however that they were building an entirely new parking lot on the right side of the entrance. It is well known that during the warmer months parking there is close to impossible and the amount of people visiting is astronomical. If you are patient you should be able to get a spot eventually.
Links
- Horseshoe Bend Official Web Site
- Best Time To Visit
- Visit Arizona Horseshoe Bend Page
- City of Page
- The BirdHouse / Yelp
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