HORSESHOE BEND
twisted colorado river
Horseshoe Bend
Location:
just a few miles south of Page, off US-89, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Arizona
Distance:
273 miles from Phoenix, 4 miles from Page
Opening hours:
no restrictions
Fees/Admission:
no
Direction:
from Page (downtown) drive northwest (towards Glen Canyon Dam) to the intersection with US-89; there turn left (south) towards Flagstaff and stay on US-89 for about 3.8 miles; just past Mile Marker 545 turn right (west) onto a short dirt road to the parking area where the trail begins to the 'Horseshoe Bend Overlook'.
Horseshoe Bend.
It is a dramatic 'detour' of the Colorado River just below the Glen Canyon Dam and one of the few scenic spots in the area which is easy to find, accessible by a short hike
and
free of charge.
Trailhead
The visit.
You start the short hike (about 1/2 mile one way) from the parking area where you also might see Navajos offering Indian arts and crafts, passing the sign 'Horseshoe Bend Overlook' at the trailhead. You will not find any shade along the trail so bring enough water with you.
The sandy trail goes straight up a hill. There you get a first good view of the area but you can not see the actual bend from this spot. Then the wide and easy to hike trail winds down passing typical desert plants of the Southwest (yucca, sage,...).
...at the rim, high above the Colorado River
As you get very close to the rim the dramatic scenery opens up in front of you - the spectacular Horseshoe Bend.
Be careful - there are no hand rails or any other safety devices at the rim. Be aware of the danger!
Tipps: It is known that the best time to take pictures is between late morning and early afternoon. Before that the shadow of the rim falls into the canyon, later you will take pictures against the sun.
But I have seen great photos of this natural highlight made during the first, soft daylight.
To get the hole scenery on one photo you have to use a good wide-angle lens. Common 28 mm lenses do not provide the necessary angle (the photo on top of this page was taken with a 28 mm). 17 or 18 mm lenses will do the job best!
All photos: © by gbintheworld.com
All information: as of summer 2003
Note: If you don't have the perfect lens you might split the scenery in two parts. At least it gives you a chance to put both pics close together as you can see on the following pictures:
Nearby attractions:
Please visit the page
Trips and Sightseeing in northern Arizona
for other interesting parks, monuments and places north of Phoenix.
Links
to websites and infos about the Horseshoe Bend, the Glen Canyon NRA and Page (
links open in a new window
):
Glen Canyon NRA, Wahweap Day Hikes
incl. Horseshoe Bend, provided by nps.gov
Glen Canyon Natural History Association
info website Lake Powell area
E
Horseshoe Bend Overlook Map
provided by topozone.com
E
Page
official website of the city
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HORSESHOE BEND
twisted colorado river
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