Horseshoe Bend
Page, Arizona
Tuesday, June 12, 2018
“Adventure is a path. Real adventure, self-determined, self-motivated, often risky, forces you to have firsthand encounters with the world” – Mark Jenkins
Just down the road from Lower Antelope Canyon is another area that attracts people from all over the world. It is called Horseshoe Bend. There were several hundred people making the trek from the parking areas to the overlook at the edge of the cliff.
Horseshoe Bend is a horseshoe-shaped, incised meander of the Colorado River located near the town of Page, Arizona. It is located 5 miles downstream from the Glen Canyon Dam and Lake Powell within the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, about 4 miles southwest of Page.
It is accessible by hiking a 1.5-mile round trip from U.S. Route 89, mostly on loose sand and some rocks. The terrain goes up a large hill for about a quarter mile to its high point where you descend several hundred feet to the view area on the steep cliff above the river. The overlook is 4,200 feet above sea level, and the Colorado River is at 3,200 feet above sea level, making it a 1,000-foot drop.
My first thought, as I hiked up the sand hill, was that it was only about a quarter mile up but as I crested and started seeing the cut of the canyon below there was still more hiking to do. Missing the early morning sun, it was now almost vertical to the ground so I already knew that the pictures would have a starker look to them. The half mile walk down to the viewing area was not too difficult but you had to watch for uneven ground or the top of rocks sticking up through the soft sand. I watched several trip along the way so as clumsy as I am, I was looking at every rock and things I could trip over.
Approaching the viewing area, people started to fan out all along the cliff’s edge so they could get a better look or an unobstructed view of things. There were several hundred down along the canyon rim with more going up the hill as more and more people descended. There were people standing on rocks at the edge of the cliff taking selfies, as well as people climbing up on top of boulders to get a better view or picture.
Looking down from the cliff, the Colorado River makes a long sweeping turn in the shape of a horseshoe. The water going around the bend has a green tint to it against the white sandy “beach” at the water’s edge.
Horseshoe Bend in Colorado River
I could see a small boat and campers with a tent pitched just onshore across the river from my vantage point. A couple of people hollered at them but they probably didn’t hear anything or just ignored all the tourists on the mesa above. I took several photos. I had the feeling they would not really show what my eyes were seeing but I tried to capture the beauty of the canyon and the river flowing around this beautiful butte across from me.
1,000 foot drop to river
Hiking back up the hill was much harder than the descent as you could feel the burning in your legs and the bite in your lungs from the altitude. I made two quick stops for water on my way back to the top of the sand hill.
View from fence area halfway down to river cliff
Several people I noticed did not bring water and with the temperatures around 95 degrees everyone needs water to help cool off and to re-hydrate.
Making the way down to the parking lot, a small Asian woman was having a hard time and an ambulance was pulling up to assist her. My guess was that she had not had water, overheated and fainted.
All in all it was a quick trip to see another “America the Beautiful” place. Early morning light is the best time to go for the best photos as you would be shooting toward the afternoon sun if you go later in the day.