It is finally spring and many travelers are hitting the road to destinations all over the United States. People in search of nature are heading west to explore National Parks, one them being the Grand Canyon. The Grand Canyon is definitely something you must witness. It is is massive and it might make your jaw drop!
Most visitors have probably seen the iconic images of people staring down or on the edge with the river cutting through the canyon making a horseshoe. You will not find that in the Grand Canyon National Park, but it is actually in Glen Canyon National Recreational Area near Page, Arizona.
WHAT IS HORSESHOE BEND?
Horseshoe Bend is an iconic bend that was carved by the Colorado River about 5 to 6 million years ago. Once just a place with a few visitors, it has become one of the top spots to stop in Northern Arizona and its popularity is expected to continue to grow thanks to social media. This social media darling is considered to be part of the Eastern Rim of the Grand Canyon and the city of Page has taken steps to manage its visitors.
They have paved a new parking lot added plenty of restrooms and have created a trail that takes you to the overlook platform. You will see many people wonder around trying to get the best angle of horseshoe bend.
WHERE IS HORSESHOE BEND?
Horseshoe Bend is located in Arizona just southwest of Page, off of Highway 89.
The closest major airport to fly into is ether in Phoenix or Las Vegas making it a four hour drive from each location. I am currently living in Las Vegas and I recommend doing a pitstop at Sedona or Flagstaff in Arizona.
If you are coming from Utah you will be taking the U.S. Route 89 South and you will see the parking on your right side. You can’t miss it, but just in case it is between mile-marker 544 and 545.
If you are coming from Flagstaff you will be taking U.S. Route 89 North and you will see the parking lot on the left.
HIKING TOWARDS HORSESHOE BEND
The hike to the overlook is a simple 1.5 mile (2.4 km) hike there and back trail. The hike is easy, since it is over flat terrain. There are two shaded reset areas with a bench that face towards Horseshoe Bend.
Even though it is a short hike, bring plenty of water to stay hydrated. You might be looking around the rim for that perfect shot for a while. Also, I recommend some good hiking shoes. The last thing I would want to do is trip near the 1,000 foot (305 m) edge.
The edge is definitely scary. Be careful and pay attention to your surroundings.
When you arrive to the overlook point feel free to explore the rim. I managed to make my way towards the right side. You will see a small hill that you can climb that can give you an elevated view of Horseshoe Bend.
CONCLUSION
Road trips are fun and I just had one of the best ones with my love. On our itinerary I made sure we stopped at Horseshoe Bend. It is one of those places that made our trip unforgettable. Adding this to our Southwest Road trip definitely made the trip better.
What places would you recommend to stop at while doing a road trip? Leave comments and questions below and I will respond as soon as possible.
