Horseshoe Bend

Horseshoe Bend is one of the most breathtaking and photographed viewpoints in the American Southwest, a spectacular, sweeping meander where the Colorado River bends around a towering sandstone promontory in a near-perfect horseshoe shape, framed by sheer red cliffs near the town of Page in northern Arizona. From the overlook on the canyon rim, more than a thousand feet above the river, the emerald-green water curves in a dramatic 270-degree loop around the great red-rock butte, creating an iconic and unforgettable scene.

Just downstream of Glen Canyon Dam and Lake Powell, the bend is reached by a short hike from a parking area off US-89, leading to the dizzying clifftop overlook. The vivid contrast of the green river, the red sandstone, and the immense scale of the canyon — especially glowing at sunset — has made Horseshoe Bend a world-famous symbol of the Colorado River and the canyon country. Increasingly popular, the site is now managed with a developed trail and viewing area. Spectacular, vertiginous and iconic, Horseshoe Bend is a treasured natural landmark of the Glen Canyon country near Page.

Horseshoe Bend is enjoyed primarily as a spectacular viewpoint — a short hike of about 1.5 miles round trip from the parking area leads to the clifftop overlook of the dramatic river meander, a premier spot for sightseeing and photography. Beyond the overlook, the bend can also be seen from the river itself on float or boat trips from below Glen Canyon Dam, and the surrounding Glen Canyon area offers river recreation, kayaking and boating on Lake Powell nearby. Taking in and photographing the breathtaking horseshoe meander, especially at sunset, is the signature draw of this iconic landmark near Page.

Spring and fall offer the most comfortable weather for the exposed hike and overlook, while summer is hot (the trail has little shade) and winter mild. Sunset is the most popular and beautiful time, when the red cliffs glow and the scene is at its most dramatic (though crowded), while midday light best reveals the emerald color of the river. Morning offers softer light and smaller crowds. Spring and fall, and the golden light of sunset or the clear color of midday, are the highlights; carry water for the exposed trail, and come early or late to beat the heat and crowds.

Horseshoe Bend, long a striking feature of the Colorado River’s course through the Glen Canyon country, lies on land near the town of Page, which grew with the construction of Glen Canyon Dam (completed in the 1960s, creating Lake Powell just upstream). As photography of the dramatic meander spread, Horseshoe Bend became one of the most famous and visited viewpoints in the Southwest. To manage the growing crowds, the City of Page developed the trail, parking and viewing area. Horseshoe Bend preserves the iconic river meander, a treasured natural landmark of the Glen Canyon and Colorado River country.

Horseshoe Bend was carved as the Colorado River, cutting down through the uplifting Colorado Plateau over millions of years, became entrenched in a sweeping meander — a great curve of the river locked into the deep canyon as it eroded downward through the Navajo sandstone. The river wraps around a resistant promontory of red sandstone, leaving the dramatic 270-degree horseshoe more than a thousand feet below the rim. The entrenched meander, the towering red sandstone walls, and the emerald river (its color from the cold, clear water released from the depths of Lake Powell upstream) create the iconic scene.

The high desert around Horseshoe Bend hosts the wildlife of the Colorado Plateau — coyotes, jackrabbits, lizards and snakes, with ravens and raptors soaring over the canyon, including the occasional condor or eagle — adapted to the arid conditions, while the Colorado River below supports fish and riparian life, and waterfowl and shorebirds frequent the river corridor. The sparse desert vegetation supports hardy life. While Horseshoe Bend is visited above all for its view, the surrounding high desert and the river corridor support the wildlife of the Southwest, glimpsed in the open country and along the river far below.

Horseshoe Bend lies in the high-desert Colorado Plateau, where sparse desert vegetation adapted to the arid, sandy conditions covers the rim above the deeply entrenched Colorado River, whose cold, clear, emerald water — released from the depths of Lake Powell behind Glen Canyon Dam — sustains a riparian corridor and fishery in the canyon below. The contrast of the dry rim desert and the river ribbon adds ecological variety. Protecting the river’s water quality, the canyon and the desert rim sustains both the ecology and the spectacular scenery of this iconic meander in the Glen Canyon country near Page.

Horseshoe Bend, with its breathtaking emerald river meander framed by red cliffs, holds a beloved and iconic place among the viewpoints of the American Southwest, one of the most photographed and recognizable scenes of the Colorado River and the canyon country. Drawing visitors and photographers from around the world to its dizzying clifftop overlook, especially at sunset, the bend embodies the dramatic beauty of the Glen Canyon country. Horseshoe Bend is a treasured natural landmark near Page, a cherished symbol of the Colorado River’s journey through the red-rock desert of the Southwest.

Horseshoe Bend is just outside the town of Page in northern Arizona, off US-89 a few miles south of town, about two hours from the Grand Canyon’s South Rim and 2.5 hours from Flagstaff. The overlook is managed by the City of Page, which charges a parking fee at the developed lot. A hike of about 1.5 miles round trip (with some sand and a slope) leads to the clifftop overlook, which has a partial railing in places but largely unguarded edges. The trail is exposed. Check the City of Page for parking, fees and conditions before visiting this popular landmark.

The City of Page (with the National Park Service’s Glen Canyon area) manages and protects Horseshoe Bend, the developed trail and overlook, and the surrounding desert. Visitors help by staying on the designated trail and at the developed overlook (off-trail travel erodes the fragile desert), keeping back from the deadly cliff edges, packing out everything, not defacing the rock, protecting the river below, and following the rules. Protecting the overlook, the desert rim and the river corridor sustains both the fragile high-desert ecology and the iconic scenery of this treasured and increasingly visited landmark near Page.

Horseshoe Bend’s overlook perches at the edge of sheer, deadly cliffs more than a thousand feet above the river, with largely unguarded edges — keep well back from the edge, never sit or stand carelessly at the brink for photos, and supervise children extremely closely, as falls have been fatal. The 1.5-mile round-trip trail is exposed with little shade and some sand and slope; carry plenty of water (heat and dehydration are hazards, especially in summer), wear sun protection and sturdy shoes, and avoid the midday summer heat. Watch the weather, and respect above all the deadly, mostly unguarded cliff edges.

The overlook is managed by the City of Page, which charges a parking fee. Stay on the designated trail and at the developed overlook; keep well back from the deadly cliff edges. Do not deface the rock or litter; pack out all trash. Pets must be leashed. Drones are prohibited. Off-trail travel and climbing on the cliffs are dangerous and restricted. Follow posted hours and rules. Carry water for the exposed trail. Check the City of Page for parking, fees, hours and current rules before visiting this popular landmark.

The town of Page, Antelope Canyon, Lake Powell and Glen Canyon Dam, the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, and the broader Navajo Nation and Colorado Plateau lie near Horseshoe Bend, with the Grand Canyon about two hours southwest and Monument Valley about two hours east. The Colorado River, Lake Powell and the high desert define the region. Horseshoe Bend anchors, with nearby Antelope Canyon and Lake Powell, a spectacular region of river, slot canyons and desert near Page, a centerpiece of a Southwest and Colorado River journey.

Take the short (about 1.5-mile round-trip) but exposed hike to the clifftop overlook for the breathtaking view of the emerald river wrapping around the red-rock butte — coming at sunset for the glowing cliffs (though crowded) or midday for the river’s clearest emerald color, and early or late to beat heat and crowds. Keep well back from the deadly, mostly unguarded cliff edges, never taking careless photos at the brink, and supervise children closely. Carry plenty of water and sun protection for the shadeless trail, pay the parking fee, and pair the bend with nearby Antelope Canyon and Lake Powell.