Horseshoe Bend near Page, Arizona is scary beautiful

So it was a beautiful day in March in Page, Arizona, and we were there to see the natural wonders of the area. There are the world famous Antelope canyon, Glen Canyon, Lake Powell and more. There are actually many less known but nevertheless beautiful areas near Page, and we wanted to see as much as we could in three days.

But, that morning it was the Horseshoe Bend we were heading to, an area famous for its thousand feet deep gorge, at the bottom of which meanders the mighty Colorado river. This location has become quite a social media darling, popular with Instagram and wedding photography. If you search for Horseshoe Bend images on Instagram, you are likely to find a million, a large number of them being selfies. While we were there, a wedding photo shoot was in progress.

With the popularity of the Horseshoe Bend has come the inevitable accidents. Every year there are few who fall to their deaths from the sheer cliffs. But that does not deter visitors, and neither should it deter you. If you stay a few feet away from the cliff edges, or take the common sense precautions, you should be fine. 

We went south from Page on Highway 89 for about five miles, and found the parking lot on the right. It was sort of crowded, but not in any overwhelming way. Its about a 1.5 miles round-trip trail to the rim of the canyon from the parking lot. The parking lot is in City of Page land, and there is a parking charge. It can get rather hot in this area, so it is prudent to carry water on the trail. 

After the usual photographs are taken, after you have marveled at the beauty of the place, and also wondered about those fearless ones who were too close to the edge, there is not a whole lot more to do. It is, after all, a viewpoint. We left after an hour or so. 

The best time to go would perhaps be at sunrise, when the early rays of sun fall on the main cliff in the middle of the bend. When we went, it was cloudy, which brought out the rich colors of the land. Horseshoe Bend is definitely worth a visit if you are anywhere near Page, Arizona.