Horseshoe Bend
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Just outside the city of Page is Horseshoe Bend, which is one of the most iconic viewpoints in northern Arizona. Finding Horseshoe Bend is easy, just take US 89 to the parking lot about 2 miles south of Page. There are signs for the turnoff, so it isn’t hard to find.
Recently the city has fixed up the parking lot and added a platform with railings at the viewpoint, so there is now a fee to enter. The parking lot is about a half mile walk from Horseshoe Bend. The walk is an easy to moderate hike up a hill and then down a long slope to the viewing platforms. The real difficulty of the walk comes from the sand on the path during certain sections. There is a gazebo at the top of the hill if a rest is needed.
The viewing platform when we arrived was filled with visitors. We were surprised it was this busy at 11 am on a Monday morning. Getting a view on the platform along the railing took a few minutes for a spot to open. It was worth the wait. From the central viewing platform we had the full view of the Colorado River and surrounding cliffs. It’s a gorgeous view down the cliff to the canyon below.
The main platform isn't too big and the sides are just open cliffs without any railings. Most people tend to stay where the railings are present so we went off to the side for a less crowded view.
Our favorite spot is to the left of the main viewing platform. It’s hardly noticeable that we were off center of the bend. The great part of this spot is that hardly anyone ventures out to it, but there is the risk of falling down the cliff. We didn’t get too close to the edge, but still managed to get some great shots.
We then hiked back up the hill and to our car. Initially we thought seeing Horseshoe Bend would have been a quick stop off on our trip, but between the hiking both ways we ended up being there for close to an hour. The view is easily worth the fee, time, and hike.
Google Maps Link: Horseshoe Bend
Google Maps Link: Horseshoe Bend Parking Lot
