Hiking to the Horseshoe Bend

Just south of the Utah state line with Arizona sits the town of Page, and just south of there the Colorado River decides to make a sharp U-turn on itself. This spot is known as Horseshoe Bend, famous for the one great photographic opportunity it offers after a short hike from a parking lot right off of Highway 89. I was interested in stopping and enjoying the view for a bit, so I swung off the road after leaving the Grand Canyon earlier that morning.

 

I made good time on the trail, taking only 20 minutes to go 3/4 of a mile, which rises up and over a little hill before decending down to the canyon. There were only a few other people there when I walked up and took my first gander down into the canyon. Despite the photos I had seen in advance, I was surprised at how deep it is. I was also surprised that there was no railing stopping stupid people from becoming Darwin award winners.

 

I moved up to the edge and snapped a couple of photos, but was not impressed at all with the ledge as I wasn’t sure if any of the rocks I was standing on was a candidate for a tumble down to the river. I bravely inched my way up to snap a few more photos when a voice came from behind me asking if I wanted my picture taken there. I was startled by this and instantly turned around and braced myself as I had no idea who was making this kind gesture. And really, once I knew they were there, there was no way I was turning my back on them again until I was sure they were long gone. Not while I was standing on the edge of a cliff.

 

There was nothing but kindness in the woman’s offer, but it made me realize just how open and exposed the area is as there is no fencing there, no safety net of any kind, and nothing but several hundred feet between there and oblivion for anyone with a wrong step.

 

On the other hand though, the Horseshoe bend is an uncommonly beautiful spot to relax and enjoy a picnic while taking in the view. As I didn’t have a picnic to munch on, I just snapped a few more photos before heading back to my car to continue on my way to a scheduled tour I had for a spot I was quite excited to see. But, more on that in another post…