Horseshoe bend
Horseshoe Bend is one of the most recognized and photographed places in the USA. Located just 6 miles south of Page on Hwy 89.
Horseshoe Bend is part of the Colorado River located 5 miles downstream from the Glen Canyon Dam. The hike to the overlook is a gentle slope of 1.5 miles (2.4 km) round-trip over flat terrain. The trail is wide, easy for low-impact walkers, and accessible to wheelchairs. It has two shade stations along the way.
As with any hike, be prepared with plenty of water, sturdy footwear, sunscreen, and other basic hiking essentials. Know that there is little shade along the Horseshoe Bend Trail. Avoid hiking during the hottest part of the day.
Horseshoe Bend has been featured as a landmark for Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Grand Canyon National Park, the City of Page AZ, and the Navajo Nation. Boundary lines are very close in some places. Horseshoe Bend itself, and that part of the Colorado River, are a part of Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. About nine miles downstream is where Grand Canyon National Park begins. US Highway 89, the land north of the trail to the Horseshoe Bend overlook, and the parking area for the trailhead are in the City of Page.
The land south of the parking area and the trail and overlook are on the Navajo Nation. This mixture of jurisdictions provides a unique opportunity in the management of this magnificent trail and overlook.
At Horseshoe Bend, the Colorado River created a roughly 1,000 ft (305 m) deep, 270º horseshoe-shaped bend in Glen Canyon.
Horseshoe Bend itself is in the National Park, but the parking lot at the overlook off Hwy. 89 is on city land. The City of Page requires visitors to pay for parking at the Horseshoe Bend trailhead. National Park Service passes do not apply for the parking lot.
Contact the City of Page for questions about the parking at Horseshoe Bend at their website here.
River trips are available. Kayaking, paddleboarding, boating and fishing activities are open to the public on the river, leaving from Lee’s Ferry. Call us for more information.