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In the event you’ve seen footage of Arizona, and even promoting USA journey on the whole, I’m nearly sure you will have seen the well-known Horseshoe Bend.
If not, right here it’s…
This iconic scene is among the greatest views of the Colorado River. And that’s saying one thing, as a result of the river is 2,334 km lengthy!
The Horseshoe Bend can also be a part of the Grand Canyon Nationwide Park, however isn’t the principle viewpoint (extra on that later). Nevertheless, when you’re visiting Arizona to see the Grand Canyon, making a cease previous this scenic space is indubitably a must-do!
Nevertheless, discovering this unimaginable view of the Colorado River snaking by way of this spectacular Southwest USA desert surroundings isn’t a straightforward activity.
That’s why we ready this entire information to the Horseshoe Bend Arizona so you possibly can go to this epic picture spot and not using a hitch.
What’s Horseshoe Bend Arizona?
Horseshoe Bend is the place the Colorado River makes an enormous sweeping horseshoe-shaped bend within the canyon. It’s a picturesque space on the Glen Canyon Nationwide Recreation Space, the place you get a large panoramic view of the Grand Canyon – one of many seven pure wonders of the world.
I particularly beloved the emerald inexperienced water of the Colorado River under, which isn’t a shade you usually see on the Colorado River.
The place is Horseshoe Bend, Arizona?
Horseshoe Bend is among the high locations to go to within the Glen Canyon Nationwide Recreation Space and is about 10 minutes away from the city of Web page in northeast Arizona, near the Utah border.
The parking zone is close to the Horseshoe bend trailhead, which is positioned off US Freeway 89, roughly 5 miles (8 km) south of the Carl Hayden Customer Heart.
Loads of handicap-assessable parking is positioned close to the trailhead.
Horseshoe Bend has develop into so busy, we needed to park some methods down the highway and pay a $5 per individual shuttle charge to get again down there.
Scorching tip: If the parking space is full, have the motive force of your automobile drop everybody off at Horseshoe Bend overlook space earlier than parking your automobile and catching the shuttle. For a household of 4, that saved us $15.
Drive Instances
In the event you’re coming from Web page, the drive time is about 10 minutes to Horseshoe Bend.
From Las Vegas (273 miles) or Phoenix, Horseshoe Bend is about 4 hours half-hour away, and from Flagstaff, it might take 2 hours 10 minutes to get to the bend and from Sedona (157 miles), it’s about 2 hours and 50 minutes .
Horseshoe Bend is a 2 hour 20-minute drive from the Grand Canyon’s South Rim (114 miles).
When is the Finest Time to Go to Horseshoe Bend Arizona?
If I used to be to go to the Lake Powell and the Web page Arizona area once more, I might go to Horseshoe Bend at dawn or sundown.
Dawn is among the greatest instances of day to {photograph} the bend, because the solar will slowly start illuminating the canyon partitions.
Are you ready to get up early for it? In my expertise, it’s at all times value it!
At different instances of the day, the bend and river are in shadow. Early afternoon can also be a preferred time to go to.
The excellent news is visiting Horseshoe Bend might be fast and simple when visiting the close by Web page, AZ space.
It’s barely much less busy within the low season – working from October by way of February. Spring or Autumn could have the very best climate being neither too sizzling nor chilly. It’s the desert so throughout summer time there might be excessive warmth and little shade.
June till September are thought of the monsoon season, so that you would possibly even anticipate wet (and even stormy) climate throughout this time of 12 months.
What’s The Grand Canyon East?
It was solely a few weeks after visiting Horseshoe Bend that we realized it’s truly thought of a part of the Grand Canyon East Rim space.
The Grand Canyon East Rim space isn’t just like the Grand Canyon’s South Rim, North Rim, and West Rim, whereby you possibly can stand on the rim of the Grand Canyon and look into it.
The east facet of the Grand Canyon is the place the Glen Canyon space merges into it, so the area round right here is taken into account a part of the Grand Canyon East.
Horseshoe is a singular and totally different perspective of the Grand Canyon!
It’s the one place alongside the Grand Canyon the place you will get an up shut selfie of the Colorado River because it makes its carving transfer downstream.
The Grand Canyon East can also be stated to include Antelope Canyon, the Glen Canyon Recreation Space and Lake Powell.
Our Expertise Visiting Horseshoe Bend
There isn’t a lot to do at Horseshoe Canyon itself, besides gaze in surprise, though it is determined by what number of images you need to take from a number of totally different angles.
From the parking zone, there may be a straightforward 0.6-mile one-way path to the scenic overlook. You actually don’t want a variety of time there.
You’ll be able to stroll to sure viewpoints alongside the rim, however there may be solely a small part that’s truly fenced off with a barrier.
Standing on the sting of the excessive cliffs was fairly scary. I used to be amazed at how many individuals would threat toppling off the sting simply to take that coveted Instagram worthy picture.
No thanks!
That is largely a pure landmark, so warning is paramount – we stayed nicely again and solely took images up shut the place there was a fence in entrance of us at Horseshoe bend overlook.
At one stage, I stepped in to drag a younger boy away from the rim. His intrepid curiosity taking him nearer and nearer to the sting. My abdomen felt sick watching and I couldn’t however entice him again.
Whereas we have been within the Grand Canyon area, two individuals truly died from falling off the rim making an attempt to take images. It’s not value it. You will get loads of spectacular images from the realm of security.
There are lots of boats cruising down the Colorado River under and we might spy campground bogs on the banks throughout the river. I used to be impressed to get down into the canyon both on land or by boat to discover the attitude from down there.
You most likely solely want 30-60 minutes at Horseshoe Bend. However you could need to prolong that with a picnic to take pleasure in with the views.
I’d say dawn or sundown could be spectacular time to go to Horseshoe Bend, and the center of the day in summer time could be HOT.
Horseshoe Bend Entrance Charge and Hours
Thankfully, Horseshoe Bend is open year-round from dawn to sundown. There are not any charges to enter the park, however you do must pay in your car.
- Bike – $5
- Automotive, Motorhome or RV – $10
- Buses as much as 14 individuals – $35
- Buses as much as 35 – $70
- Coaches of 35+ – $140
The most well-liked hours within the day are 9:00am – 11:00am and 4:30pm – 6:30pm. No in a single day parking or tenting is allowed, sorry!
Issues to Do close to Horseshoe Bend Arizona
You’re in luck. Horseshoe Bend Arizona is surrounded by many cool sights within the Web page and Lake Powell area.
You’ll be able to simply mix them right into a full-day expertise. I truly wouldn’t make the journey to Horseshoe Bend except you have been going to do different issues within the Lake Powell/ Web page area.
Lake Powell
With its sculptured white and pink sandstone and blue waters, Lake Powell and the Glen Canyon Nationwide Recreation Space is a elegant place to go to.
It’s an oasis within the desert surrounded by a powerful canyon – beneath and above the water.
Lake Powell is an immense synthetic lake with a great deal of leisure actions on provide. We didn’t do a lot apart from take pleasure in our tenting spot proper on the seashore at Lone Rock Seashore.
I beloved this space. It’s lovely and affords a calming getaway.
Most of Glen Canyon sleeps beneath the floor of Lake Energy.
The higher sandstone partitions nevertheless beckon you to come back play. Whereas with the Grand Canyon you possibly can largely simply stare with surprise and incomprehension, right here at Glen Canyon you possibly can boat, ski, fish, kayak, paddle board or swim among the many towering domes and cliff partitions.
We kayaked, paddle boarded and swam within the lake at Lone Rock Seashore. Effectively, solely a fast 2-minute dip because it was early April and nonetheless very chilly.
Different locations of curiosity to go to on this space embrace:
- Rainbow Bridge – the world’s largest pure bridge, solely accessible by boat and excursions. And features a strenuous hike from Navajo mountain. This can be a sacred website to neighboring tribes, so be respectful and don’t climb the bridge.
- Hire a houseboat and discover additional afield.
- Hike into Glen Canyon’s back-country.
Antelope Canyon
You would possibly acknowledge it from the previous Microsoft display screen saver. The most costly {photograph} offered of Antelope Canyon went for $6.5 million. That’s how spectacular these polished crevices within the slot canyon are.
How far is Antelope Canyon from Horseshoe Bend?
Antelope Canyon is just about 10 minutes from Horseshoe Bend!! It makes it really easy so that you can go to these two high Arizona locations in in the future!
Glen Canyon Dam
If you wish to marvel at nice engineering feats than cease in on the Glen Canyon Dam customer middle.
In 1963, Glen Canyon dam started backing up the waters of the Colorado River that now have created 1,9000 miles of shoreline at Lake Powell. There are cool free reveals explaining the way it was constructed and why. You get lovely views from right here of the Colorado River and the dam.
High tip: You’ll be able to pay to do a guided tour of the Glen Canyon Dam and Powerplant. Be taught extra right here.
Web page, Arizona
Web page was based as the corporate city for the development of the Glen Canyon Dam. It’s now a vacationer and leisure middle for guests to the world.
It’s fairly a golfer’s mecca and is a superb base for exploring the close by sights.
Automotive & RV Rental
In the event you don’t have your individual automobile, test under for rental automobile choices from Las Vegas and from Sedona, or Phoenix. Or Try RV share when you want to hire your individual RV, campervan or motorhome.
Excursions to Horseshoe Bend, Arizona
Try the under Horseshoe Bend excursions from Las Vegas, Sedona, and Flagstaff:
The place to Keep close to Horseshoe Bend: Web page, Arizona
As talked about, we camped for $12 an evening on the Lone Rock Seashore Campground on Lake Powell, which is about half-hour from Web page.
Different choices embrace:
Suggestions for Visiting Horseshoe Bend, Arizona
Earlier than you go to Horseshoe Bend, I’ve a number of phrases of recommendation earlier than you go.
- Arizona is sizzling. Like, insanely sizzling. So be ready and drink loads of water, put on sunscreen and if doable, keep out of the noon warmth.
- Pack a digicam with a wide-angle lens. In the event you’re a photographer, you’re going to need your widest lens to have the ability to seize the whole panorama.
- Keep away from visiting in the summertime months. This isn’t solely the most popular time of the 12 months, however the wet season. July and August are monsoon seasons, and it might usually go into September. Plan your journey for the winter like January, when the climate is extra tolerable.
- Take snacks. The hike is just 1.3-miles spherical journey however the terrain is deep sand and just a little rocky in areas. It takes some time to cowl the space due to this.
- This brings me to my subsequent tip – put on sturdy footwear. The sand might be slippery so be sure your footwear have loads of grip. Sandals and flip-flops are trendy however not a good suggestion.
Locations to Go to close to Horseshoe Bend
Horseshoe Bend is a superb half-day exercise, so why not mix your journey with a number of the under locations when visiting The Grand Canyon.
Different Locations to Go to within the American Southwest
In the event you’re planning on including Horseshoe Bend as a part of a highway journey within the Southwest, then listed here are extra nice assets you would possibly need to try.
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Supply: Breaking Travel News
