Horseshoe Bend: A Wonder Meander of the Colorado River

A hundred miles north of the North Rim of the Grand Canyon is another work of art sculpted by the Colorado River. As the river flows out of Utah and into the state of Arizona, it cuts through layers and layers of red sandstone of the Colorado Plateau. Now, before it gets to the Grand Canyon area, there’s a place where the river does a close-to-360-degree turn and carves a near-perfect horseshoe-shaped meander. That turn has been christened Horseshoe Bend and it is a stunning, Instagrammable sight. 

Talking of Instagram, Horseshoe Bend is supposed to be one of those attractions pushed up the lists of things-to-do-in-Arizona by social media. I read somewhere that this spot in northern AZ was a hidden pocket until a few years ago. Then some hikers came upon this horseshoe-shaped bend and geotagged it, setting off a chain reaction that led to the creation of a must-see sight. 

And a must-see it is!

The once quiet area has turned into a busy area of visitors coming from all over, to witness this wonder-bend. And the local area has now seen it as a business opportunity, setting up a kiosk to collect money for the upkeep of the place. To me, it looks like a great win-win story. Now there’s a new parking lot and portable restrooms, and I can see the place grow into an attraction with all its tourism infrastructure in place.

I was thankful for the organized parking and the porta-potties we could use before our walk to ‘the bend.’ While I was preparing for the trip I had heard mixed reactions about the hike to the famous sight. So I made sure the kids used the restrooms so we’d have a pleasant walk.

My take on the hike

The walk should be a 1.5 mile one to the overlook and back to the parking lot. That’s not a very long hike, is it? Be warned, you start off with a bit of an uphill climb and then you walk down the slope for almost half a mile.

The walk back was not hard on us because it was a cold, windy evening. But say it’s on a hot day that you are doing the hike, you could be exhausted from the walk back up. So make sure you carry some drinking water. 

Tipsy from the trip to Horseshoe Bend

The minute we got out of the car, the cold November wind hit us so we made sure to get into our jackets before we set off. As I walked up the hill by the parking, I had no definite idea about the path to the bend. When we got to the top of that small uphill stretch, what I saw was a wide-open view of a reddish lithic landscape. The sun was on its way down on my left and the soft lighting seemed to accentuate the textures of the red rocks of the scenery. Some scrub and some human forms dotted the view. I couldn’t see the Horseshoe Bend from were I stood but way downhill some human-minifigures seemed to make a barricade and I guessed that that’s were the biggest attraction of the area lay. 

We had to walk all the way to the brim of that stretch of land to lay our eyes on the famous Horseshoe Bend. And what a sight it was! 

The red plateau had been chiseled through and there was the neat horseshoe shape of the river and in it was rich, emerald- green water. How the Colorado River came to make that skillful manoeuvre, I know not. It sure is a work of art. 

It was a picture I had seen several times but to see it with my own eyes and take my own pictures of it was a privilege. It was tricky for my 18-250 mm lens to get all of the bend from the edge of that drop. 

I walked around the rounded part of the bend and tried to capture that sight from several angles. Trickier still was trying to photograph my family with that background with a full view of the bend. Considering the level we were on, the ominous drop and that jaw-dropping view, it’s easier to go the selfie way. 😀

As I walked around taking pictures of the bend, my family and the families and couples who asked for the favor, some gusts came in. The wind too seemed to want to make it to the edge and catch that view. It was mischievously strong and it did play with my balance as I stood taking pictures of a young east-Asian couple. It even blew a whole lot of dust into our eyes. I was sorry I didn’t have glasses to shield my eyes. And later that night, I would run my fingers through my scalp to find the gap between my fingertips and nails filled with pinkish grains of sand. When I look back at that day and remember how strong that wind was, I’m glad there were no mishaps to mar my memory of that marvelous place. 

Only a part of the bend had a railing and there were people standing, sitting, even lying in precarious positions to get those perfect shots of the perfectly chiseled meander. 

I must say I was totally tipsy from the sight of that bend in the river, and you will be too, if you haven’t been there, yet. 

How to get to the bend

Horseshoe Bend is a few miles south of Page, Arizona. If you are coming in from the west, a 10-minute drive past the downtown will get you there. It is just off US 89.

This bend in the river is a little over a 2-hour drive from the North Rim of the Grand Canyon and a 4-and-a-half-hour-drive from Las Vegas. 

Tips for the Trip to Horseshoe Bend

• If you are visiting in the Summer months (or early fall) do yourself a favor and carry some water for the hike. Don’t forget your sunblock lotions/sprays.
• If it is in late fall or winter months that you are there, make sure you wear some layered clothing. It can be cold, even windy.
• Carry sunglasses/ plain glasses to protect your eyes should the wind decide to visit when you are visiting. 
• Be very careful at the rim of the bend. Only a part of it has a safety barricade. 
• It is difficult to not want to bring back the best pictures you can of this natural wonder. Be extremely cautious taking those photographs and selfies. 
• Do some walking around to find the good spots to get a full view of the bend. 
• Kid-friendly or not: I would say it is, provided you don’t let the little ones get too close to the edge. The surface is rocky and uneven. 
• Our kids — then 5, 10 — found it to be an easy hike. (But we did see a few kids and adults struggle through the slopes, here.) 

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