The bend
A green river around red rock.
Prangelramos — CC BY-SA 4.0 · chsyang — Public domain · Janusz Sobolewski — CC BY 2.0 · Vulturesong — CC0 · Drums600 — CC BY-SA 4.0
Horseshoe Bend is a horseshoe-shaped loop of the Colorado River near the town of Page in Arizona, 8 km downstream from Glen Canyon Dam. From the edge of a high cliff you see the green river wrap around a mass of red rock, one of the best known images of the American Southwest. About six million years ago the region lay close to sea level, and the river meandered across a nearly level plain. The land then began to rise, and the river cut down into the rock while keeping its curves, forming this entrenched meander. It lies in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, and the land south of the car park and trail is Navajo territory. You walk about 2.4 km round trip from the car park on a broad sandy path to the cliff edge, where the river lies some 300 m below you. The green of the water deepens under the red walls, and small boats sometimes show on the surface. The scene differs greatly between midday and sunset, when the walls take on the colour of fire. It is 6.3 km in a straight line from central Page and pairs well with Antelope Canyon in one day. There is no shade and summer is very hot, so bring water and a hat and avoid midday. Keep back from the edge, as rock can give way and falls have happened. Take your picture from a safe place and do not cross any barriers.
A green river around red rock.
Walls the colour of fire.
Broad and sandy.
US Route 89, southwest of Page, Arizona
It is short, but sand and heat are tiring, so bring water and avoid midday.
Keep back from the edge, as rock can give way and accidents have happened.