View Site in Mobile  | Classic Horseshoe Bend Scenic Overlook located near Page, Arizona & Lake Powell - Download Horseshoe Bend Hiking Guide, Glen Canyon Recreation Area Information

Horseshoe Bend Overlook

Download Horseshoe Bend Hiking Guide

Horseshoe Bend is one of our guests favorite hikes, this is a side trip that doesn't cost anything but a little effort while you're at Lake Powell in Northern Arizona.

Horseshoe Bend is located about four miles south of Page, Arizona on Hwy 89, one should look out for a small brown signboard that reads "Horseshoe Bend Overlook". It's easy to miss this signboard, so one has to closely look out for it.  If you are heading south from Page, there is a signboard on the right side of Hwy 89 and new turn lane that marks your exit. Make a turn westwards at the signboard, and in less than a quarter of a mile the road should end at a small dirt parking lot. Because this location is unknown to most tourists to the Glen Canyon Recreation Area, the parking lot usually has plenty of empty spots. From the parking lot, the overlook is 3/4 of a mile away. There is a well marked trail that leads to the overlook. However, the trail consists mostly of loose desert sand and it can be a very strenous hike. So carry lots of water or other fluids.

As you walk down the trail, loose desert sand gives way to sandstone rocks that date back to the early Jurassic period. Over millions of years, wind and water have eroded these rocks to create absolutely weird, but awe inspiring shapes and patterns.

Upon reaching the overlook, one is awed by the magnificence of the landscape that cannot be expressed in words or through a photograph. The overlook is at the top of a steep orange colored cliff several hundreds of feet high. Down below, an emerald green Colorado river makes a horse-shoe shaped bend before rushing towards the Grand Canyon.