Horseshoe Bend hiking guide

Horseshoe Bend is one of our guests' favorite hikes and with it's recent popularity, Horseshoe Bend now has an entry fee.

Visitors must pay $10 per vehicle to park in the newly improved and expanded parking lot. Motorcyclists will pay $5, and fees for buses range from $35-$140, based on the number of passengers. Though Horseshoe Bend is part of the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, National Park Service passes will not be accepted.

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. 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 strenuous 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 horseshoe-shaped bend before rushing towards the Grand Canyon.