Exploring Amazing Horseshoe Bend and Glen Canyon

Plan your visit to Horseshoe Bend and Glen Canyon for sweeping views, dramatic cliffs, and unforgettable desert scenery.

This sping’s trip carried us through both Utah and Arizona, and once again we found ourselves surrounded by the most breathtaking places imaginable.

One of the highlights was Glen Canyon, and especially Horseshoe Bend. Glen Canyon is a massive gorge carved by a river that winds along its floor. Its towering wall glow deep red in sunlight, while the emerald water below shimmers like a jewel.

People come to the canyon for the sweeping views, but also to hike, fish, boat and camp beneath those dramatic cliffs.

Over the years, Utah and Arizona have become familiar landscapes to us. Both states are packed with incredible sight, and it felt so good to be back, wandering through these stunning places once more.

Glen Canyon National Recreation Area

Glen Canyon National Recreation Area stretches across the border of Arizona and Utah, forming a vast protected region under the National Park Service. The canyon itself runs an impressive 169 miles (273 km), reaching far into southern Utah.

It ws carved over millennia by erosion, most powerfully by the river flowing along its base. That river is the legendary Colorado River.

Beyond its sweeping views, the area is home to ancient rock carvings, natural stone arches, and cliff faces shaped by time. The river is especially beloved by boaters and kayakers who glide between the canyon walls.

As soon as we approached Glend Canyon, the landscape began to shift. Red rock surrounded us in every direction. We passed the marina, where boats depart for places like Rainbow Bridge National Monument.

Rainbow Bridge, one of the largest natural stone arches in the world, looks much like the formations we’ve seen in Arches National Park and Bryce Canyon. Sadly, we didn’t have enough time on this trip to make the boat journey out to it.

Glen Canyon Dam

We made our first stop at an overlook with a sweeping view of the Colorado River, and then continued to the Visitor Center, right at the base of the Glen Canyon Dam.

Glen Canyon Dam is the second largest dam in the U.S. after Hoover Dam. It was built in 1964, and it regulates the flow of the Colorado River and generates electricity for communities across the region.

The Colorado River winds not only through Arizona and Utah, but also Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, and California. Many areas in these states face severe drought year after year, making water management essential. Still, the dam remains controversial; some argue it should be removed altogether to restore the river’s natural flow.

From the Visitor Center up above, we had a sweeping views of the dam and its bridge. The facilities were spotless, complete with changing tables for little ones. We also wandered through a small museum and browsed the gift shop before continuing our journey.

Horseshoe Bend

The most visited place in Glen Canyon must be Horseshoe Bend which is located in the city of Page. Horseshoe Bend is a spot in the Colorado River where it makes a turn shaped like a horseshoe. It is right at Highway 89 when driving south from Page.

 We didn’t make it to Horseshoe Bend until the following day. We spent the night in Page at the Comfort Inn & Suites and headed out early in the morning for our Antelope Canyon tour. We were back by early afternoon, so on our way to the hotel we swung by Horseshoe Bend as well.

Antelope Canyon is one of the most amazing places we’ve ever visited, even though it technically isn’t part of Glen Canyon. If you’re in the area, absolutely go! It’s unforgettable. Just note that Antelope Canyon can only be visited on a guided tour, unlike Horseshoe Bend, which you can explore your own.

Horseshoe Bend has skyrocketed in popularity thanks to social media, and in recent years visitors numbers have exploded. Unfortunately, accidents and fatalities increased along with them.

So many chase that perfect Instagram shot, climbing on rock and edging dangerously close to the cliff. The drop is over 300 meters, and just before our visit, a 14-year old girl tragically fell to her death.

Because of incidents like these, and enclosed viewpoint has now been built, along with an expanded parking area and a Visitor Center. They has opened only a week before our visit, and a small entrance fee is now required.

The hike to the viewpoint and back is about 1.5 miles (2,5 km) long. The return is a gentle uphill that feels a bit heavy under the desert sun, but there are plenty of benches along the way where you can catch your breath if needed.

A visit to Horseshoe Bend doesn’t take very long. We spent maybe a little over an hour there. The best time to go is from late morning through the afternoon. Early in the morning, the river sits completely in shadow, and in the evening the sun shines straight into your eye and your camera.

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Glen Canyon, and really this whole stretch of Arizona, has some of the most fascinating and beautiful landscapes you’ll find anywhere. It honestly feels like no matter which direction you go, you’re guaranteed to stumble upon something spectacular.

For example, when driving from Utah toward the town of Page, you’ll pass Toadstool Hoodoos, a spot absolutely worth a stop. It’s a short trail that leads to quirky, mushroom-shaped rock formations carved out by erosion. And of course, the world-famous Grand Canyon is just around the corner too.

If you head south on Highway 89 toward Flagstaff, you’ll drive right by Wupatki National Monument and Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument.

You could spend weeks exploring Arizona and still not see it all. Have you ever been?