A Morning at Horseshoe Bend

275 miles north of Phoenix, AZ, lies one of the most popular, and iconic, photo destinations in America: Horseshoe Bend.

Odds are high that you have seen a photo similar to the one above many times. After visiting, I now see it popping up even more, including the default screen on my Chromecast.

Because Christy and I had seen famous photos here before, we were both excited to visit, making it a key stop during our trip.

Our Plan

Horseshoe Bend is kind of in the middle of nowhere. Over 4 hours away from Phoenix and Las Vegas, there’s no easy way to visit unless you plan a full day, or add it in with another trip. Which is exactly what we did.

After our visit to The Grand Canyon, we drove directly to Page, AZ and stayed in an Airbnb only 7 minutes away from the overlook.

TIP: There are not many stopping points on the way to Page, AZ from Flagstaff. Make sure you have plenty of gas for your journey.

Not knowing how it would work out, our plan was to see sunrise at Horseshoe Bend, then immediately drive north to Bryce Canyon National Park to spend the day there.

We put in our due diligence beforehand and, unsurprisingly, everyone online agreed that sunrise or sunset were the best times for viewing.

Our Day

Sunrise was at 6:43am that day. We arrived to the entrance around 6:15am and saw a line of 4 cars in front of us. As we waited for the gate to open, additional cars showed up as well.

The gate opened shortly after we arrived and we paid our $10 fee at the front. Quickly parking, we hurried along the marked path to the overlook. The path is half a mile, generally flat, and worth every step.

TIP: Being November, it was very cold. We saw some people bring blankets and a thermos of coffee for their sunrise viewing. Dress accordingly for your season.

Watching the light slowly fall upon the canyon was surreal. Seeing photos previously gave us an idea of what to expect, but even the most amazing pictures don’t do justice.

Thanks to the early morning, there were only a dozen or so people around the area and photos were easy to capture. There is a paved overlook with a railing if you are scared of heights. Otherwise, you are free to walk all along the bend for different photos and angles.

We made our way around the canyon rim and took it all in, excitedly talking with other spectators.

After about 45 minutes, we knew we needed to get on the road for our next stop, and more people were starting to come into the park.

Pulling out of the parking lot, we went to fill up on gas in Page, before heading to Bryce Canyon.

Extra Points of Interest

Only 5 miles down the road from Horseshoe Bend is the Glen Canyon Dam. There is a visitor center at the dam and another overlook into the canyon.

Also in Page, AZ, is Antelope Canyon. This is one of the most popular attractions in the state and came highly suggested by multiple people for us to visit. Unfortunately, tours were closed due to restrictions when we were there, but hopefully will reopen soon.

Finally, Horseshoe Bend is only 15 minutes from the border of Utah, which means you can easily get photos with the state signs!

Overall, Horseshoe Bend is a must-see stop if you are anywhere in the vicinity, even hours away. The canyon is far larger and more beautiful than we could have imagined. Although we spent only 45 minutes, we were satisfied in our time spent at the overlook and wouldn’t change anything about our visit.

We hope this is helpful for anyone seeking advice for a trip to Arizona/Utah. Our drive to Bryce Canyon was easy, beautiful, and we had enough time to pack in a days-worth of fun without feeling rushed or stressed.

Remember to slow down and take it all in. Enjoy!