Tanya and I have returned home, and as I download and generally organize the thousands of photos I took on our trip, I thought I’d give you a quick shot of Horsebend Bend. Horseshoe Bend is one of the iconic images of the Southwest, and having never been there before, I wanted to add it to my portfolio. I was surprised by how many people were there; at least 50 cars in the parking lot when we arrived. In hindsight, I should not have been surprised. Horseshoe Bend is very scenic, is located close to Page, and is only a short hike from the parking lot (1.5 miles roundtrip). A description of the hike is given here.
We arrived in mid-afternoon, which may be partially responsible for the number of people present. Mid-afternoon is also not the best time for photography. However, I was lucky, as a storm was blowing in, creating some dramatic light. The trail takes you right to the very edge of Glen Canyon and a sheer drop of hundreds of feet if you take one step too many. With no handrail, how close you get to the edge depends on your level of vertigo. Personally, I put my tripod leg within a few inches of the edge, but stayed several feet back myself. The view is huge, spread out below your feet. You will need a wide-angle lens to fit the entire Horseshoe Bend in your frame. For the photo above, I used a focal length of 17mm.
Though I’ve heard people say Horseshoe Bend is in the Grand Canyon. It is not. It is part of Glen Canyon. Sadly, there is not much of Glen Canyon left, only roughly 15 miles still exist (including Horseshoe Bend). The rest is flooded behind Glen Canyon Dam.Upon viewing Horseshoe Bend, I couldn’t help but wonder what other amazing upstream spots are no longer there, drowned under the waters of Lake Powell. While I am not a fan of Glen Canyon Dam and Lake Powell, I must admit, that having the dam upstream of Horseshoe Bend does create the wonderful green, clear water in the Colorado River which gives the Bend much of its scenic appeal.
It’s also possible the dam is at least partially responsible for the popularity of Horseshoe Bend. If it wasn’t so close to Page, it probably wouldn’t be so popular. Page was founded as a housing community in 1957 for the dam’s construction workers. Today Page is mecca for outdoors recreation, and it is logical for Page visitors to take the short trip out to Horseshoe Bend. If you are ever in the area, it is definitely worth a visit, even with all the other people there. You can easily separate yourself from the crowd by walking north or south along the canyon rim for a short distance from where the trial ends. The views are just as good, and it is easier to keep people (and their cameras [I saw more than one person with a small still or video camera on a pole sticking it out over the edge]) out of your composition.
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