Located just two-hour drive from Desert View in Grand Canyon, in Page, Arizona off Highway 89, was the Horseshoe Bend of the Colorado River that I have heard/read about after my solo trip to the Grand Canyon two years prior. One of the tourists’ comments was it could easily be the most beautiful of sights. And I say indeed and it was even more beautiful than the Grand Canyon itself!
The Horseshoe Bend was so named because of the horse-shoe shape bend of the river. Perhaps the Bend was already or originally shaped like this, or perhaps the original course of the Colorado River along this part was once straight and after so many years of outer bank erosion and meandering, the bend was formed. So just imagine the gradual force of nature over a very long period of time to make a curved shape around the rocky canyons.
The sign along the highway was quite small that I almost missed it I had to make a U-turn. But once on the unpaved spacious parking lot, we saw the sign saying it was 0.75 mile hike to the scenic view, one way.
This time there were no entrance fees, nor railings along the cliff, nor bathrooms, however, there was a shed in about the middle of the hike for people to rest during hot days.
The Hike.
My mom and I were on the go. The hike was quite long in the drizzly afternoon, but it was easy with the terrain being sandy and not muddy at all. We had to slow down to relax and enjoy the desert-like and panoramic views around the hills with occasional flowers and took pictures. When we finally got there, we saw a lot of people despite the weather, speaking so many different languages, some staying on the edge of the cliff, some dared to venture farther out and stand to even steeper precipice.
I was feeding my eyes and my heart upon standing there at the overlook cliff of the simple yet so magnificent beauty a thousand feet below! The emerald green waters, the white beach, the rock formation in the middle of it all, and the canyons around it, were simply breathtaking, wonderful, and so awesome and make the most beautiful place my eyes have seen! Add to that the thrill and tingle on the feet for those who are afraid of heights as we stand on the edge far enough to see the view directly beneath! 🙂 The greatness of the landscape lured me to stay there for several hours as my eyes couldn’t get enough of the beauty of this natural creation. God is just awesome!
8 Comments
How beautiful is that! Wow!
Great photos. Thanks for sharing at http://image-in-ing.blogspot.com/2016/12/the-church-of-pater-noster.html
Thank you ma’am..
Amazing colours! Happy New Year.
Thank you Ms. Klara, and Happy New Year!
I had no idea this place existed! Looks so beautiful! Adding it to my list now!
It is so worth it! Also the local shopping area and restaurants are just few minutes drive from there..
Beautiful shots of Horseshoe Bend!
Thank you, and for stopping by 🙂