After our incredible morning at Antelope Canyon, we drove the 10 minutes or so down the road to Horseshoe Bend. I was under the impression this was right off the road and when we arrived, we soon found out it’s an uphill trek for about 15-20 minutes to actually get to the viewpoints known as Horseshoe Bend. To be honest, at high noon after already hiking all morning into and out of Antelope Canyon, I was totally beat after this. But, for scenic points out over the Colorado River it is a great spot to stop in the area.
In all honestly, by the time we hiked out there, we were hot and tired and then to see people sitting out over cliffs thousands of feet tall, it kind of freaked me out. I usually don’t mind heights, but seeing people so far out on ledges over the canyon and the river below kind of ruined this spot for me. Maybe if we’d gone in the early morning before the crowds (and loads of tourist busses) or hadn’t hiked so much already that morning, we might have enjoyed it better because it is a beautiful viewpoint, but it was my least favorite stop of our trip. If you’re in the area, it’s worth stopping but I think this spot is worth timing a little better to make more of a visit.
Sophie Matters says
Looks beautiful! I’ve always wanted to go here 🙂
http://www.travelmatters.co/
Casey says
It’s an interesting spot!
Jennifer @This Off Script Life says
Wow, I didn’t realize Horseshoe Bend was so close to Antelope Canyon. I want to visit this place too. And I’m sorry to hear you couldn’t fully enjoy it. I had a similar experience at the Turkish Steps (Scala dei Turchi) on the southern coast of Sicily, where I was consumed by my sheer and utter fear of heights on the cliffs. http://www.thisoffscriptlife.com/scala-dei-turchi/
Casey says
Yea, it’s literally 5 minutes down the road! And yes, sometimes places are like that, I couldn’t quite get over the sheer terror of falling off the cliff to enjoy the spot.
Anna Katrina says
This look beautiful and will take the advice about not doing it straight after another hike or at high noon. We’ve done so little travel in the states and I’m so keen to get out on some hikes. Arizona, Utah and Colorado are top of the list at the moment and I wish they were a bit closer to Chicago!
Casey says
Yes! It’s well worth to do this spot when you can really focus on its beauty!
Mere Salazar says
Stunning photos! And I second what Jennifer down there said… I didn’t know the two places were so close!
Casey says
Yes… super close… like literally a few minutes down the road!