I’m so excited to share this last post about our most recent trip to Las Vegas. This was one of my favorite adventures we’ve ever done while visiting Vegas. We hit the road early one morning, and trekked out to Arizona to visit Horseshoe Bend.
The adventure took us from Vegas to Arizona, then Utah, back to Arizona, back to Utah, and back to Arizona again. It was quite wild! We drove through several Indian reservations & Virgin Gorge Canyon, saw the outskirts of Zion National Park, saw Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, drove through Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, passed around Lake Powell, hiked almost a mile, then finally made it to our destination, Horseshoe Bend at Glen Canyon. It was worth it! The scenery on the drive was been beautiful! But the true treat was the final destination.
Horseshoe Bend is just as breathtaking as you can imagine. God’s handiwork is just incredible! The photos just can’t capture its grandeur, the varying colors, and the full scope of the area.
It is located not too far from the Grand Canyon, so it is often confused with being apart of it. However, this iconic spot is located in the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area on the Colorado River just a few miles outside of Page, Arizona. The drive was about 4 and a half hours from The Strip, not including a couple of stops along the way. It didn’t seem that long being that we saw such beautiful landscapes.
We did some research beforehand, and for a number of reasons we ultimately decided against a tour. We did not want to ride on a bus that long, not to mention that it is more difficult to see the surrounding landscapes when sharing a bus or van with others. We also wanted to leisure to stop whenever and wherever we wanted. We made stops for lunch, to see Lake Powell and the dam there, as well as a couple others to stretch. We also wanted to go at our own pace. We did this on a day we’d scheduled a show in Vegas, so we did need to get back. It would’ve been nice to not be as rushed, BUT we saw everything we wanted to see. So even trying to get back in time wasn’t a huge issue. If we had done a tour, I would’ve been worried about that aspect.
Getting to Horseshoe Bend was a little wonky at the time, but the recreation area has since finished new parking and an entrance to the Horseshoe Bend Overlook. To get to the view below, you’ll park in a lot just off the main road, then take about a hike up and down a sandy trail. So do keep that in mind: 1) it is sandy. 2) It is quite a steep grade. You’ll see people dressed to the nines to come here for the perfect Instagram shot–heels and all! Yes, I’m talking making the nearly 1 mile steep sandy hike in high heels! Nope, not for me! Anyhow, once you reach the overlook, you’ll be greeted with beautifully red & orange colored rock formations, a brand new railing (thank goodness!), and this stunning view!
The view seems to go on til the end of the earth. Very spectacular! It’s not a place I’ll return over and over, but Horseshoe Bend was a bucket list spot that I’m glad we got to see. Have you seen Horseshoe Bend or any places away from the Strip during a trip to Las Vegas? During our next trip to Vegas, we’ll see what other wonders of the world we will encounter!
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