Horseshoe Bend is known for being the sharpest bend in the Colorado River at 270°. This unique part of the Colorado was actually on the way during our drive from Bryce & Zion National Parks to Arches National Park. The GPS took us right through Page, AZ (which was actually our second time going there). Our first time was during a two road trip across the U.S. in 2017 where we plowed through the country from Baltimore, MD to San Diego, CA and back all in 15 days. Though Page, AZ was on our way to Monument Valley, we decided not to visit Horseshoe Bend again because we had already been and were trying to make it to Moab to find a site at a first come first served campground.

Nonetheless, we would still recommend stopping for the short hike out to Horseshoe Bend if you have the time. If you end up spending the night (like we did in 2017), you can even check it out during the day and at dusk to see how much the colors differ. When we were pulling into Page, AZ we stopped at Horseshoe Bend before checking into our Airbnb. Then in the morning we decided to make it back to see what it was like in the day light, turns out there was quite a difference. After the sun sets, the river and rocks have a prominent purple tint. During the day the oranges and yellows are much more vibrant, definitely worth hiking the trail twice since it's only a 1.3 mile out-and-back trail.