Travel & Adventure in Arizona

Copyright Teresa Bitler

I drove up to Lake Powell on Friday, and just before I got to Page, the sign for Horseshoe Bend Overlook caught my attention. Of course, I had seen the Horseshoe hundreds of times in photos, but I had never actually seen it in person. I turned around, parked and changed into my gym shoes.

Spontaneous can be a good thing but not so much when it’s almost 100 degrees. Going at 2pm in the afternoon: not a good idea. I should know this. Still,  I prepared relatively well for the hike. I had my gym shoes on (don’t try it in sandals or flip flops), I applied sun screen, and I even had a bottle of water. Then, I looked around. No one else seemed to be carrying water. It was only a 1.5 mile hike. I’d probably be back in a half hour or less, depending on how much time I spent taking photos. So, I left my water behind. Stupid, stupid, stupid!!

The trail involes a rather steep climb right off the bat, or at least, it seems steep because of the sand. Admittedly, I’m not in great shape, but I immediately felt the combined affects of the incline, the sand and the elevation. I took heart, though, in seeing some equally out of shape people returning from the overlook, so I figured it couldn’t be too bad and kept going. Once I made it to the top, the rest of the hike seemed to be fairly flat.

The overlook is beautiful. It’s well worth the trek. However, if you are travelling with kids, be forewarned that there are no railings. You are literally standing on the rocking edge of a cliff; the fall would be deadly.

When I finished taking photos (bring a wide angle lense if you have one), I was hot and looking forward to the water I left in the car. It took only a half a dozen steps before I realized that this wasn’t a flat hike back; there was a gradual incline, and the sand that hadn’t bothered me so much on the way down was torture now. I didn’t get very far before I had to stop. I’m a little embarassed to say I struggled the whole way back, but at the same time, I know my kids would have struggled, too.

If I had gone earlier in the day and if I had brought water, it would certainly have been easier, BUT if you aren’t used to hiking in sand and higher elevations, you could be in for a challenge. Take the “easy” rating for this hike with a grain of salt, at least in the summer.

Details: Horseshoe Bend Overlook is located just south of Page on US Highway 89, before you reach mile marker 545.