Next to Page. Horseshoe Canyon. Near Page Horseshoe Bend

Everywhere it is called Horseshoe Bend, the locals call it “King Bend”, on the Russian Internet they say Horseshoe Canyon. The horseshoe is very beautiful. Maybe that’s why I want it in a separate post too. It is strange that it is not particularly highlighted in guidebooks, or is not particularly emphasized as a nice place— other places are much more difficult to access and don’t represent anything special. From the cliff, everything looks like the Grand Canyon - I immediately want to start characterizing the impressions with the word “scale”.

Here she is.

We got through Lake Powell - it is on the way to the Lower Antelope Canyon, which you cannot visit on this day - it rains, during which the canyon can fill with water very quickly and becomes dangerous - last time 12 people died. It's a 3-minute drive from Page itself.

From the exit from the road, walk about a kilometer. There are enough people.

Well, up the hill. Cool red thin sand.

Nothing is clear yet. Some kind of failure in the distance.

After the rain, the canyons are filled with fogs that border with clouds - beautiful.

Red earth and watercolor distances. After the rain the air is pleasant.

Let's get closer.

Right off the cliff it’s like “aaah.” Huge thing. The Colorado below is emerald, the walls are red.

There are definitely 300 meters deep there. At maximum magnification, the boat below looks like this.

It's scary on the edge if close.

I don't know what to write.

Everyone wants to come closer. The cliff “beckons.” It's like one came out empty huge stadium, whether.

Slopes with deep faults convey the feeling of “thickness” well on the spot.

I think the area would be perfect for filming “Invincible” based on Lem. “Severe beauty” - as for that plot. Everything is in place.

High above him, at the edge of the rocks, the black thickets were flooded with the crimson glow of sunset.

- he no longer considered anything impossible - he simply longed to participate in this dark mystery, the meaning of which - he was sure of this - he would never understand.

Therefore, I want to “participate” - come closer, sit on the edge.

I would like all the banks to be included in the picture.

Colorado River. Now I want, as in all places, to walk along the bottom, preferably with tents and dashing friends.

The slopes are still collapsing. All the way the topic of “I’d like to see how it goes down” came up.

We jump over another fault.

There's a little more devastation around the edges.

But the landscapes do not lose their fantastic quality.

Somehow everything is not from this planet.

The little hillocks are also not human.

I climbed the hill.

On the other side of the field.

Yes, it's time to go back.

On the way to Page we stopped at the Glen Canyon Dam lookout.

Glen Canyon Dam in full view. There were enough exploits for today - let's go to Gaino in Page.

The drive from Flagstaff to Monument Valley took us about four hours. On the way, we had a bite to eat at Tacobella - this is a Mexican McDonald's with well-fed Indians at the cash registers. Very funny. We ate dubious-tasting buritas and poured double cola on top. After such lunch, the desire to stop at every picturesque place noticeably decreased, so we drove almost without stopping to the border with Utah. Rows of rock outcrops from Monument Valley rose on all sides.

1. The valley is an elevated plain that is part of the Colorado Plateau.

2. Panorama from observation deck.



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3. The upper layer of the plain, consisting of soft sedimentary rocks, was completely destroyed, but above the flat desert surface there remained a series of outlier rocks composed of red sandstone, which is less susceptible to weathering.

4. Everything else turned into sand over time.

5. A dirt road winds between the rocks. We tried to get on it, but realized that we wouldn’t be able to move quickly along it - we could damage the tires. It was getting close to evening, so we limited ourselves to only the nearby rocks. We had to get to Page before sunset. We planned to set up camp there and spend the night.

6. Now I regret that we didn’t have enough time to ride here properly. Look at the sizes! Below on the left in the photo I captured a small camp - just for scale.

7. Vegetation.

10. A bored Indian selling local junk products struggles with sleep with the help of Red Bull.

12. The smartest citizens scratch their drawings on centuries-old rocks.

13. Towards sunset we reached Page. Bye Lech I was bargaining with hotels online and looking for the best room; I drove through the city along the bypass road.

14. Along with the gorgeous scenery of the Glen Canyon, we were greeted by a large coal-fired power plant. After all, there are still such people in the USA!

15. Sheriff.

17. Northwest of Page there is a wonderful bridge over the Colorado River.

18. And next to the bridge, resting against the red rocks, there is a huge dam - the Glen Canyon Dam.

19. View from the bridge. An arch-gravity dam with a height of 216 meters is a lot. There are 8 hydraulic units installed in the engine room with a total capacity of 1300 MW.

20. Americans are amazing people. They took care of the photographers by making small openings in the protective grille of the bridge. Everything for the people.

21. Colorado River. A few miles of winding meanders away is the famous Horseshoe Lookout on the Colorado River. That's where we'll go.

23. You can’t drive up to the Horseshoe; you need to walk about a kilometer. Nonsense? Yes, if there is no squally wind with sand.

24. And here is the observation deck. No fences, no corn sellers.

25. Approaching the edge is dangerous - the wind blows unpredictably in different directions. You have to crawl like a border guard.



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27. The wind blows bizarre figures from sedimentary rocks.

28. Watching the sunset on the Horseshoe is wrong. The sun shines directly into the camera, and the canyon itself is in shadow.

31. At first I thought it was Dima

Horseshoe bend, horseshoe or loop of the Colorado River is a place in Arizona that has long occupied the top lines in various travel charts such as the 100 Great Wonders of the World or the 100 Most Beautiful Places on Planet Earth.

It’s no wonder that I dreamed of seeing this place even when I was in high school. In short, the Colorado Horseshoe is incredibly cool, both literally and figuratively.

Narrow, but incredibly long and persistent Colorado River cut out this horseshoe in soft sandstone over several thousand years. This is the most beautiful place today Colorado River, we visited there twice different time days. In search of a better angle and time, we climbed the local rocks far and wide, and the number of selfies exceeded all reasonable limits.

Horseshoe Bend - Colorado River Horseshoe

The very place where Colorado River I changed my mind and, making a police U-turn, swam back. And you shouldn’t look for the reason for this behavior - relax, have fun and remember every minute you spend in this amazing place.

This is where I finish with the lyrics and will tell you how to get to this place amazing place from Europe and the USA.

How to get to Horseshoe Bend

Comfort Inn & Suites Page 3*

Best photo Colorado River loops obtained by lying on the edge of a cliff and filming it while holding the camera at arm's length; of course, you need a wide-angle lens.

Park where I told you, otherwise you will have to pay the Indians 10 bucks, in addition to the official entry and passage - this is their land and they have the right to take money from you. Arm yourself - it won't be unnecessary.

Be careful when you take a selfie, if you don’t want to float for a few seconds in free flight, even in such a beautiful place.

Advice for beginning photographers. A tripod, wide-angle lens and preferably cloudy conditions are required.


Horseshoe Bend - Colorado River Horseshoe

Today we will walk through a unique geological formation located in northeastern Arizona - Monument Valley - one of the most famous tourist attractions in the United States, and also visit the famous Horseshoe on the Colorado River.

Photos by Dmitry Chistoprudov

Early in the morning we boarded a plane and set off for a trip to Arizona. Fly local airlines somehow easier and faster than here in Russia. But in terms of service, domestic carriers are better. We are approaching Phoenix - the capital and largest city in Arizona. Based on the ruins of an Indian city:

Once there was a desert and Indians here, now life is in full swing here:

To get to Monument Valley we had to drive about 300 km on a good and flat road. There are practically no cars on the highway, it’s a pleasure to drive. The limit is 110 km/h. It's hot outside, the ground is all cracked, and there's snow on the tops of the mountains - beautiful!



And here are the first monuments...

Monument Valley is located on the Navajo Indian Reservation.

This is one of national symbols U.S.A. The valley is an elevated plain that is part of the Colorado Plateau:

(Clickable, 2048×1152 px):

Panorama from the observation deck. (Clickable, 2048×546 px):

The upper layer of the plain, consisting of soft sedimentary rocks, was completely destroyed, but above the flat desert surface there remained a number of rock outcrops composed of red sandstone, which is less susceptible to weathering:

Everything else turned to sand over time:

Now I regret that we did not have enough time to ride here properly. Look at the sizes! Below on the left in the photo I captured a small camp - just for scale. (Clickable, 2048×1152 px):

Vegetation:

The smartest citizens scratch their drawings on centuries-old rocks. (Clickable, 2048×1152 px):

The road from Monument Valley to the town of Page. (Clickable, 2048×1152 px):

Northwest of Page there is a wonderful bridge over the Colorado River:

And next to the bridge, resting against the red rocks, there is a huge dam 216 meters high - the Glen Canyon Dam. View from the bridge:

Colorado River. A few miles of winding meanders away is the famous Horseshoe Lookout on the Colorado River. This is where we will go:

You can’t drive up to the Horseshoe; you have to walk about a kilometer. Nonsense? Yes, if there is no squally wind with sand.

Approaching the edge is dangerous - the wind blows unpredictably in different directions. You have to crawl like a border guard. Famous (Clickable, 1500×809 px):

The wind blows bizarre figures from sedimentary rocks. (Clickable, 2048×1152 px):

Watching the sunset on the Horseshoe is wrong. The sun shines directly into the camera, and the canyon itself is in the shadow:

(Photo by Janusz Leszczynski):

There is one interesting, unusual and very beautiful place in the USA called Horseshoe Bend, or “Horseshoe” in Russian.

The American Southwest is a place where wind, water and time have shaped ancient sandstones into the most incredible, fantastic shapes. This is a true geological Wonderland. But even there, in the Southwest, the Colorado River Horseshoe stands apart!

The curved shape of this attraction fully corresponds to its name. This bend of the Colorado River is located in the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area.

The emerald green river makes a giant bend at a depth of 330 meters below the edge of the Marble Canyon cliff. How much is this, 330 meters? Imagine yourself standing on the edge of the top of eleven nine-story buildings stacked on top of each other.

There is no equipped area here and, just walking along the plateau, an abyss appears before your eyes, which takes your breath away and unconsciously stops your breathing, trembling in your knees and dizziness. Sunrise in Marble Canyon, Colorado Horseshoe feels akin to what a person might experience standing on the edge of a skyscraper. Breath freezes in the chest, and even people who do not suffer from a fear of heights feel dizzy and slightly trembling in the knees. I think this will give you an idea of ​​the scale.

Due to its beauty, symmetry and sufficient proximity to “civilization”, this place annually attracts great amount tourists.
The Horseshoe attracts not only tourists and lovers of all things beautiful with its beauty; unofficially this place is the “capital” of suicides in the state of Arizona.

 

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