Ask anyone who has visited Horseshoe Bend to describe it and I bet that I can predict the reaction: They will hesitate, then a sly smile will creep across their face…they will slowly shake their head and say: “Oh yeah…Horseshoe…Wow… you have to see it yourself.”
Horseshoe is one of those places that truly are more emotionally impactful in person than you could ever think possible if you have only seen it in photos. Try to imagine this…you walk about 30 minutes over a featureless desert landscape…there really isn’t much to see…some mountains out in the distance…lots of sand and slickrock…maybe a Jack Rabbit or two bouncing between brown and thirsty plants. Then, suddenly, the path ends. Actually, it doesn’t end, it simply disappears as it abruptly ends at a sheer 1000′ drop:
Look at the bottom of this photo…that is a straight drop down to the river…nothing to stop you other than a couple sandstone outcroppings that might slow you down a bit as you bounce off of them:)
This vista WILL get your heart kicked into overdrive. In fact, I’ve seen some folks actually crawl up to the edge on their bellies to take photos because they didn’t trust their legs. But in all fairness, I won’t deny that I had second thoughts as I set up my tripod on the edge. If you are ever near Page Arizona, then this is a stop that you really have to make…it is a visual and emotional powerhouse! Interested? if so, then read further for my Horseshoe Bend Photo Guide and tips.
The Basics:
- Horseshoe Bend is a loop of the Colorado River 5 miles downstream from the Glen Canyon Dam and Lake Powell (just south of the Utah line). It has its own parking area on the west side of US 89 about 4 miles south of Page, Arizona. The GPS coordinates are: 36.876246,-111.502788. This link will show you the parking lot location on Google maps.
- There is a (small) sign for Horseshoe Bend, but it is easy to miss. However, if you keep looking to the west you will see the parking lot…there isn’t a whole lot else out there. The parking lot was expanded in 2019 but still fills up on Holidays and busy weekends.
- There is a $10 parking fee (as of Feb. 2021) for personal vehicles, vans and buses pay more. The lot is staffed from sunrise to sunset. Your National Park Pass is not accepted for parking since the lot is actually managed by the city of Page, not the National Park Service.
- The path to Horseshoe is very easy to follow. The hike (actually it is more of a walk) to the overlook is a gentle slope of 1.5 miles (2.4 km) round-trip over flat terrain. The trail was upgraded in 2018 and is now so easy it is even wheelchair accessible. It has two large shade stations along the way. It should take you about 30 minutes depending on your pace.
- There is no water for sale. No bathrooms (except at the parking lot). If you are there in the middle of the day during summer, you will need to bring plenty of water. A hat and sunscreen would be good to have with you too.
- It can be pretty windy…bring your sunglasses
- Be prepared to meet folks from all over the world! I had two guys from France on my right a German to my left and a photographer from Mumbai India spent twenty minutes asking about my camera. You will be surprised how friendly and talkative folks can be when they have this scene before them.
Horseshoe Bend Photo Guide and tips for my fellow Photographers:
- Most photographers are going to visit Page because of Antelope Canyon. The nice thing about Horseshoe is that you can photograph it before or after your day at Antelope.
- How much time should you schedule? Well, if you jumped in your car in Page, drove to the parking lot, hiked to the site, snapped off a dozen shots and hoofed it back to your car, you would be back in Page in less than a total of 2 hours. If that is all the time you have, then fine. However, if your schedule isn’t too tight or if you are blessed with a killer sunset, you can easily spend twice that amount of time.
- Bring a steady Tripod.
- Where to set up:
- There is a new viewing platform that was completed in 2018 (see NPS photo below). It has a railing and is great for those who like something solid between themselves and the thousand foot drop. You can get a solid image from the platform by setting your tripod up right against the railing.
- The platform takes up only a small amount of the real-estate on the rim and frankly, you can get a better perspective and more interesting images if you don’t restrict yourself to this one spot.
- Do yourself a favor and show up a bit early and scout around a bit. You just might find a nice bush or a landscape feature that will make your shot stand out from the crowd. 99.9% of the images taken here were made within 50′ of each other…don’t be shy about roaming around a bit and looking for your own unique view.
5. Lenses:
- A 14-16mm lens on a full-frame camera will let you capture the whole panorama in a single frame (you will need a 10mm lens on a APS-C, cropped sensor camera).
- If you have a fisheye lens, you can have fun with it at this location. My 15mm fisheye came in handy here.
- If you don’t have a wide lens (or if you want a super-high resolution image), you can stitch together a panorama in Photoshop.
6. Time of Day:
- To get an idea about how the light at Horseshoe changes over a day, check out this link. It shows a wonderful series of photos by Brian Klimowski from pre-dawn to late evening.
- My personal favorite time of the day here is sunset. There is at least a full 7 stops of dynamic range at sunset, so you will need to use HDR or a strong ND filter to capture the shadows and highlights.
- If you can’t schedule this for a sunset shot, morning can be good as well…
- Mid-Day will light up the full scene. For example here is an afternoon shot I got a few years back:
- Night
- I have seen some wonderful Milky Way shots taken here but most of those images are older. The issue is that parking in the lot is no longer permitted at night. And if you are thinking that you can just park alongside US 98 and walk-in, you should be aware that you might be ticketed since road-side parking on US 98 is prohibited as well.
- The drama of this scene is undiminished no matter what season you get to see it, however, summer during the rainy (monsoon) season can provide dramatic clouds (see the first shot above…taken in July). I’d bet this would be an incredible to see covered in snow, but I haven’t been able to capture that shot yet
There is a whole lot more to photograph in the area (Antelope Canyon, Bryce, Zion, etc.) If you have more than a couple of hours to spend in Page, then you might want to check out this blog which gives you pointers on how to best schedule your day to maximize the photographic potential!
You will enjoy (and certainly always remember) your time at Horseshoe bend. Have fun!
Jeff
PS: When my son was taking this shot of the photographers lined up on the cliff’s edge he thought: “You know…one good gust of wind and these guys will be the lead story on the TV news tonight”
Horseshoe Bend Photo Guide and tips
Related Images:
Views: 1991
Hot Horse
9 Aug 2023Absolutely breathtaking guide and tips for capturing the beauty of Horseshoe Bend! The mesmerizing photos and helpful advice make me want to plan a trip there right away!
Tesh P
28 May 2022Thank you for much for such an informative article. Do you happen to know what options we have now for Milkyway Photography here now? It looks like from your article that the parking lot is closed.
Jeff Stamer
3 Jun 2022Hi Tesh,
Unfortunately, the Horseshoe Bend Parking Lot is only open from sunrise to sunset. Plus the city does not allow you to park on the road outside of the parking lot. If you wish to be there after hours for night photography, you would probably need to arrange that with the City of Page, AZ, who manages the parking lot. Their phone # is 928-645-8861.
Good Luck!
Jeff
Marzia
12 May 2022I’m planning to go photograph the horseshoe bend with my Nikon D7100 and an 18-140mm lens. Do you think this will be enough to capture the whole bend? Thanks in advance for your thoughts!
Jeff Stamer
17 May 2022Hi Marzia, I’m pretty sure the bend will be too wide to capture in its entirety with that camera/lens combo. You will be able to get most, but not all of it. You could take two shots and stitch them together in photoshop…or you will have to get a wider lens. Have fun, it is an incredible location that you won’t ever forget! Jeff
Photo Retouching
12 Mar 2022I found your blog post on Horseshoe Bend to be very informative. I especially appreciated that you pointed out that the vista will get your heart kicked into overdrive. I studied this place in school, so I know the place well–but I never even thought about the sheer drop to the river it has. That is fascinating!
Jay Park
29 Jan 2022Hi Jeff,
Thank you for the picture taking tips on Horseshoe Bend, AZ! How great pictures they are! I will absolutely visit page this summer, in 2022.
Wonderful pictures and comprehensive tips, Thank you again.
Jeff Stamer
29 Jan 2022Hi Jay,
You will love Horseshoe. The view is simply breathtaking and world-class in every way. Please share your shots with me after you visit!
Stella Smith
11 Dec 2021Really amazing shots. Really loved the photos. Never been there but would love to go there and see for myself. And hopefully I will get some photos like these.
Lisa
2 Dec 2021Jeff, Great tips for the outdoor shots! I am a videographer but sometimes i like to shoot photos 🙂
Jeff Stamer
3 Dec 2021Glad you found the blog helpful Lisa!
Arts P Graphics
31 Dec 2020I will be visiting from Australia and driving around some of the national parks out of Las Vegas in October for about 5 days, plan to spend one day going to Antelope Canyon, then Horseshoe Bend, try to be there for sunset, and then would love to do some Astrophotography there, so hopefully around October 17 or so so hopefully there won’t be any clouds and the Milky Way visible.
Jeff Stamer
1 Jan 2021Sounds like a great trip. Good luck with the clouds!
Jeff
bill
23 Apr 2021Hi,thanx for sharing! can I take a taxy to the parking lot and stay in overnight?
Jeff Stamer
24 Apr 2021Hi Bill,
I think there is only a single taxi service in Page, but I’ve been told they will take you to the Horseshoe Bend parking lot (here is a website with more info: https://www.pagearizona.com/shuttles-transportation. However, camping in the parking lot is prohibited so maybe you can spend the night in Page and catch a ride out the next morning…
Mayra Garcia
25 May 2020Awesome photography and a nice idea you shared here. Especially it will help the new photographer who will visit there.
prasanjitpcb
12 Oct 2019You’ve created a great guide for us. I am truly inspired and much to learn after seeing your post. I hope you always give us a post like this.
prasanjitpcb
3 Sep 2019this is one of the best guidelines. awesome photography. The pictures have been really beautiful.
Andrea
4 Aug 2019Hi Jeff,
Thanks for the info! I have one question for you:
is it still possible to visit horseshoe bend at night? I was planning for some star photography tonight and I know that the parking place closes after sunset. Is there a way to visit anyway horseshoe bend at night?
Thank!
Jeff Stamer
5 Aug 2019Hi Andrea,
Well, here’s the thing. Parking is prohibited in the lot at night as well as alongside US 98. So unless someone is going to drop you off, you are faced with a problem. Once you get there, the path is open and unblocked, so there would be no issue hiking to the rim and photographing to your heart’s content.
If you do visit, let me know and I’ll update my blog accordingly.
Thanks!
Jeff
Dan Harter
27 May 2019Jeff thanks for the tips I can’t wait to go we’ll be there second week in June.
Alaxe
13 Aug 2018thank you very much for the info. i will look it up on Googel how to stich from PS.
Dave
23 Jul 2018Great writeup. I’m using a Canon full-frame w/ a 24-70mm. How much of the full scene will I bet cutting off? (I know you recommend a wider lens)
Jeff Stamer
23 Jul 2018Hi Dave, With the 24-70 you will get the center of the ‘Horseshoe’ but you will cut off at least one side of the steep banks on either the left or right side. You could just take a couple shots and merge them in photoshop with that lens and get the whole scene…
Ryan Chapman
3 Jul 2018thank you for sharing your experience and professional thoughts. Recently I’m planning to go photograph horseshoe bend. i use a Nikon D7100 with an 18-140mm lens. Do you think it will capture the whole horseshoe bend? Thanks in advance!!! Looking forward to reading more about photography.
Jeff Stamer
4 Jul 2018Hi Ryan, I’m afraid the 18-150mm on the D7100 won’t be wide enough to capture the full scene. You could take a couple shots and merge them together easily in photoshop. Otherwise I think you will need something like a 10mm lens on a crop-frame DSLR like the D7100 to take in the whole scene. Enjoy Horseshoe…it is one heck of a view! Jeff
Ryan Chapman
4 Jul 2018Hi Jeff,
I have guessed that, as same think like you. at first, need to take a couple shot and merge them into photoshop. Thank you so much for your co-operation.
John Denver
27 Apr 2018Wow!! Excellent tips. Thanks for sharing with us. Really Superb.
Mishuk Hasan
28 Feb 2018OMG! What a wonderful photography.I am so amazed by your lovely shot
Sazzad Khan
12 Nov 2017Absolutely stunning photography here. Thanks for sharing.
Naim Islam
30 Oct 2017Amazing Guide Idea and the place is really so beautiful. I’m very much attract about your tips. Thanks.
Jeff Stamer
30 Oct 2017Glad you found the guide helpful Naim!
Solaiman Sumon
26 Sep 2017Great guide you have published with us . I’m inspired after seeing your post . Hopefully you will share such post regularly , thanks .
Miriam
17 Jun 2017Hi there – I am going to Horseshoe Bend in July. Every since I was at the Grand Canyon and watched people jump to the lower rocks and get on the edge of the canyon I have gotten terribly afraid of edges. In order to get good shots at Horseshoe Bend, do I need to place myself on the edge or can I stand back a few feet? Any advice is appreciated.
Jeff Stamer
21 Jun 2017Hi Miriam,
I understand that feeling…that one good gust of wind could overcome my sense of balance and then… The good news is that you can get a good shot even if you are a few feet back from the edge. I’d suggest you bring a full sized tripod and extend it to its highest setting…it will be a bit hit and miss until you get the framing right, but it will allow you to get the same perspective you would if you were standing right on the edge. Another way to do this is to belly crawl up to the edge and use a really short tripod…like a gorilla pod. You might look funny but you will get the shot!
The view is amazing…hope you enjoy it!
Jeff
Anila
16 Jul 2016The way you have described Horseshoe Bend, I was getting feeling of visiting this place! Its beautiful in one word, and I guess not filter has been applied here. Though seeming difficult still I would love to capture this moment.
Divya
15 May 2015Let me start with…..A serious fan and appreciate all the amazing hard work.
wanted to leave a link here, since you have not seen horse shoe bend in snow 🙂
http://kamaldivya.blogspot.com/2015/05/snow-horseshoe-bend.html
Jeff Stamer
16 May 2015Hi Divya,
Thanks for your kind comments! I checked out your picture and boy…now I really want to head back out to Page this winter after a good snow storm! Loved your blog…keep it going!
Jeff
Arun
16 Mar 2015Nice one, Jeff !! Have you tried shooting stars over the bend ?
Jeff Stamer
23 Mar 2015Hi Arun,
No, I haven’t tried that yet…but it sounds like a great idea! If you did a dual exposure…one for the landscape and one for the Milky Way I’d bet you could get a great shot. Since the Milky Way appears to the south, I’d have to get to the northern side of the Bend to get the river in the image, but I think it would work. I’d have to bring a great flashlight…I’d hate to miss a step in the dark and trip over that 1,500′ drop! Next time I visit Page, I’ll give this a try. Thanks again!
Jeff
Mark
13 Sep 2015Thanks for this Jeff, I will be visiting from Australia and driving around some of the national parks out of Las Vegas in October for about 5 days, plan to spend one day going to Antelope Canyon, then Horseshoe Bend, try to be there for sunset and then would love to do some astro photograpy there, so hopefully around October 17 or so so hopefully there won’t be any clouds and the Milky Way visible.. 🙂 You can sleep over in your car there can you and be ready to take some photos in the morning or does the car park close do you know??
Jeff Stamer
15 Sep 2015Hi Mark,
Sounds like you have a great trip planned! The car park at Horseshoe doesn’t have any fences or gates, so it doesn’t close. However, most parking lots don’t allow overnight parking. That said, I don’t know how actively that regulation is enforced. Horseshoe is only 5 miles from Page, Arizona, so I’d suggest you get a room at one of the inexpensive hotels there and just drive to Horseshoe in the morning (keep in mind that it is about a 25 minutes walk from the parking lot to Horseshoe).
Have a great time!
Jeff
UPDATE: In the past, you could simply park in the lot at night and hike to the rim. However, since the new car parking lot was completed in 2019, the city of Page has prohibited overnight parking in the lot. Plus you are not allowed to park along US98. So unless someone is going to drop you off, the problem is how to get there at night without having to chance a ticket or having your vehicle towed.
shawn
25 Mar 2014hello,
thank you for sharing your experience and proffesional thoughts. im planing to go photograph horse shoe bend in May. i use a nikon D7100 with a 18-140mm lens. do you think it will capture the whole horse shoe bend( with my 18-140mm)? thanks in advance!!
Jeff Stamer
25 Mar 2014Hi there!
The Nikon D7100 is a fine camera but unfortunately, I think you will need at least a 10mm lens to capture the whole scene. On the other hand, if you have Photoshop, you could take multiple photos with your camera (mounted on a tripod) and then ‘stitch’ them together as a panorama. Either method will work, but I prefer using the wider lens which would also allow you to use HDR to capture multiple exposures a different exposures and thereby capture the full dynamic range.
Best of luck….and send me copies of your shots after you visit Horseshoe, I’d love to see them!
Jeff
shawn
26 Mar 2014thank you very much for the info. i will look it up on youtube how to stich from PS.
Trevor
25 Feb 2014Hi
Very helpful blog, thanks for the info. We’ll be there [from the UK] mid morning in August [Antelope later in the day]. I plan on using my Nikon 10-24mm for the full effect. I try not to ‘process’ my pictures after shooting so I’ll have to bracket like mad!
Regards
T
Jeff Stamer
25 Feb 2014Hi T,
I’m glad you found the blog helpful…it really warms my heart when someone drops me a line and says thanks. You will have a great time at Horseshoe and Antelope…nothing else like them in the world and an absolute dream for photographers! When you get back to the UK, please share with me your best shots, I’d love to see them.
Jeff
Trevor
25 Feb 2014Will do. One thing, I see mention of “monsoons” in August. Is this an issue?
Trev
Jeff Stamer
25 Feb 2014Hi Trev,
Moonsoons is what they call their ‘rainy season’ in the southwest. This isn’t like the hurricane season we have in the tropics, with 100mph winds where everyone has to evacuate… so you shouldn’t have to worry about that. The monsoons really amount to getting a shower many/most days, usually in the afternoon. The good side of this is that you can get some wonderful cloud formations that truly enhance your photos. Just take a rain jacket, have something to cover your camera and stay out of canyons when rain threatens.
Jeff
Anya Melnyk
8 Feb 2014Very beautiful shots and such a helpful article! This becomes my number 2 place to photograph.
Jeff, would you happen to know if there’s a way to get there without having to drive a car? I live in NYC and don’t drive but if there’s a way to get there by bus from the closest city or airport i’d pack and go!
Thanks for your inspiration!
Jeff Stamer
9 Feb 2014Hi Anya,
You will love Horseshoe…it will take your breath away! Page is a small town, I don’t believe they have a municipal bus service. However, I just did a quick on-line search and they do have a few taxi companies. Since Horseshoe isn’t that far from town, it shouldn’t cost much to rent a taxi. You could then call them for pick up when you are done photographing. Page does have a small airport with the primary airline being Great Lakes Airline. Great Lakes flies to Phoenix, Denver, and Los Angeles, so you should be able to get a connecting flight from NYC.
Good luck and I’d love to see your photos when you get back!
Jeff
Ed Rosack
14 Aug 2013Nice write up, Jeff. Someday I’ll get there. –Ed
Jeff Stamer
14 Aug 2013Thanks Ed…you will love it when you get out there. Let me know when you go and I’ll give you some tips!