For the first time ever, visitors to the iconic Horseshoe Bend Overlook will have to pay a fee to park in the new parking lot to see the horseshoe-shaped incised meander of the Colorado River.
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PAGE – For the first time ever, visitors to the iconic Horseshoe Bend Overlook will have to pay a fee to park in the new parking lot to see the horseshoe-shaped incised meander of the Colorado River.
The popularity of Horseshoe Bend and other areas in northern Arizona and in southern Utah have skyrocketed, in part because of social media and the internet. As recently as 2018, there were over three million visitors coming from across the globe to view the river that makes a hairpin turn around a mesa in Marble Canyon.
The parking lot and a small part of the trail lies in the city jurisdiction. The remaining trail and the viewpoint run within the National Park Service. The steadily increasing visitation has resulted in a need to provide improved visitor facilities at the site.
After being closed since January 30, the City of Page and the Glen Canyon NRA publicly announced on April 19, that the new parking lot is open, and fees will be collected to park at the trailhead for Horseshoe Bend.
The fees are $10 per car load, $5 per motorcycle, $35 for commercial vans (with a maximum of 14 passengers), $70 for commercial vans with 15-35 passengers, and $140 for commercial tour buses with more than 35 passengers.
Federal land and NPS passes, however, are not valid.
The one-quarter mile (400 meter) long, 11-foot (3.3 meter) wide portion of the new Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) trail nearest the viewing platform, including the platform istelf, are complete. The remaining portion of the ADA trail from the parking lot is expected to be completed later this year.
According to City Manager Michael Celaya, the first phase of the parking lot construction is complete and open to public use. The remainder of the parking lot is expected to open next month.
After parking, visitors must use the existing 3/4-mile trail until the remainder of the new ADA trail is complete.
Visitors are advised not to leave their pets in vehicles since the heat that quickly increases inside vehicles can prove deadly. Pets are welcome on the trail and must remain controlled by a leash no longer than 6 feet (2 meters) in length.
Pet owners are required to clean up after their pets.
Visitors are reminded to take plenty of water, wear sturdy footwear, protect skin with sunscreen and clothing and be mindful of the effects of the sun and heat.
It is easy to become dehydrated in this desert climate and when a person becomes thirsty, chances are that dehydration has already started to take hold.
A shuttle to the Horseshoe Bend parking lot no longer runs, which was sponsored by the city.
According to the Horseshoe Bend website (horseshoebend.com), if visitors “find all of the parking lots to be full at the time of their visit, they will be required to return at another time when they can find available space. Parking on the side of (U.S. Route 89) is strictly prohibited. Those who do so risk having their vehicle towed and incurring fines.”
Visitors who cannot wait to return to find a parking space have other commercial tour alternatives including nearby private viewpoints, horseback, and air tours.
Shott said he “looks forward to doing more in the future to make Horseshoe Bend a world-class experience.”
