How To Kayak Horseshoe Bend
One of the best kayaking experiences I ever had was around the iconic Horseshoe Bend in Page, Arizona. Many people visit Horseshoe Bend from above, but few take advantage of the opportunity to experience it up close while paddling down the Colorado River. If you’re planning or even considering to visit Horseshoe Bend, use this as a guide for everything you need to plan your trip.
Horseshoe Bend in Page, Arizona
Quick Overview
Average Water Temperature: Around 46-54F
Trip Length: 10-15 miles, depending on where you get dropped off in your backhaul service
Best Season: Spring/Fall
River Speed: 2-4 MPH. There are no rapids, just slow moving current
Time Needed: 1-2 days
Campgrounds: 5
Permits Needed: No permits, however you need an America The Beautiful Pass
Cell Service: No
Where Is Horseshoe Bend
Horseshoe Bend is located in the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area in Page, Arizona. You can view it from above by hiking about .6 miles one-way to an overlook on a paved and ADA accessible trail. The overlook is about a 1,000-foot drop down to the Colorado River. It costs $10 to park at the overlook site.
To experience Horseshoe Bend up close in the Colorado River, you’ll need to go to Lees Ferry in Marble Canyon, Arizona, where the boat launch ramp is located (linked below). It is about 45-minutes from Page, Arizona. There is a large parking lot here for day or overnight parking as well as a campground.
Fun fact: Lees Ferry is actually the starting point of the Grand Canyon!
How To Kayak Horseshoe Bend
You can Kayak Horseshoe Bend with your own kayak, or you can rent one. I don’t own a kayak so I rented using Kayak Horseshoe Bend and had a great experience working with them. They rent both kayaks and paddle boards right out of Lees Ferry. When you reserve, you’ll need to book two things: the kayak(s) and backhaul service. The backhaul service is for their team to bring you up the Colorado River in a boat with your gear and then drop you off at the point from which you want to start kayaking. From there, you’ll kayak down river back to Lee’s Ferry.
There are two places people typically get dropped at with their backhaul service:
The Glen Canyon Dam Overlook: 15-miles of paddling down the entire river which takes about 8 hours.
Petroglyphs: 9-miles of paddling which takes about 5 hours. This is where we got dropped when we kayaked Horseshoe Bend.
You can reference the map below with the 3 red pins to get a sense of the layout and where the dropping points are.
It is $75 per person for the backhaul service, and $35 per day for a single kayak or $55 per day for a tandem kayak (though I think doing this tandem would be difficult and a single kayak makes more sense).
Map showcasing Lees Ferry, which is where your backhaul service will start, a pin on the Petroglyphs, and a pin on the Glen Canyon Overlook Dam
Camping Along Horseshoe Bend
If you want to kayak the entire 15-miles but don’t want to complete it in one day, you can opt to camp. There are 5 campgrounds along the river, and you do not need a reservation for any of them. They are all first-come basis. Below is a list, and I also included a map so you can get a sense of the relative location of each campground (pinned in red).
Ropes Trail Campground — mile 14
Ferry Swale Campground — mile 11
Nine Mile/ Horseshoe Bend Campground — in the middle of Horseshoe Bend. This is one of the more popular campgrounds.
8 Mile Campground — mile 8
6 Mile Campground —mile 6
A map of the campgrounds along Horseshoe Bend.
Experience To Kayak Horseshoe Bend
You do not need any experience to kayak horseshoe bend. I’m a casual kayaker and did just fine. Because you are paddling in the direction of the river flow, it isn’t strenuous. You can even stop paddling at some points and just ride the current. Since there are no rapids, you’re able to just casually float whenever you’d like.
Waterflows
The water that flows from Glen Canyon Dam forms the largest river in the southwestern United States. The river supplies water to 50,000,000 people and provides electricity throughout the southwest. A normal flow pattern from Glen Canyon Dam is low water during the evening hours, and then the water rises during the morning as electrical demand increases. Then the water will begin to drop later in the day and stay low throughout the night. This is important to know for camping purposes. You’ll want to make sure you don’t leave your kayak so close to the river that it could float away as the water rises.
There are two major flow patterns during the year: high flows and low flows. High flows occur during periods of high electrical demand which is during June-August and December-February. High flows make for a faster current. Low flows occur during periods of lower electrical demand which is during September-November and February-May. Low flows make for a slower current.
When To Kayak Horseshoe Bend
The most popular times to kayak Horseshoe Bend are in the spring and fall when temperatures aren’t too hot. However there is nothing wrong with kayaking during the summer or winter. I personally kayaked Horseshoe Bend at the end of August and it was sweltering hot outside but we just made sure to pack a lot of sunscreen and water. If you start early in the morning, the temperatures are cooler in the canyon, and there is a lot of shade.
Aside from taking the temperature into consideration, you may also want to think about the day of the week since it impacts the waterflows. For example, the waterflows tend to be lower on the weekends verses during the week day when waterflow is high.
Keep in mind that it takes time for the water to travel through the canyon. The water at Lees Ferry might look low, but the water at mile 16 might be at maximum flow for the day. It takes a few hours for water to flow from the dam down to Lees Ferry.
What To Pack For A Day Trip
Water: especially if you’re doing this in the summer/fall. It gets extremely hot on the river, and once the sun is above the canyon there is hardly any shade. Bring more water than you think you’ll need.
Water filtration: we did not bring this when we kayaked Horseshoe Bend but it is something to consider bringing as an optional item. If you already own one, might as well bring it!
Lunch and lots of snacks: even though the kayaking isn’t strenuous, you’ll burn a lot of calories on the river and will need to make sure you have plenty of food.
Sunscreen: there isn’t a lot of shade after the early morning hours so you’ll want to make sure you’re protected (don’t forget to put sunscreen on your legs!).
Waterproof case for your phone: you’ll want to take a lot of photos, so make sure you’re able to protect your phone.
Dry-bag: you can store your phone, food, and anything else important in here.
A hat and sunscreen: it is extremely bright out on the river.
Sensible shoes: you don’t need clunky hiking boots for this. Get something light-weight like Tevas or a lightweight trail-runner. Keep in mind your feet might get wet.
The Experience
Kayaking the Colorado River around Horseshoe Bend.
I recommend booking an early backhaul service out of Lees Ferry so you can start first thing in the morning. Especially if you’re planning to do this in the summer, it is best to get out there before the heat gets too high. If you’re planning on camping, you can likely wait until later in the day to start.
The backhaul service was seamless and quick. You just jump on the boat and they drive you up the canyon to wherever you want to get dropped. It usually takes about 45-minutes. They’ll unload your kayaks for you on the river bank and then you’ll be on your way!
We had our backhaul service drop us at the petroglyphs, so kayaked 9-miles back to Lees Ferry. We happened to kayak it on a low flow day and the current was extremely slow, so we were very happy to only do 9-miles instead of the full 15. I would say unless you’re camping or are an experienced kayaker, I think getting dropped at the petroglyphs makes more sense. From your dropping point you’ll just kayak along. Feel free to stop at any of the stopping points along the way to explore or to take a break.
Walking to the site of the petroglyphs.
Keep in mind that the river is shared among kayakers and boaters. Depending on the time of year and day of the week, you could be sharing it with a lot of boaters so you’ll need to keep a look out. Boaters have the right of way and can only use the deeper part of the river so it is best to stay along the sides as opposed to kayaking right in the middle. You can hear boats coming from about 1/2 miles away though, so if you do find yourself in the middle, make sure you’re listening so you can move out of the way.
Keep your eyes peeled for wildlife! We saw a wild horse drinking from the river which was cool! This area is also home to bighorn sheep, deer, wild turkey, bobcats and even mountain lions.
