Horseshoe Bend, Arizona, USA
© Michael Dunn/Getty Image
Does this horseshoe bring good luck?. Horseshoe Bend, Arizona, USA
Grab your boots, today we’re heading to the US state of Arizona to hike out to Horseshoe Bend. Known as the ‘east rim of the Grand Canyon’, it’s actually about 140 miles from the other rims and is more part of neighbouring Glen Canyon.
The beautiful view exists thanks to something called an entrenched meander. Around six million years ago, the area sat much lower, closer to sea level. The Colorado River, following the path of least resistance, meandered but became trapped when the region was elevated through tectonic uplift. Over time, the river water cut through exposed sandstone, forming the 1,000ft-deep, 270-degree horseshoe-shaped bend.
Horseshoe Bend used to be a locally-loved gem until social media brought visitors from far and wide. Now, nearly two million tourists a year hike to this spectacular spot. It’s believed that, eventually, the Colorado River will cut through the neck of the bend. So, if you want your selfie with the horseshoe, you only have another million years, give or take.
Related Images
View over Athens and the Acropolis, Greece
Val di Funes, South Tyrol, Italy
Badlands National Park, South Dakota, USA
Cottonwood trees in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Utah, USA
Füzér Castle in the Zemplén Mountains, Hungary
Golden larches and Prusik Peak, Enchantments, Washington, USA
The Painted Hills in the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, Oregon, USA
Mount Sopris, Colorado, USA
Today on Bing
Tegalalang Rice Terraces, Ubud, Bali, Indonesia
Keukenhof in Lisse, Netherlands
Leaf insect, Indonesia
