I woke up at 6:00 am after a night of barely sleeping due to the really rough ground at the Monument Valley camping site and a wind so strong I genuinely thought it would blow our tent and us away (but it didn’t!). I really wish we got the View Campground, but it was all sold out when we arrived. The moment I saw the first light, I knew we had to see the sunrise.
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Sunrise at Monument Valley
We quickly piled into the car and raced back to the spot where we’d watched the sunset, arriving just about 10 minutes before the sun appeared, and it looked absolutely amazing.
Here it was the sun coming out behind the horizon! I filmed it and took some pictures! It was totally worth it to wake up earlier.
Once again I put Bryan Adams – Here I am on my Spotify, put in my earphones and I was waiting eagerly waiting for that Sun to rise. I felt like that giant in the video, really grand! If you haven’t seen that old music video clip from 2002, you should! Somehow it is getting more and more difficult to find it, but in humble opinion it is an epic one! Even my friends, still remember the song, when I gave them to listen with one ear. It does add a special touch to the experience.
Breakfast at the Campsite
After our amazing sunrise, we stumbled back to the campground for another hour of sleep, and I was the first one up, again! I decided to make some coffee and a “fancy” breakfast of cucumber with tuna, but boiling the water was a real mission! The wind kept blowing the stove out, and at 1500m altitude, the water just wouldn’t get hot enough (I mean not 100°C or 212°F), somewhere around 95°C (203°F), resulting in truly disgusting coffee, with the ground beans of coffee floating on the top. Oh yeah we didn’t do filtered coffee or anything like that, just an old Lithuanian way, pour hot water over ground coffee (not even instant one!).To top it off, being the last one to use the solar-powered shower meant the water ran out mid-lather, leaving me scrambling for the last few drops just to rinse the shampoo off.
Monument Valley Tour
Once we packed the tent and our stuff we headed to Monument Valley. Now we had to pay for entrance $20 for 4 people. They gabe us a map and we did a scenic drive in a really bad road. It looked authentic though. Just send and horse shit in most places. There was two hands with thumbs standing called (West Mitten Butte and East Mitten Butte)
We could see Three Sisters
Also an Elephant Butte. A quick stop at Artist Point Overlook, which is perfect for painting the landscape. It looks beautiful!
Most amazing was North Window Overlook, after which we left Monument Valley.
A spear rock looked so sharp!
We were heading to Page. Salt River Project-Navajo Generating Station, largest coal-fired power plant in the American West, could be seen from far away and in November 2019 this station was permanently closed.
We stopped for lunch at Slackers and had some amber beer with a burger. The burger was delicious!
Glen Canyon Dam
As we were going to our campground on the other side of Glen Canyon, we passed Glen Canyon Dam which looked really massive and impressive! You must stop on Glen Canyon Dam Bridge to see that and I mean both sides! Well you can’t stop on the bridge obviously, so do park before or after the bridge. Though, finding parking was a challenge there.
We even went to Glen Canyon Dam Overlook to take a better look at the damp and Colorado river!
Camping at Glen Canyon
Then we set up our ten in an amazing camping spot at Wahweap RV & Campground! It was next to Lake Powel. Also to enter the National Park we used our National Park Annual Pass, so some dollars saved.
Horseshoe Bend
Right after we set up the camp, we went to see the Horseshoe Bend (aka just Horseshoe). There was plenty of parking there, but to get to the Horseshoe Bend was a bit of a hike and in that scorching heat you can really feel that heat.
The view was just spectacular! Honestly, this was the best and most stunning view in the entire trip in USA! Even Antelope Canyon or Grand Canyon compared to this! We even joked that this is a perfect spot to die! If I was to die today, that’t the place I’d like that to happen.
Horseshoe Bend captivates visitors with its dramatic and unique perspective of the Colorado River, offering a stunning panoramic view of the emerald green water making a tight, nearly 270-degree turn against a backdrop of vibrant red-orange sandstone cliffs. The sheer 1,000-foot drop from the overlook adds to the awe-inspiring scale of this natural wonder, making it a highly sought-after spot for photographers, particularly during the golden hours of sunrise and sunset when the light enhances the colors.
This iconic formation is an excellent example of an entrenched meander, formed over millions of years. Initially, the Colorado River meandered across a much flatter landscape. As the Colorado Plateau gradually uplifted, the river’s course was preserved, causing it to cut downwards through the rock layers over time, deepening the canyon while maintaining its original winding path. This ongoing process of erosion and deposition sculpted the distinctive horseshoe shape visible today.
Dangerous Cliffs at Horseshoe Bend
While undeniably breathtaking, Horseshoe Bend in Arizona presents several dangers to visitors, primarily due to its sheer 1,000 foot (300m) drop with large sections lacking safety railings. The unpredictable sandstone edges can be unstable, leading to dangerous falls.
Statistics on fatalities at Horseshoe Bend are not always precisely tracked or publicly compiled in a single, frequently updated source specifically for the overlook, as it’s managed by the City of Page and the National Park Service (Glen Canyon National Recreation Area). However, reports and news articles over the years confirm that accidental falls, sometimes while attempting to take photos near the edge, have resulted in fatalities. Do be careful on the edge! There is one particular stone where everyone is climbing and it can get slippery on the sandstone.
Swim in Lake Powel
We came back to campsite at sunset, since we stopped for buying some supplier for dinner and next day at Walmart.
Just right after sunset we went for a swim into Lake Powel. The water was so pleasantly warm to swim and stunning views! I know it doesn’t look that good in the picture, but you have to experience it!
Today we drove 200 miles in total and tomorrow we are going to see a colourful Antelope’s Canyon near Page.
Tips for the Trip
- Book your camping spot in advance, so you guarantee you have one
- Use your National park Annual Pass to enter Glen Canyon National park as described here.
- Make lots of pictures to remember those magical moments!
- Good to have a small tripod to capture sunset/sunrise video or timelapse.
- If yo do have I recommend those two places I’ve linked below as they look stunning. Just you would need to find out how to get to those places.
