Story by Stacey Wittig
While leashed dogs are allowed at Horseshoe Bend—one of those places made uber famous by Instagram—a better way to experience it with your pooch is by kayak. The flat water that meanders through Horseshoe Bend is easy to navigate and reveals the serene side of the popular destination.
We recently paddled the Colorado River from near Glen Canyon Dam to Lee’s Ferry.
Five rustic campsites are available along the 15-mile stretch of peaceful water frequented by fly-fishing anglers and outdoorsy folk. Because no reservations or permits are necessary to camp on this section of the Colorado River, it’s easy to pack your bags and head out on a whim.
You and your four-legged traveling companion will need to reserve spots on a speedboat that hauls you and your kayaks upriver.
We used Kayak the Colorado and were very happy with the ease of making reservations and the friendly service delivered once we arrived. We even rented kayaks from them, and they provided paddles and lifevests.
Of course, you’ll have to bring a properly fitted life vest for your furry friend. They rent sit-in kayaks, sit-on-top kayaks, blow-up kayaks, canoes, paddleboats, oar boats and standup paddleboards.
Backhaul service is what river runners called the taxi-like shuttle service that took us from our vehicle parked steps away from Lee’s Ferry boat launch south of Page, Arizona, and transported us and our kayaks up the river. On the swift boat ride up the canyon, Brady, one of the company owners, pointed out herds of Desert Bighorn Sheep, a gaggle of turkey vultures and geologic features. Brady helped us decide how long we wished to kayak and then dropped us at one of the stops along the way. We opted for being dropped at 11-Mile Ferry Swale.
“Don’t paddle next to the anglers,” he advised. “They’re working that spot, and if you go paddling through it, they’ll have to spend another hour working someplace else.” He also let us in on other etiquettes of the river, like staying out of the middle of the river where larger boats need to pass.
From Ferry Swale, we paddled downriver one mile to Petroglyph Beach. After beaching our boats, we hiked to a fantastic panel of petroglyphs that include pecked images of six Desert Bighorn Sheep descending the cliff face.
At 8-Mile Bar Camps, we hit the beach again and scrambled to the top of a mesa, the one directly below the overlook of Horseshoe Bend. People, who seemed like tiny ants high above us, looked down. We were solidly in the middle of Horseshoe Bend and very happy to enjoy the magical songs of the canyon wren and be socially distanced from the crowd above.
Remember that a leash law is in effect in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. You must transport all waste out of the canyon. The five designated camping areas with self-composting toilets along the river from Glen Canyon Dam to Lee’s Ferry are on a first-come, first-served basis.
Camp in designated spots only. You must pack everything in and out. All vehicles in the Glen Canyon Recreation Area must have Annual Parks Passes, which you can buy online, or Glen Canyon day passes that you can purchase at the roadside kiosk one mile down Lee’s Ferry Road.
Glen Canyon National Recreation Area: nps.gov/glca/planyourvisit/camping.htm
Kayak the Colorado: kayakthecolorado.com
“UNSTOPPABLE Stacey” Wittig is a travel writer based near Flagstaff. Follow her adventures at unstoppablestaceytravel.com.
