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Photo locations · Page · United States

Horseshoe Bend Overlook: sunrise photography forecast

Horseshoe Bend is vast, but the useful foreground is right at your feet: fractured sandstone, desert plants and the curve of the rim. Sunset is dramatic, though the canyon itself can fall into deep shadow before the sky finishes.

Sunset todaySunset tomorrowSunset Tuesday

Will tomorrow's sunrise be worth it?

Simplified forecast from the open model run. The full forecast — a second model, your exact viewpoint, the hourly cloud timeline — is in the app.

Global model, about 13 km: less certain than in Europe.

in 14h 3m

Pale clear glow

Exactly at sunrise: Fair

Ends

in 14h 40m

Harsh directional light · backlit landscapes; harsh for portraits

Sky colors

Golden hour
Sunrise

Light corridor: open

Why: The sun's path is clear at the height its low light travels, so the light can reach the clouds at sunrise.

  • Light path: clear (0% blocking cloud at the ray's height)
  • Sun: likely visible. A little low cloud toward the horizon (20%); the disc should still show, but it may clip in and out.
Viewer's line of sight, tangent to the Earth at your locationNear-ground relative humidity6% cover — too thin to draw as cloudConnected cloud layer · 41–41% cover · 10–10% visual uncertaintyConnected cloud layer · 24–24% cover · 10–10% visual uncertaintyConnected cloud layer · 41–41% cover · 10–10% visual uncertaintylow cloud · 20% reported, 0% resolved on a pressure surface — 20% is somewhere between 1.62 and 3 km

Terrain is drawn for illustration only — it is not used to calculate underlight or obstruction.

cloud-cover fieldinterpolation uncertaintysun directionnear-ground humiditycloud at unresolved heightmodelled underlightunderlight · height uncertainunderlight · lit on one readinglit but hidden behind nearer cloud

Forecast refreshed a few hours before sunrise.

Know the light
before it happens

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For photographers: shooting Horseshoe Bend Overlook

Best months

March to May and September to November for comfortable temperatures. Summer heat is serious; winter can bring ice and sharp wind.

Suggested focal lengths

14–24 mm for the complete bend from close to the rim; 24–70 mm for tighter river and cliff patterns.

Composition

A centred horseshoe is obvious but effective. Try a vertical with foreground cracks, and bracket exposures because the sky and canyon separate by several stops.

Recommended arrival

Reach the rim 60–90 minutes before sunset; allow time to find a safe position away from the main railing.

Access planning

The rim beyond the fenced platform has fatal exposure. Carry water, avoid the edge in wind or darkness and follow City of Page rules.

Parking: Official paid Horseshoe Bend parking lot off US 89; roadside drop-off and parking are not allowed.

Approach: About 1.5 miles / 2.4 km return on a broad exposed trail with little shade.

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