What is the name of the horseshoe-shaped meander of the Colorado River in Arizona?

The horseshoe-shaped meander of the Colorado River in Arizona is Horseshoe Bend.

Horseshoe Bend is an entrenched meander near Page, Arizona, where the Colorado River curves dramatically around a sandstone peninsula. It lies about five miles downstream from Glen Canyon Dam and within the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. The famous overlook sits roughly 1,000 feet above the river.

The bend formed as the Colorado River cut downward through the Colorado Plateau. Regional uplift caused the river to become entrenched in its former winding course, while erosion exposed layers of Navajo Sandstone. Cross-bedding and iron-rich markings give the canyon walls their distinctive appearance. Geologists estimate that the area’s major uplift and incision occurred over millions of years.

Horseshoe Bend is often confused with the Grand Canyon because it is sometimes described as the Grand Canyon’s eastern rim, but it is a separate landmark near Page. It is also not Antelope Canyon, another popular attraction in the same region. Visitors reach the overlook by a roughly 1.5-mile round-trip walk from a parking area near U.S. Route 89. Over time, continued erosion could cause the river to cut through the bend’s narrow neck.