Head downstream of the Glen Canyon Dam and Lake Powell - make your way up a sandy path and halt before a heart-stopping drop to a glimmering curve of water a 1000 feet away. This is the Horseshoe Bend, named after the shape of this incised meander of the Colorado River. Sometimes a deep emerald and at other times a mirror to the brilliant sky, the water curves around the sharp rock at the center. The steep cliff surrounding it is the perfect canvas - a consistent shade of brown that is illuminated at sunset and makes the color of the water stand out even more.

You might be tricked into thinking that it is a painting until a boat crosses your view, forming ripples in the otherwise still waters. You can hike the round from U.S. Route 89 to exercise your muscles and lean over the sheer cliff (that is if you're unafraid) or opt to stand at a safe distance from the edge and enjoy the stunning landscape before you. And here's the truth: It doesn't matter what time of the day you visit because the beauty of the Horseshoe Bend is unchanging (although if you do visit in the early afternoon on a clear day, you're more likely to see the water mirror the sky).