Stud Horse Point

In the area around Page most of the attractions are hidden until you get to study the surroundings. Lake Powell and the Glen Canyon Dam are pretty obvious and do not require any further introduction. You will see it at soon as you get there. Horseshoe Bend and the Upper and Lower Antelope Canyon will need minimal searching. There are other places that are small and not even known to many people living in the area and yet these places have a very special flair. Stud Horse Point is one of these very little unknown places in the surroundings of Page.

Stud Horse Point is just outside of Page Arizona overlooking Lake Powell and it has a very nice cluster of alien shapes of the prehistoric pedestal rocks which are located quite below the Utah state line. Half a dozen hoodoos with large cap rocks stand tall inside a depression, close to a rim overlooking the valley to the north with Lake Powell in the distance. The rocks, seemingly defying laws of gravity by balancing their enormous tops at acute angles, give Stud Horse Point an other-worldly feel. However calling it "other-worldly" would seem to be almost too cliche.

How to get to the Stud Horse Point. Starting in Page, take US 89 northwest, cross the Glen Canyon Dam bridge until you reach 5.6 miles later an old paved road located between mileposts 555 and 556. GPS coordinates for this turn off is 36.983877°, -111.552020°. Turn left onto this road and follow it for about 0.8 mile. When the pavement ends turn again left and follow the small power line for 1.5 mile until you reach a "Y". Take the left fork of it (after this one left you take, you just need to remember to always turn towards the right) and 0.1 mile later you will encounter a second "Y". This time take the right fork. After another 0.1 mile there will be an easily-missed sandy spur to the right. You can follow it for 0.3 mile or if you miss it or your car is not able to get there due to road condition then you can keep driving the main road and you will see another path that goes to the right. Turn right and in about few feet turn left. Keep driving and then go right and steep down at the next fork (the road that goes straight is for authorized vehicles only). You will be driving now along the Stud Horse Point rim and seeing to your right Lake Powell in the distance. There will be a gate you need to pass. Another 0.5 mile brings you to the car park, just above the pedestal rocks. The hoodoos are located slightly northwest walking down the depression. The GPS coordinates for Stud Horse Point where you will park is 36.989138° -111.602157°. Park here and walk towards the west.

Stud Horse Point is a wonderful place to shoot at sunrise and sunset, with limitless possible compositions. It might be one of these places that is worthwhile to be visited at a full moon evening. The rocks take a nice glow at sunset and you might compose your image with the hoodoos in group or individually. A wide-angle lens or a short telephoto will work best here. ND grad filters will be of great help to tone down the bright sky.