Horseshoe Bend 2019

Horseshoe Bend has become internationally renowned as one of the premier desert canyon overlooks drawing crowds from all over the globe. While this area was once a locally known, relatively obscure location, spikes in social media use over the last decade have brought it to the forefront of many itineraries for those visiting the southwest. This growing visitation has led to hardening and rerouting the trail, expanding and paving the parking lot, installing safe-viewing infrastructure on the canyon rim, and a fee booth at the parking lot entrance. We are hoping to address litter, cumulative impacts to fragile desert ecosystems, and building up an effective communication strategy around this coveted landscape.

During this Hot Spot, we educated 74 people, helped facilitate 80 volunteer hours, and cleaned 10 graffitied areas

For the Hot Spot activation, the Subaru/Leave No Trace Team lead a variety of workshops, outreach programs and community events, including opportunities for community involvement. Issues addressed include litter, cumulative impacts to fragile desert ecosystems, and building up an effective communication strategy around this coveted landscape.