News Release

Horseshoe Bend Selected as Leave No Trace Hot Spot

NPS

News Release Date: October 13, 2021

Contact: Mary Plumb, 928-608-6200

Contact: Ailsa Walsh

As visitation to outdoor spaces continues to grow exponentially, the Horseshoe Bend Overlook at Glen Canyon National Recreation Area was chosen as a Hot Spot by the Leave No Trace organization. From November 4 through 8, a Leave No Trace Team will work with Glen Canyon staff to provide the local community, area land managers, park partners, and student volunteers with information, service work and education to reduce impacts in the outdoors and to recreate responsibly.

Horseshoe Bend Overlook is 1 of 10 diverse and popular national, state, and local parks identified in need of Leave No Trace Solutions for 2021. Leave No Trace selects Hot Spot locations each year: popular outdoor areas across the country that have experienced heavy recreational use and human-created impacts, including excessive trash, damage to vegetation, trail erosion, disturbance to wildlife and more.

“Hot Spot areas are damaged but can recover again with a motivated community and a comprehensive infusion of Leave No Trace programs” said Dana Watts, Executive Director of Leave No Trace. “By identifying and working with Hot Spots and their communities across the country, Leave No Trace can rapidly move toward recovering and protecting the places we all cherish at a time when the outdoors has proven more critical than ever,” according to Erin Collier, one of the Leave No Trace team members who will be onsite to lead the work.

“Horseshoe Bend Overlook at Glen Canyon National Recreation Area is internationally known for its scenic view of the Colorado River. Our educational partnership with Leave No Trace aims to give our park staff and local community members additional skills to help park visitors leave this site and other public lands as good, or better, than they found them,” said William Shott, Superintendent of Glen Canyon National Recreation Area.

The following events are included in this Hot Spot. For more information visit: https://www.nps.gov/glca/learn/news/leave-no-trace-hot-spot.htm

Thursday, November 4: Effective Communication and Authority of the Resource Training, 2-4 pm: Kick-off the Hot Spot event with this interactive Education Workshop for community partners. This is a virtual event hosted by Leave No Trace on Zoom.

Friday, November 5: Graffiti Removal at Horseshoe Bend Overlook with Page High School: The Leave No Trace Team will join Glen Canyon staff and Page High School students for a service learning project to remove unsightly graffiti at this popular viewpoint, and the group will talk about how to enjoy the outdoors responsibly. Student participants will be provided with information on how to easily and effectively integrate Leave No Trace into their daily lives.

Friday, November 5, 3-6pm, and Saturday, November 6, 11am-5:30pm: Page Balloon Regatta Street Fair: Visit the outreach table hosted by Glen Canyon National Recreation Area and Leave No Trace staff in front of the Glen Canyon Conservancy Flagship Store at 12 N. Lake Powell Blvd. This event is open to the public.

Monday, November 8, 10am–noon: Action Planning Workshop: Glen Canyon along with Leave No Trace staff will host key stakeholders and reconvene in a small group working session to discuss successes, challenges, and opportunities and produce a future-forward Action Plan to further implement Leave No Trace beyond the Hot Spot week.

About Leave No Trace
Using the power of science, education, and stewardship, The Leave No Trace is on a mission to ensure a sustainable future for the outdoors and the planet. The Leave No Trace organization accomplishes this by delivering cutting-edge education and research to millions of people across the country every year. Learn more at www.LNT.org, at www.facebook.com/LeaveNoTraceCenter or on Instagram through @LeaveNoTraceOrg.
Media contact: Ailsa Walsh, [e-mail]