Visiting Antelope Canyon, Arizona – Everything You Need to Know

2.2K

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve probably seen images of the exceptionally beautiful slot canyons of America’s Southwest. Arguably, the most famous of these is Antelope Canyon in Arizona, which is experienced in three separate sections – Upper and Lower Antelope Canyon, plus Canyon X. This outstanding slot canyon has been beguiling tourists, photographers and nature lovers since it was opened to the public in 1997.

The warm hues and undulating curves of flood-sculpted Navajo Sandstone, ethereal hourglass sand-falls and legendary light beams make this desert landscape extremely attractive. However, there can be some confusion around how to see the Canyon. So after extensive research around for our trip, I’m sharing everything you need to know for visiting Antelope Canyon.

The making of a slot canyon

Antelope Canyon would have begun millions of years ago as no more than cracks in the ground. Over time, weathering and erosion, largely caused by flash flooding, has carved out a narrow gorge in the Navajo Sandstone, called a slot canyon. This is why Upper Antelope Canyon is known to the Navajo people as Tse’ bighanilini, meaning “the place where water runs through rocks.”

How to get to Antelope Canyon

Antelope Canyon is located on Navajo Nation land just outside of Page in northern Arizona. The closest airports are:

• Page Municipal Airport, Page, AZ
• Grand Canyon National Park Airport, AZ
• McCarran International Airport, Las Vegas, NV
• Sky Harbor Airport, Phoenix, AZ

It is best to rent a car so that you are not dependent on tour buses or tours that offer transport and can explore other attractions in the area. Horseshoe Bend and Lake Powell are two I recommend, both of which are within 15mins drive of Antelope Canyon. If you want to see more of the Southwest’s amazing landscapes and attractions, check out this fun road trip itinerary from Vegas to Santa Fe.

Antelope Canyon is roughly 6.5-km (4-mi) out of Page. If you are driving from Page, take highway AZ-89 south, and turn left into AZ-98. Travel approximately 3-km (2-mi) and you will find a driveway on the right that leads to the Upper Antelope Canyon carpark. To access Lower Antelope Canyon, continue a smidgen further on AZ-98. Turn left onto the Coppermine Road (222) where you will find the driveway to Lower Antelope Canyon Visitor Center and carpark 0.8-km (0.5-mi) up the road on your left. If you can see a dirty, great big power station on a nearby hill, you’re generally heading in the right direction.

Where to stay when visiting Antelope Canyon

You’ll find all nearby hotels and lodging in the town of Page. We stayed at the Best Western Plus at Lake Powell, and found it to be very comfortable with friendly staff and breakfast. Camping is not allowed within Antelope Canyon, you will find the nearest campsite at Wahweap Marina on Lake Powell.

How to visit Antelope Canyon

Antelope Canyon is not part of a National Park, rather it is on Navajo Nation land and can be visited by guided tours only. There is no single ticket for all sections – these need to be purchased separately. There is also a Navajo fee of $8 per person (no Navajo fees apply for children aged 7 and under) collected when you purchase your tour.

Some people recommend just turning up and jumping on the next tour, however, this is only good during the off-season and non-holiday periods. On the day we arrived, tours were booked out for the next 24-hrs and we had to return the next morning hoping to get in on a cancellation, which thankfully we did.

In addition, although tours were departing the Lower Antelope Canyon Visitors Center on schedule, the Canyon was so full of people they were backed up for 2-3-hours. Therefore, I would advise making a reservation in advance.

If you can afford the extra expense and have the equipment, a photography tour will afford you more time with fewer people. In order to take part in a photography tour, each person must have their own SLR and tripod. This excluded us, as we share a camera.

Antelope Canyon hours are 8am-5pm daily, late March through to November 1. 9am-3pm November 2 through to March.

Upper Antelope Canyon vs Lower Antelope Canyon

Upper Antelope Canyon aka The Crack, is the more popular of the two, for a couple of reasons. Firstly, it is wide and flat on the bottom for easier walking (you will be walking on soft sand, which requires some stability). The Canyon narrows at the top which is responsible for channelling sunlight into its famous light beams. The disadvantages of the wide Canyon floor (for some) is that it is more accessible and therefore busier overall. That makes it hard to take a picture without another visitor in your frame.

NOTE: Tours purchased at the Tribal Park Gate (carpark) are all the same in price and style. Tours booked through the operators listed in the table below will vary in price due to different inclusions, such as transfers from your accommodation.

Lower Antelope Canyon is narrower at the bottom than at the top, hence it’s nickname The Corkscrew. Experiencing the Canyon requires the use of steep stairs and ladders. The bottom of the Canyon is sometimes barely wide enough to place your foot down flat, so you need to be able-bodied and willing. The advantage of this photography-wise is that people must move through in single file and it is easier to take pictures without other visitors standing in them. Again, you will need to do some walking on soft sand. Tours are offered through the two operators listed below and are virtually identical in style and price.

Upper Antelope Canyon tour operators

Antelope Canyon Tours, Inc	antelopecanyon.com/	(855) 574 9102
Tsebighanilini Tours	tsebighanilini.com/	(928) 310 9458
Adventurous Antelope Canyon Tours	adventurousantelopecanyon.com/	(928) 380 1874
Antelope Slot Canyon Tours	antelopeslotcanyon.com/	(928) 645 5594
Antelope Canyon Navajo Tours	navajotours.com/	(928) 691 0244

Lower Antelope Canyon tour operators

Dixie Ellis’ Antelope Canyon Tours	Antelopelowercanyon.com	(928) 640 1761
Ken’s Lower Antelope Canyon Tours	Lowerantelope.com	(928) 606 2168

Antelope Canyon X

Since our visit, another section of Antelope Canyon has opened up for tours. Canyon X is more comparable to Lower Antelope Canyon, in terms of structure and the physical ability required to navigate it. It consists of two shorter sections of Canyon, which involve stairs, uneven terrain and narrow passageways. Canyon X isreportedly less colourful than Lower Antelope Canyon, however, it is generally cheaper to visit and less crowded.

Antelope Canyon X tour operators

National Park Express	nationalparkexpress.com/	(702) 948 4190
Taadidiin Tours LLC	antelopecanyon-x.com/	(928) 660 8890

Alternative ways to see Antelope Canyon

Antelope Canyon is over 16km (10mi) long in total, extending to Lake Powell. For a different perspective, you can see the water side of the Canyon via a kayak or boat tour.

Antelope Canyon kayak and boat tour operators

Lake Powell	lakepowell.com/things-to-do/boat-tours/antelope-canyon-tour/	(888) 896 329
Hidden Canyon Kayak	lakepowellhiddencanyonkayak.com/	(928) 660 1836

Best time to visit Antelope Canyon

If you are set on capturing light beams, you need to visit during the summer months. Generally, beams start to appear at the beginning of April and last through to early October. You will also need to book your tour when the sun is highest, between 10am and 1pm is said to be the best. Note this time of year will be peak tourist season and the warmest weather. Summer is also Monsoon Season and there is a greater chance your tour may be cancelled as a flash flood precaution. Also, light beams are not visible on cloudy days.

Between mid-October and late-March there are no light beams and therefore fewer tourists, however, tours still sell out during holidays such as the week of Thanksgiving when we visited. The weather at this time is more comfortable, in fact, it gets quite cool inside the Canyons. Winter tours leave as late as 4pm, which can be very dark inside the Canyons and therefore no good for photography.

See more about Antelope Canyon weather here.

Safety

In addition to the aforementioned accessibility issues with navigating the Lower Canyon, flash floods are lethal in slot canyons. Rainfall as far away as Bryce Canyon can trigger surges of water through the narrow gorges. After eleven visitors died in a flash flood incident in the Canyon’s opening year, vigilance by tour companies has increased. With that said, it never hurts to do your own due diligence by checking local and surrounding weather conditions.

What to take to Antelope Canyon

Bags are not allowed in the Canyons. If you book a tour that includes transfers from your accommodation, consider that you may not have someplace secure to leave anything you don’t take into the Canyon. Therefore you need to channel your minimalist self and take note of the lists below. Those who are self-driving can always lock things in their car.

Slot canyon alternatives

If for some reason you don’t want to visit Antelope Canyon or miss out on a coveted tour spot, there are a couple of alternatives in the area, though they will require more climbing and hiking.

• Wire Pass to Buckskin Gulch Trail 5.5km (approx. 3.4mi) round trip. Wire Pass and Buckskin Gulch are not as sculpturally pretty as Antelope. However, they are a lot less travelled and it’s likely you’ll have these beauties mostly to yourself.
• Waterhole Canyon (also known as “Secret Canyon” and “Horseshoe Bend Canyon”) is a stunning slot canyon, also on Navajo Nation Land near to Page. As of recent years, you will need to join a tour to hike this beauty.
• Deer Canyon, Ligai Si Anii and Rams Head Canyon are a few more slot canyons you can visit on a guided tour. They are located on private Navajo land and have a range of levels for people with different hiking experience. You can book your tour here. I haven’t done these tours personally, but they have great Tripadvisor reviews.

Last thoughts and tips on visiting Antelope Canyon

• Note, photos of the Canyons seen online are often taken with long exposures and have undergone post-processing to enhance light and colour. In reality, the Canyons can be dark and colours may appear less vivid. That being said they are still beautiful and absolutely worth visiting.
• Remember that Antelope Canyon is a spiritual place for the Navajo people. It is also a landscape that deserves protection for future generations to experience – please treat it with the respect it deserves.

Are you planning on visiting Antelope Canyon, Arizona? Let us know in the comments below and feel free to ask questions.

Peace, love and inspiring travel,

Madam ZoZo