ADVENTURE TRAVEL - Antelope Canyon

About Antelope Canyon

Antelope Canyon is the most-visited and most-photographed slot canyon in the American Southwest. It is located on Navajo land near Page, Arizona. Antelope Canyon includes two separate, photogenic slot canyon sections, referred to individually as Upper Antelope Canyon or The Crack and Lower Antelope Canyon or The Corkscrew.

Antelope Canyon Map and location

Antelope Canyon is located a few miles of east of Page, Arizona. Actually there are two antelope Canyon's located on either side of route 98. Upper Antelope Canyon and Lower Antelope Canyon are both owned by the Navajo Nation. Unfortunately, they charge separate entry fees of about $18 per person for each part of this attraction. Since the upper and lower canyons are very similar, you need visit only one.

Page Arizona is located on the Utah border of North Central Arizona. This small desert community is primarily known as the location of the Glen Canyon Dam and the gateway to the Lake Powell recreational area. It is about two hours from Monument Valley, two hours from the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, three hours from the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, two hours from Zion National Park and four hours from Las Vegas.

It is not a national or state park and is often overlooked by many tourists visiting the area. It takes only an hour or two to see it all, but it is worth the time.

Upper Antelope Canyon

Upper Antelope Canyon, called Tse bighanilini, "the place where water runs through rocks" by the Navajo, is located at 36°51′28″N, 111°22′20″W. It is the most frequently visited by tourists, due to two considerations. First, its entrance and entire length are at ground level, requiring no climbing. Second, beams (shafts of direct sunlight radiating down from openings in the top of the canyon) are much more common in Upper than in Lower. Beams occur most often in the summer months, as they require the sun to be high in the sky.

Upper Antelope Canyon is very beautiful to visit year round. Winter colors are a little more muted like the photo displayed here. Summer months provide two types of lighting. To get rich colors as reds, blues and purple try the mid morning and mid afternoon tours. Light beams start to peek into the canyon March 15 and disappear October 7 each year. Beams are at their grandest from May to September.

Lower Antelope Canyon

Lower Antelope Canyon, called Hasdeztwazi, or "spiral rock arches" by the Navajo, is located a few kilometers away. Prior to the installation of metal stairways, visiting the canyon required climbing with ropes and ladders in certain areas. Even following the installation of stairways, it is a more difficult hike than Upper Antelope -- it is longer, narrower in spots, and even footing is not available in all areas. At the end, the climb out requires several long flights of stairs.

Despite these limitations, Lower Antelope Canyon draws a considerable number of photographers, though casual sightseers are much less common there than in Upper.

The lower canyon is in the shape of a "V" and shallower than the Upper Antelope. Lighting is better in the early hours and late afternoon.

Antelope Canyon History

A long time ago, herds of pronghorn antelope roamed freely in Antelope Canyon, which explains the canyon's English name. It is not known exactly when people first discovered Antelope Canyon. According to local Navajos, who have lived here for some time, the canyon and the LeChee area were places where cattle grazed in winter.

To older Navajos, entering a place like Antelope Canyon was like entering a cathedral. They would probably pause before going in, to be in the right from of mind and prepare the protection and respect. This would also allow them to leave with an uplifted feeling of what Mother Nature has to offer, and to be in harmony with something greater than themselves. It was (and is) a spiritual experience.