Pictures:
The wonders of the Southwest continue!
Antelope Canyon is a slot canyon formed from years of sandstone and water erosion. It is located in the northern part of Arizona, east of Page, bordering Utah. There is an upper and lower section to the canyon, none of which can be seen without a guided tour.
The canyon is on Navajo lands and is gated by the Navajo Nation. All entry is restricted to guided tours only. Various tours are offered in Page, which you can choose based on the amount of time you want to spend there and what you want to see.
We visited the Upper Canyon, and missed the lower, but given more time we would have done both. To see how the natural elements can affect sandstone so greatly is absolutely worth the visit. Flash floods in this area are common and given years of it, this passageway or "canyon" was created. The sand and water pick up speed so fast as it rushes through the narrow passageway and with the sand and water swirling together, it creates a deeper and deeper gap over time. Looking closely at the walls its smooth, yet still has small jagged parts overall with lines showing years of water flowing through.
The finely contoured walls may look familiar to those who use the Windows 7 operating system, since a pre-loaded picture of the canyon made one of the background picture sets. The canyon is a photographer's paradise. The designs on the walls in conjunction with ideal natural light from above make for some exquisite abstract photographs. Be sure to catch the canyon when the sun is directly above.
We booked a tour with Antelope Slot Canyon Tours by Chief Tsosie located in Page. They shuttle you in a bus made specifically for the terrain. The ride is half the fun as the ATV style bus ends up going from main road to off road -- sand dune style -- bumping and sliding all over the place as it drives on the sand. Anyone with motion sickness make sure to pop some extra Gravol!
It took us about 25 minutes to get to the actual canyon from Page and we had about 45 minutes inside, which is enough if you want the highlight tour. You can choose to spend more time here if you like, check with the different tours that are offered to see what suit your itinerary. Specific photographer only tours, where professional or wannabe professional photographers can enter with tripods. Just keep in mind to do this tour on a clear day, any chance of rain and the tour will most likely be cancelled.
It is dark in there so it's tough to get a good picture, ideally you will want to go when the sun is overhead. Enjoy.
Last updated: April 2014
