Antelope Canyon

Known as "The Wave," this is my favorite photograph

You know you’ve seen it. The orange sandstones walls have been a staple for photographers to capture. It’s even a Dell computer background. Whether you think you have or haven’t, I still highly suggest taking a road trip up north and visiting Antelope Canyon. Located in Page, Arizona, this slot canyon has been created from year of flash floods, sand storms, and the erosion of time. I visited this natural wonder back in the spring of 2017 during spring break. With its stunning red curves and light beams, Antelope Canyon is the perfect outdoor experience.

Antelope Canyon is approximately a four-and-a-half-hour drive from the Arizona State Tempe Campus and is basically just a straight shot north up the I-17 to the US-89. When I visited, I made it a dual trip and also stopped at Horseshoe Bend, since both of these natural phenomena are housed in Page. For more tips on how to travel to Page if you do not have a car, check out my post on Horseshoe Bend.

Antelope Canyon is located in Navajo land and tours are run directly through their companies. The only way to access Antelope Canyon is by booking a tour. This is because of the danger that can occur when there are flash floods, so for safety purposes the canyon is not publicly accessible.

Here, you can catch a glimpse of a light beam

When are the best times to visit Antelope Canyon? Well, first you must decide if you prefer to take a tour of Upper or Lower Antelope Canyon. What’s the difference you ask?

• Upper Antelope Canyon is accessed via a two-mile safari truck ride to the entrance and then a flat and easy 100-yard walk (1). There is no climbing involved (3). There is one entrance to get in and out (2). This canyon is said to have more light beams apparent than its counterpart. The best time of day to visit the Upper canyon to see the light beams is 10:30 a.m. (2). It costs about $64 to visit Upper Antelope Canyon (3). This is the “more touristy” of the two canyon tours because of the light beams and single entrance/exit (2).

• Lower Antelope Canyon is accessed near the tour check in site (1). You walk down a steep flight of stairs with railing to enter the canyon (1). Lower is about 600 yards in distance (1). You enter at one side of the canyon and exit at the other end (2). It costs about $44 to visit Lower Antelope Canyon (3). This tour is less crowded than Upper Antelope Canyon because of the walking flow and lack of light beams.

With the windswept walls it looks like I'm blowing sand out of my hand!

Here is the website I suggest for booking your tours because, from what I have found, it contains the most affordable pricing: https://bit.ly/2HUtU5b

Visiting Tips and Tricks

• Best time for light beams – end of March to beginning of October

• Less tourists – November to March

• Best hours of the day for light beams – Upper: 11 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.

• (4)

*Be sure to book your tour in advance! Slots fill up very fast and it would be unfortunate to drive up to Page and not be able to take a tour*

Fun Facts

• The Navajo refer to Upper Antelope Canyon as Tsé bighánílíní dóó Hazdistazí, which means “the place where water runs through rock” (2)

• Lower Antelope Canyon is referred to by the Navajo as Hazdistazí, meaning “spiral rock arches” (2)

That’s all I have so I’ll just let the pictures do the talking: