Scenic slot canyon sections with characteristic "flowing" shapes is a popular location for photographers and sightseers

General Information

Hours:

Tours typically run daily from 7:30am to 5:00pm, with peak lighting conditions between 10:30am and 1:30pm depending on the season
Advance reservations are required for all tours
Closed during flash flood warnings or extreme weather

Fees:

Lower Antelope Canyon: $40–$80 depending on tour type
Upper Antelope Canyon: $50–$90 depending on tour type
Most tours include the $8 Navajo permit fee
Children’s pricing may vary by operator

Pet Policy:

Pets are not allowed

Closest cities with hotels:

Page, AZ (less than 10 minutes)

Seasons:

March to October for best light beams; open year-round

Location:

How to Get There

From Page, AZ (7 mi): Head east on AZ-98 for approximately 7 miles, then follow signs to the designated tour operator parking areas for Upper or Lower Antelope Canyon.

Overview

Antelope Canyon is a slot canyon in the American Southwest, on Navajo land east of Page, Arizona. It includes two separate, scenic slot canyon sections, referred to as Upper Antelope Canyon (or The Crack), and Lower Antelope Canyon (or The Corkscrew). They are accessible by guided tour only. The Navajo name for Upper Antelope Canyon is Tsé bighánílíní, which means 'the place where water runs through rocks'. Lower Antelope Canyon is Hazdistazí (called "Hasdestwazi" by the Navajo Parks and Recreation Department), or 'spiral rock arches'. Both are in the LeChee Chapter of the Navajo Nation.

Geology

Antelope Canyon was formed by the erosion of Navajo Sandstone due to flash flooding and other sub-aerial processes. Rainwater, especially during monsoon season, runs into the extensive basin above the slot canyon sections, picking up speed and sand as it rushes into the narrow passageways. Over time the passageways eroded away, deepening the corridors and smoothing hard edges to form characteristic "flowing" shapes.

Tourism and photography

Antelope Canyon is a popular location for photographers and sightseers, and a source of tourism business for the Navajo Nation. It has been accessible by tour only since 1997, when the Navajo Tribe made it a Navajo Tribal Park. Besides the Upper and Lower areas, there are other slots in the canyon that can be visited, such as the Canyon X which is also part of the same drainage as Antelope Canyon. All visits are through one of several licensed tour operators. It is not possible to visit the Canyon independently.

Upper Antelope Canyon

Upper Antelope Canyon is the most frequently visited by tourists because its entrance and entire length are at ground level, requiring no climbing; and because beams of direct sunlight radiating down from openings at the top of the canyon are much more common. Beams occur most often in summer, as they require the sun to be high in the sky. Winter colors are more muted. Light beams start to peek into the canyon March 20 and disappear by October 7.

Lower Antelope Canyon

Lower Antelope Canyon is located several miles from Upper Antelope Canyon. Prior to the installation of metal stairways, visiting the canyon required climbing pre-installed ladders in certain areas. Even following the installation of stairways, it is a more difficult hike than Upper Antelope. It is longer, narrower in places, and even footing is not available in all areas. Five flights of stairs of varying widths are currently available to aid in descent and ascent. At the end, the climb out requires flights of stairs. Additionally, sand continually falls from the crack above and can make the stairs slippery.

Access

The road to upper Antelope Canyon is gated by the Navajo Nation and entry is restricted to guided tours led by authorized tour guides.

This article uses material from the Wikipedia article "Antelope Canyon", which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0