Upper Antelope Canyon, Arizona

[roadtripper]

You’ve all seen it; it's probably the most photogenic, most photographed, most visited, most beautiful, most expensive, and most amazing slot canyon in the world…..

Upper Antelope Canyon!

This is a special place that has been on my radar for at least ten years, but for no good reason at all I have never baked it into my travel plans for trips out west. The girlfriend and I finally took the plunge and booked an $80/person "photographers tour” about two weeks ago.

Tours to Upper Antelope Canyon typically begin in the town of Page, Arizona, where one of several Navajo guide companies can be found. We chose a “Chief Tsosie” tour because they had decent reviews and they offered a tour that was 2 ½ hours in length whereas most other tours are 1 ½ to 2 hours in length.

We chose a 1pm-3:30pm tour instead of the typical early morning or late afternoon tours that feature dramatic sun-beams in the canyon. We chose this time in order to try to beat the crowds. While it’s true that we missed the famed sun-beams, we were still blessed with outstanding natural lighting throughout the canyon.

The tour starts with a bumpy 4x4 ride across a giant open & sandy wash. This lasts a few miles and ends right at the mouth of the slot canyon. There were already about 15 other tour vehicles there when we arrived.

The canyon is sandy and flat throughout – anybody can easily walk through it. It is only about 1/3 mile long, but it is nothing but extraordinary. The reddish colors and curves of the canyon are spectacular – a true photographers dream spot. Every foot of the canyon is dramatic and the variety of curves and rock formations is spectacular.

The one problem with this place—and you will hear this from just about everyone that visits it—is that the Navajo Nation absolutely packs this place with tourists. On our visit during the middle of the day (which is actually considered the “slow time of the day”, there were 300-400 people in the canyon. There is only one way in and one way out, so people are constantly passing by you for almost the entire time you are in the canyon.

You have to be quick and very patient in order to snap photographs without tourists in them. This is actually just about impossible unless you purchase one of the longer tours (luckily, we did). You have to set up your tripod and fire shots as quickly as possible once the group ahead or behind of you moves out of the way.

This canyon is very dangerous and has had its share deadly flash floods and near misses. You do not want to be in here during an Arizona monsoon.

Yes, it’s very crowded and expensive, but this is a place you just have to visit.

Lower Antelope Canyon and Water Holes Canyon is on the list for next time!

Tips for your visit:
~ get an extended tour (usually called a “photographers tour”) or you will feel like a sheep being herded through the canyon
~ check the forecast for potential storms; don’t rely on the tour guides, although they do check the forecast each day
~ set your camera’s white-balance to “cloudy”
~ use ISO 100 on your camera you have a tripod; use ISO 400 or 800 if you do not have a tripod
~ if you don’t bring a tripod, use the walls of the canyon to stabilize your pictures and prevent blurring
~ Lower Antelope Canyon is also amazing and comes highly recommended
~ bring a tripod
~ repeat: bring a tripod
~ visit early morning for the the best sun-beams; visit mid-day for the smallest crowds
~ don’t miss nearby Horseshoe Bend, one of the most fantastic views in the entire Southwest
~ don’t miss nearby Lake Powell, Buckskin Gulch, The Wave, and Glen Canyon Dam

Cheers,

- Greg

 

[Kevin Rooney]

I agree - looks like you have a great time. Visited it in April after a hiker friend told me she'd just returned, and it had been on her bucket list- no question it's a "must see" type of place. Despite the guided tours, I didn't feel too rushed. It's a fantastic place. And yes, we did get the sunbeams...

Here's a link to a few photos, including some in Zion NP.

 

[hiking lady]

Visited back in 06 and it was spectacular. However our guide was a bit creepy, he looked like he just escaped from prison

 

[max]

Nice shots! The place is 3 hours up the road but sadly I have not made a visit since we moved here 3 years ago. Actually, Page was on my short list of towns to move to when we relocated, but Prescott has better facilities and had more options for housing at the time.

 

[pudgy_groundhog]

Lovely set of shots! I like the last one the best - pretty range of colors.

Last year we chose to visit Lower Antelope because we thought the crowds would be less - but it was still pretty crazy. I was pleasantly surprised to get sunbeam shots in Lower (I had thought it was only Upper). We did Water Holes Canyon too - although due to time constraints, didn't get to spend as much time as I would have liked. It's a great canyon and we only saw two other people.

If you return, I think you would also like Yellow Rock. Fun place to explore and take pictures (and off the beaten path - we pretty much had it to ourselves). And if you have the vehicle for it - Alstrom Point. Loved camping there - amazing views!

 

[Adventurous]

I've been dreaming about another trip to the southern Utah area and your pictures are making me ponder it even more. They're just spectacular!!!

Thanks for the tips...I'll keep those in mind. I'll also keep Pudgy Groundhog's recommendations on the list of places to visit.

 

[Stan]

Is the only way to hike this canyon is by signing on to a tour? What about off season as flashfloods from storms unseen upstream are less likely outside of summer months?

 

[roadtripper]

Is the only way to hike this canyon is by signing on to a tour? What about off season as flashfloods from storms unseen upstream are less likely outside of summer months?

Tour only year-round it seems. You don't need a guide for nearby Water Holes Canyon though (just get a Navajo Permit)

 

[Paul_Bear]

Is the only way to hike this canyon is by signing on to a tour? What about off season as flashfloods from storms unseen upstream are less likely outside of summer months?

If you go to the lower canyon, you can go through on your own to some degree. They'll sell you a photographers pass for a bit more than the regular price which gives you 2 hours in the canyon (I remember something like $25 last year, but I may be off). There will be guided groups passing through and sometimes they have a roving guide keeping an eye on things but you can go at your own pace. For me, 2 hours is about right before I need a break from photographing. I've been in the lower canyon twice and I think I prefer it to the upper. There will still be people going through it, but it's much less crowded than the upper canyon. It's a bit harder to get through with some stairs and ladders in place plus some narrow sections to squeeze through but nothing that would be a problem for someone who hikes in the Northeast.

As far as I know, the upper canyon requires you to go in a guided group. I believe you can save some money by driving out to the canyon and getting a guide there, but I don't know if this gives you less time in the canyon. The only time I did the upper canyon was mid day on Memorial day and it was insanely crowded. I can't say I really enjoyed my time there, but I do have some really nice photos.

roadtripper - I love your photos. Very nice light at that time of day.