Lower Antelope Slot Canyon

Over the years, Lower Antelope Canyon has become a favorite gathering place for photographers, tourists, and visitors from around the world. The views in Lower Antelope Canyon change constantly as the sun moves across the sky, filtering lights softly across the stone walls. These ever-moving sun angles bounce light back and forth across the narrow canyon’s walls, creating a dazzling display of color. Upper and Lower Antelope Canyon are both located in Page, Arizona, about 2 hours east of the Grand Canyon South Rim and 4 hours north of Phoenix by car. To get there, you can fly into Las Vegas’ McCarran International Airport, like I did, or fly into Phoenix’s Sky Harbor International Airport.

Come and see the wondrous world of Antelope Canyon. The canyon is a long, narrow slot canyon, 120 feet deep and carved to stunning perfection throughout the millennia. It truly is a sight to behold. It is no coincidence that this canyon is world renowned for its beauty and photographic opportunities and it is one of the must see wonders of the American Southwest. Please note our cancellation. Antelope Canyon, located near Page, Arizona is home to one of nature's most wondrous creations – the slot canyon. Carved from the red sandstone for millennia by seasonal flood rains and wind, the canyons are narrow passageways that lead several hundred feet away from the mouth. Starting with arguably the most popular slot canyon, Antelope Canyon is actually divided into two: Upper and Lower. Both areas feature the gorgeous curvy walls that beckon visitors from all over the world but you’ll find the tourist traffic significantly less in Lower Antelope Canyon.

×Antelope Canyon is located near Page on Navajo Nation land, just outside Glen Canyon National Recreation Area and close to AZ 98 a few miles east of town (at milepost 299). Antelope is the most visited slot canyon in the Southwest, partly because it is easily accessible and by far the most publicized, and also since it is extremely beautiful, with just the right combination of depth, width, length, rock color and ambient light; many other slot canyons are deeper, narrower or longer, and some have rock that is even more colorful and sculptured, but here conditions are ideal.

Location

The seasonal stream of Antelope Creek

Lower Antelope Slot Canyon

flows into Lake Powell 3 miles east of Page in far north Arizona. Most of the watercourse is wide and sandy, but it forms two sections of accessible slot canyon near the lake (Upper and Lower Antelope Canyon), separated by several miles of flat desert terrain. Both may be approached from AZ 98; the upper canyon (also known as Corkscrew Canyon) is reached at the end of a very sandy 2 mile 4WD track south of the road beginning near milepost 299, and it is this part which is most often visited. Lower Antelope Canyon extends between AZ 98 and the lake, and is reached by a short track northwards leading to a parking area from where the escorted tours depart. This is slightly more demanding to visit, requiring climbing up and down several ladders.

Fees

Lower Antelope Canyon Hike

To visit either part of Antelope Canyon is expensive. There is a fee of $8 for a standard permit required to enter Navajo territory, and an additional charge is due to the families who own the land around the canyons and regulate all access - the cheapest is currently (2020) around $60 for the shorter but more popular upper section and a little more for the longer lower canyon. As of 2018 all visits are only allowed as part of organized tours, preferably booked in advance, though there may be availability on the day during less popular months. The price may be higher for peak time visits, departing 10 am to midday. The fees will doubtless increase as the Navajo continue to exploit the ever-growing popularity of the canyon.

Route Description

Upper Antelope Canyon

When approaching upper Antelope Canyon, there is no obvious clue as to its location. The trail seems to end at the base of a red sandstone plateau about 20 yards high, but the sight of an Indian jewelry stall soon indicates its position - the entrance is a narrow curved slit in the cliffs only a few feet wide. Once inside, the temperature drops as much as 20 degrees as the visitor enters one of the most beautiful of all natural formations. The sunlight filtering down the curved sandstone walls makes magical, constantly changing patterns and shadows in many subtle shades of color. Some sections of the canyon are wide and bright, while others are narrower and more cave-like, with no light reaching the sandy floor. After only 150 yards or so, the canyon becomes suddenly much shallower near the top of the plateau. It may take only 3 or 4 minutes to walk through, but the canyon is well worth the arduous trek or expensive journey required to get there. Pictures taken here adorn camera shops and photographic manuals throughout the world, and usually there will be many people waiting with tripods and light meters trying to compose the perfect shot, and grumbling when other people walk in front of their two minute exposure. There are other equally short but pretty narrows further upstream, though these are not open to visitors.

Lower Antelope Canyon

The lower canyon is longer and deeper than the upper section, but also slightly more challenging, requiring climbing down ladders in some places to descend several sheer drops. It was here that 11 people were drowned in a flash flood in August 1997, when water 50 feet deep from a thunderstorm 5 miles away swept through the canyon, eventually deepening it by 4 feet. Lower Antelope Canyon was closed for 9 months before reopening with improved safety features, and now all visitors must now be accompanied by a guide. Both parts of the canyon are still beautiful, but any sense of adventure or tranquility is long since gone - best to try one of the hundreds of other Southwest slot canyons for these qualities. The nearest alternatives, only requiring a $6 daily permit, are Buckskin Gulch and Wire Pass.

Other Canyons

The short slot of Upper Antelope Canyon is six miles from Lake Powell but only about half way along the drainage, which to the south extends across empty desert land, initially as a sandy wash, then as a rocky gorge as the land gradually rises. Tributaries join from both sides, some also containing slot sections, while the upper end splits into two main forks, both deep and narrow. Several other segments of the drainage system have received semi-official names, and may be visited as part of specialized tours, charged in the range $80 to $250. Closest to Hwy 98 is Owl Canyon, which joins Antelope from the southwest, one mile from the road; this has a 900 foot-long slot near its lower end and much longer narrows 2.5 miles upstream, a section also known as Mountain Sheep Canyon. A little further, the uppermost stretch of the drainage is Ramshead Canyon, in which the walls partly overhang above the streambed. Another short slot known as Ligai Si Anii Canyon is also in this area, accessed from Copper Mine Road. The next major tributary south (0.7 miles before Upper Antelope) is Rattlesnake Canyon, the lower end of which forms a 500 foot slot, with two small arches.

Lower Antelope Slot Canyon

Wind Pebble Canyon is a longer tributary with several enclosed, photogenic sections, named for the stones embedded in the walls; it joins Antelope from the west, nearly 6 miles south of the highway. The two upper forks are Canyon X (east) and Cardiac Canyon (west) - both are cliff-lined for around one mile, containing slots alternating with more open passageways. The latter is rather more strenuous to explore.

Map of Slot Canyons of Antelope Creek

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Enjoy an exploration of world-famous Antelope Canyon on Lake Powell. This one hour boat tour will explore Antelope Canyon in such a way that you will be able to get up close and personal with the Canyon walls. Antelope Canyon has become world renowned for all of the exquisite photograph’s. This is an experience you will not want to miss while visiting Lake Powell and Page, Arizona.

Starting Location Antelope Point Marina Tour Duration 1 Hour Bottled Water Included

Lake Powell is like no other lake you have ever visited! It is the second largest man made reservoir by maximum water capacity in the United States! With almost 2000 miles of shoreline there is something always waiting to be discovered around the next bend. * This tour begins at Antelope Point Marina

2020 Bundle Deals! Lower Antelope Canyon with Antelope Canyon Boat Tours!

You wouldn’t travel all the way to London, England, snap a photo of Big Ben, then turn around and go back home. Call a visit to Paris, France ‘good’ with a quick selfie at the Eiffel Tower?

While Antelope Canyon in Page, AZ, is not a city, it is nonetheless a complex, multi-faceted eco-system that should be seen from both the land-side and water-side to be fully understood and appreciated.

Enjoy an exploration of world-famous Antelope Canyon on Lake Powell. This one hour boat tour will explore Antelope Canyon in such a way that you will be able to get up close and personal with the Canyon walls. Being bundled with a Tour of Upper / Lower / or both Canyons which is one of the most photographed canyons of the American Southwest makes this a once in a lifetime package that you will not want to miss out on!

Starting Location - Variable Check your itinerary Lower Antelope Tour Duration 2 Hours Antelope Canyon Boat Tour Duration 1 hour Boat Tour includes Water

Pro Tip: Many times bundle deals are still available even if the individual tours are not!

Benefits of a Bundle Deal…
#1 – All inclusive booking price. Don’t get caught with hidden fee’s!
#2 – When you purchase a boat tour combo your Park Entry fees is reduced from $37.00 to $2.00! Just show your Vouchers.

Upper And Lower Antelope Canyon Tours

#3 – Our service does all of the work finding any possible booking combination and times. Saving you valuable time.
#4 – Our bundle deals take into consideration how far you have to travel and how long you may have to wait to enter the Park or add time for lunches.

The Lower Antelope Canyon Land + Boat Tour is literally a trip back through millions of years of time!
*Note this Tour begins at Kens Tour or Antelope Point Marina depending on your itinerary.

Feeling a little more adventurous? Then take a look at taking a Kayak from the launch ramp at Antelope Marina and paddling to Antelope Canyon yourself. This is a fantastic way to experience Lake Powell and Antelope Canyon! Pack a lunch and make a full day of exploring the many hidden cove and beaches. This is a wonderful way to spend a day.

Starting Location Antelope Public Launch Ramp Tour Duration 4 Hours