Where is Antelope Canyon Located
Antelope Canyon is located in Northern Arizona near Glen Canyon NRA. A Navajo Tribal Park, Antelope Canyon is only a few minutes drive from Page, AZ and is the areas second most popular tourist destination next to Lake Powell.
Why was Antelope Canyon Tribal Park Created
The Park was created to protect and showcase one of the worlds most amazing slot canyons. Antelope Canyon is known for its beautifully colored swirling sandstone, and the amazing shafts of light you see when the sun is overhead. Antelope Canyon is actually two different slot canyon. Upper Antelope Canyon is by far the most visited, mainly because it is a short easy walk along the sandy canyon floor. Lower Antelope Canyon, which is only about a few miles away, is also breathtaking, but the walk is a little more physically demanding.
How do you get to Antelope Canyon
Antelope Canyon Airports- The closest airport to Antelope Canyon is right down the road in the city of Page, which has flights to Denver and Phoenix. Flagstaff Arizona has a small airport with daily flights and a drive time of about 2.5 hours from Page. The closest major airports are Phoenix and Las Vegas International Airports, both of which are about 5 hours from Page.
Antelope Canyon Car Rentals- There is several car rental agencies in Page Arizona, which is only a few minutes from Antelope Canyon. You can also pick one up at any major airport you fly into.
Antelope Canyon Shuttles- There are a few companies that offer shuttles to Page from other cities, but local tour companies will pick you up at your hotel and drop you off when your trip to Antelope Canyon is finished.
Antelope Canyon Fees and Other Costs
There is a $6 entry fee to get into the park, and an additional fee for the tour. If you drive to the park yourself its is typically $20. If you go with a tour company that picks you up at your hotel it will cost more.
Antelope Canyon Weather and Climate
Summer near Antelope Canyon is hot, while spring and fall are pleasant and winter is coll. The weather in the Canyon itself however can be much cooler than the temperatures out in the desert sun, so be prepared especially if you go early in the morning, or during the cooler season.
When to visit Antelope Canyon
Over 160,000 visitors walk through the mystic corridors of Antelope Canyon each year. April through October typically have good weather for Antelope Canyon. It is also import to go from mid march to through the first week in October so the sun is higher in the sky for better lighting. The hours of about 10:30 to 1:30 are when most of the beautiful shafts of light you see get photographed. This is also when the majority of people are there so if you want a hint of solitude be there first thing in the morning.
Environment of Antelope Canyon
Antelope Canyon is only several miles long, and the slots known as upper and lower Antelope Canyon are only a small part of the entire canyon. Upper Antelope Canyon has a flat sandy floor, while lower Antelope is a little more rugged with several ladders in place to allow visitors in and out without ropes. Antelope Canyon was formed by water, primarily from flash floods cutting through the Navajo Sandstone, the geologic layer that makes up the slot canyons. Other forms of erosion like wind and frost-wedging also helped to create the beautiful canyon you see today.
Antelope Canyon Flora and Fauna
There is not much plant and animal life in the slot canyons. Although bugs, bats and the occasional Antelope would take refuge here, a large number of visitors and a lack of sun and water keep most life away. The Navajo also take a quick walk through each morning to chase out any lingering rattlesnakes.
Antelope Canyon Accommodations
There are many lodging options as well as RV parks and campgrounds in Page only a few minutes from Antelope Canyon. Lake Powel and the Glen Canyon NRA are also a few minutes from Antelope. Camping along the shores of Lake Powell and the NRA is free. Glen Canyon NRA also has three developed campgrounds. Rooms in Glen Canyon NRA are available at Wahweap and Bullfrog marinas. Bullfrog, Wahweap, and Halls Crossing also have RV parks and campgrounds.
Antelope Canyon Activities
The main activity at Antelope Canyon is to hike through Antelope Canyon. Photography is also very popular here, and there are tours designed specifically for photographers.
Antelope Canyon Food and Drink
There are no services available at Antelope Canyon. Restaurants and shopping options are available in Page a few minutes away; including a major grocery store and a Wal Mart. Bull Frog Marina is actually located where Antelope Canyon meets Lake Powell and does have some services.
Antelope Canyon Health, Safety and Hazards
The biggest safety concern at Antelope Canyon is flash floods. In 1997 eleven tourists died in Lower Antelope Canyon from a flash flood created from a storm many miles from the actual site. Since than the tribe requires all visitors to go with a guide, and has implemented several other measures to make the area safer.
Antelope Canyon Culture and History
Antelope Canyon is part of the Navajo Nation, and part of their history. Antelope Canyon wasn’t discovered until 1931, when a young Navajo girl who was herding sheep in the area found this natural wonder. Her daughter still leads tours in Antelope Canyon today.
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