Astonishing Antelope Canyon, Arizona

We took another road trip over the Good Friday long weekend, this time to Page, Arizona to see one of the remarkable places in the American west. Page, Arizona is around 4 hours drive from Las Vegas. We reached the Page just before sunset, but unfortunately it was cloudy on that day. We drove directly to horseshoe bend which is 5 minutes drive from the downtown of Page.

Horseshoe Bend is a horseshoe-shaped incised meander of the Colorado River located near the town of Page, Arizona, in the United States. The view and the scale is breathtaking. The picture does no justice to how truly magnificent it is.

It is accessible via hiking a 1.5-mile round trip from U.S. Route 89, The overlook is 4,200 feet above sea level, and the Colorado River is at 3,200 feet above sea level, making it a 1,000-foot. The rock walls of Horseshoe Bend contain hematite, platinum, garnet and other minerals.

The trail starts at the end of the parking lot by a sign warning hikers to be careful and a reminder that there are no rails at the edge of the cliff. It takes about 15 minutes to walk up to the site. You will have to go uphill a bit, so make sure to bring some water with you.

The absolutely stunning views are so majestic they almost seem fake, and seeing the view in person is the best way to take in the full beauty of Horseshoe Bend.

Antelope Canyon is a slot canyon in the American Southwest. It is on Navajo land east of Page, Arizona. Antelope Canyon includes two separate, scenic slot canyon sections, referred to individually as “Upper Antelope Canyon” and “Lower Antelope Canyon”. This is one of top 25 places to see in the world as per travel websites.

Antelope Canyon was formed by erosion sandstone, primarily due to flash flooding. 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, making the corridors deeper and smoothing hard edges.

There are only two tour companies that run one and half hour tours of the canyon. You can take a guided sightseeing tour for $50. This tour gave us plenty of opportunity to take photos of the canyon and hear about it’s history. If you are a professional photographer, I would suggest to go for a photography tour which is 3 hours in duration and cost you $100.

Lower Antelope Canyon, called Hazdistazí, or ‘Spiral rock arches’ by the Navajo, is located 3 miles from Upper Antelope Canyon.

It is more difficult to hike compared to upper antelope. It is longer, narrower in spots and even footing is not available in all areas.

Five flights of stairs of varying step widths are currently available to aid in descent and ascent. At the end, the climb out requires flights of stairs.

Additionally, visitors should be aware of sand which consistently falls from the above crack as it can make the stairs particularly slippery.

To enter the canyon, you head down a couple of very steep flights of stairs to descend to the canyon floor. The following picture is the exit location of the tour.

Upper Antelope Canyon is called Tsé bighánílíní, ‘The place where water runs through rocks’ by the Navajo. The tour guide will take the group of 10 people on the shuttle from the downtown of Page, because the upper antelope canyon is situated around 3 miles from the main road and the road leads to upper canyon is dirt.

It is the most frequently visited by tourists for two reasons. First, its entrance and entire length are at ground level, requiring no climbing.

Second, beams of direct sunlight radiating down from openings at the top of the canyon are much more common in Upper than in Lower.

Beams occur most often in the summer months, as they require the sun to be high in the sky. Winter colors are more muted.

Glen Canyon Dam Overlook – If you want to do some more activities at Page, then this Dam is next to Horseshoe bend and Antelope canyons. It is just a 10 minutes drive from the horseshoe bend. A three minute drive after you cross the Colorado River will take you to Scenic View Drive, where you will turn onto the turn off for the Dam Overlook.

This dinosaur track is found in front of Glen Canyon Dam visitor center.Overall, this trip was a great one. I would definitely suggest to go to this place at least once and you will not be disappointed. You will be stunned after seeing this amazingly breathtaking place.