Antelope Canyon, Arizona
Antelope Canyon is one of the most beautiful and picturesque sites in Utah, and in the entire United States! This orange and red rock slot canyon offers unique and awe-inspiring inspiring views, and is definitely worth the visit if you're visiting Arizona or Utah.
About Antelope Canyon
Antelope Canon is near Page in Northern Arizona and sits on Navajo Indian Tribal Lands. It is a canyon that includes two separate, scenic slot canyon sections, referred to as Upper Antelope Canyon (The Crack) and Lower Antelope Canyon (The Corkscrew). It was formed by the flash flooding that eroded the sandstone, and sent water rushing down the narrow passageways. Over time these paths deepened, and the rough rock edges smoothed into flowing, colorful shapes. Since it's on Navajo land, it is only accessible by guided tour and it is not dog friendly.
However! Keep reading to see how you can access a part of the canyon that is not on Navajo land and how you can there-- dogs and all!
How to Get There
Antelope Canyon is about 4.5 hours north of Phoenix. Take I-17 north all the way to US-89 north towards Page. If you're visiting other attractions in the area, it's less than 3 hours south of Bryce Canyon (accessed by US-89 south), about 2 hours east of Zion National Park (accessed by US-89 south), and about 4 hours north of the Grand Canyon (accessed by heading south on AZ-64, merging onto I-40 east, and then US-89 north).
What To Do
If you want to visit the main part of Antelope Canyon east of Page, you will need to go by guided tour. Reservations are required, and you can book your tour here. It will cost you about $80 for all national park fees, Navajo fees, and the tour itself. This is a great way to support the Navajo nation, and will give you the most access to the canyon.
We visited in July 2020 during COVID-19, and all of the tours were shut down. So we got a little creative and ended up having one of the best days of our life! There is another section of the canyon that doesn't sit on Navajo land, and you can rent a paddleboard and paddle your way into the slot canyon. We paddled in with our dog aboard, and had an amazing time. Here's how to do it:
Rent a paddleboard or kayak from Lake Powell Paddleboards and Kayaks. It costs $35 to rent a kayak and $45 to rent a paddleboard. They will help you strap the equipment to your car (they provide all the necessary gear), and give you directions and a map so you know where you're going.
Drive about 15 minutes from the shop to the launching dock at Antelope Marina in Lake Powell. They will provide necessary directions. You will need to pay the $30 entrance fee per vehicle, or use your annual national parks pass.
Drive to the water and unload all of your gear. Then drive back up the hill, park, and walk back down to the water.
Follow the directions given by the shop. Once you take off, stick the the left side of the lake (other boats are on the water!) After paddling an hour or so, depending on your fitness level, you'll see another smaller (but obvious) slot that winds it's way all the way to the end of the water.
Pull your board or kayak up onto dry land and leave it as you hike through the canyon!
Note: You can pick it up your equipment after 8am and keep it all day, but you must return it before 6pm. They have a pretty high late fee at about $50 per every half hour you're late, so don't miss it. It's about a 3 mile paddle each way, so know your fitness level and leave plenty of time. We hit the water around 12:30pm and made sure to start heading back by 4pm just to be safe, but you may need more time. If we were to go again, we'd leave more time because it was simply an AMAZING experience. The lake is split between Utah and Arizona, one of which does daylights saving time and the other one doesn't. So while you're on the water, you may go forward in time in Utah and think you're running late (this happened to us!) As long as you drop off the gear by 6pm Arizona time, you will avoid all late fees.
Another great attraction about 6 minutes away is Horseshoe Bend. After we dropped off our boards, we ate at Big John's Texas BBQ and listened to the live music, and still got to Horseshoe Bend before the sunset. Your national parks pass does not include Horseshoe Bend, but it only costs $10/vehicle.
Paddling and hiking into Antelope Canyon, swimming in Lake Powell, indulging in BBQ, and taking in the in the view at Horseshoe Bend was one of the best days we've had traveling, and made for the perfect summer day. We can't recommend it highly enough.
Where to Camp
You can spend an extra $20 or so and keep the board overnight to camp on Antelope Island. We didn't do this, but we only heard positive things about the experience. Ask the shop for directions on how to get there if you choose to do that, and pack all of your overnight gear in a dry bag (also sold at the store).
We chose to camp outside the park in a central location, as we were visiting Bryce Canyon, Zion National Park, and Antelope Canyon. We had a fantastic stay at Bryce Zion Campground, which offers RV, tent, and cabin camping. They have a small store, clean showers, and beautiful views of the surrounding mountains. Fees range from $42- $65 a night, and the campground is pet friendly.
There are plenty of hotels to stay at in Page for less than $100/night. You can check out your options here. You can also camp at various campground around Lake Powell, ranging from primitive sites to sites with more amenities. Some accept reservations and others do not, so look at the options here and plan ahead.
Costs and Fees
Entrance fees: The entrance fee is $30 per vehicle (read: not per person). If you plan on visiting multiple parks, we recommend buying the America the Beautiful annual park pass for just $80. If you visit just 3 parks in the year it pays for itself, and you're able to visit unlimited parks and re-enter as many times as you want.
You will have to pay several different fees to if you take the Navajo tour, coming out to about $80/person. You can rent a kayak or paddleboard for between $35- $45 dollars, plus the entrance fee to the lake. Horseshoe Bend is $10/vehicle.
Camping fees: You can camp for free at primitive sites, or spend around $30- $40 for a site with bathrooms, showers, and hook-ups. Hotels in the area will cost around $100/night.
Tips and Tricks
Bring in any food and water you want on the water. There are plenty of stores in Page to stock up.
Put any equipment or electronics in a dry bag. You can bring your own or by one at the rental shop.
Plan for hot weather. Temperatures can exceed 90°F in the summer. The spring and the fall are much more moderate, but can get chilly at night. The winter is about 50°F during the day, and drops below 30°F at night.
Leave everything better than you found it. Clean up after yourself your pets, and follow the Leave No Trace principle.
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