This post gives you: (1) tips on how to plan a trip here, (2) the story of my interactions with Logan, who grew up exploring the canyons before they were tourist destinations, and (3) my reflections on visiting one of the most iconic photography locations in the world with only an old iPhone. Read on below…
Upper Antelope Canyon
Before planning a trip to see the canyons there are a handful of things you need to know. First, you can’t just show up, you need to pay for a tour (and they book up in advance)! The canyons are owned by several Navajo families, and they have authorized only several tour companies to operate tours. Second, the tours aren’t cheap or very long (often just 1-2 hours). Third, the famous “beams of light” in Upper Antelope only occur for part of the year. They start in late spring and peak in June. Fourth, each slot isn’t that long in distance. If you were to walk through Antelope, Owl, or Rattlesnake Canyons without stopping it wouldn't take more than a few minutes. Fifth, depending on the time of day you go you may be jammed into Antelope canyon so many people it’ll feel like Disney World. (To deal with this they now sell “photography tours” at times when they limit the number of others in the canyon - for a premium). Sixth a different set of Navajo families own '“Lower Antelope Canyon”, so if you want to see that you have to book a completely different tour.
Taken together, does this mean don’t go? No way!
I loved my morning in and above the slots. I’ve never been in anything like them before. The shape of rocks, the colors, the shadows … even with others around was more than worth it. I also picked the time of my tour (early morning) and the tour company carefully to mitigate a number of the issues. (More on this below…)
The shadows in Upper Antelope Canyon were magical
Exploring Rattlesnake Canyon
After agonizing over which tour to take, I choose Antelope Canyon Photo Tours. It was expensive, but I had a fantastic morning! When the other family that was supposed to be part of my tour didn’t show up, my tour ended up being a private one. So I got all morning alone with Logan, a Navajo man who had grown up literally next to the canyons. He had so many stories of both him and his family camping, hiking, riding, and even partying in the slots (in the 1980s and 1990s). In addition to the nature, I was fascinated to hear about what his Navajo heritage meant to him, the debates they were having in the schools now around continuing to teach the language, the recent economic uptick in Page all due to Canyon tourism (apparently almost no one came to the Canyons before the late 1990s), the recent building of a $1,000+ / night Amman hotel near the canyons (my Best Western cost $59 by contrast and it was great), as well as the controversy over closing the local coal plant which locals believe is causing high cancer rates.
When we weren’t talking about those broader topics, he was a man on a mission! He had his tour down to an art. He moved fast, knew exactly where to stop, which angles to take pictures at, and what settings to use. He told me he’d stop more if I wanted, but I felt guilty slowing him down, even though I was the client! In retrospect, that is another good learning for me, and entirely consistent with the rest of my life I need to speak up for what I need versus always trying to appease whoever I’m with and silently feeling frustrated.
My guide. As you can see the geology is very different here than in the Upper Antelope Canyon with its overhangs that make you feel like you are in a cave
On the bright side, we had wonderful time talking and exploring for almost four hours through multiple slots, and other than Antelope Canyon, we were completely alone in all of these slots. My favorite was Mountain Sheep - which was the most remote (our giant truck almost got stuck multiple times on the way there and back).
My guide walking ahead into Mountain Sheep Canyon.
At the back of the slot, after getting through all the usual paths, he asked me if I wanted to go “up and over, instead of back through the canyon”. Of course I did!
At times, it got to be a bit precarious. But it was more than worth it.
Here we had to grab hard on the bush to pull ourselves up. Definitely not on the normal trail… but take a look at the rock formations we found on the top in the next set of photos!
Looking down into Owl Canyon - on another one of our off road adventures (this one was less precarious). I wish someone was down there for scale. It was probably at least 20 feet from the top where I was standing to the bottom.
Not only were some of the views down into the slots breathtaking, but I also loved hearing how our scrambling made him think of his childhood and his brother. It was clear he looked up to his brother (even as an adult) - and had so many fond memories of adventuring with him when they were children.
The main disappointment of the morning was that I didn’t have my camera during any of the adventures, just an iPhone. On the bright side it opened up better conversation and the ability to be more adventurous. I also felt like I got some okay shots Antelope, but I know with my big camera and tripod it would have been totally different. Even though Upper Antelope Canyon is so well photographed, expensive to get into, and busy, I still want to come back later with all the right gear someday soon. (Also - to any photographers reading this - definitely use a wide angle lens!)
Near the entrance to Upper Antelope Canyon. We were lucky that no one else came into the canyon for more than 15 minutes after we entered it.