Arizona and Utah are home to the highest concentration of slot canyons in the world, and none are more famous than Upper and Lower Antelope Canyons. Located on Navajo land just a few miles outside of Page, Arizona, tourists from around the world flock to these sites as they travel around the Southwest.
The canyons are formed when flash floods occur and over many thousands of years the runoff carves the soft Navajo sandstone into amazingly twisted passageways. During really heavy storms water will fill the entire canyon. Since seventeen tourists were killed in 1997, warning systems are now in place to allow evacuation when rainstorms threaten the area, and emergency ladders can be dropped down if necessary.
The two slot canyons are seperated by just a few miles. Upper Antelope (the entrance of which is seen above) is the more popular and accessible one but can get very hot and crowded in the summer. The canyon is up to one hundred and twenty feet deep in places and is known for the beams of light that illuminate the inside of the canyon around midday. In addition to the regular tours, the Navajo operators run special tours for photographers where they ensure everyone is positioned in the ideal locations as the light beams begin to appear. Squeezed tightly together are lines of people kneeling and others directly above them as the legs of their tripods intersect. The guides then throw shovels full of sand into the air to better highlight the beams and dozens of photographers start clicking away like mad. It's the most touristy experience I've had photographing something yet I can't ever remember getting so many good images in so short a period of time.
Lower Antelope Canyon is more fun to visit and a little more challenging as it requires navigating by going up and down a series of metal ladders. As a result, the crowds here are a little lighter than at Upper Antelope. It's a very narrow half mile long through hike and though it lacks the dramatic light beams of Upper Antelope Canyon it easily makes up for this with more beautiful sections to photograph. I timed my visit here for first thing in the morning before the crowds arrived in force. The photography group tours begin at the canyon exit and slowly head toward the oncoming regular tour groups. Luckily no one else had signed up for the tour the morning I was there, so I had the canyon all to myself for forty-five minutes before the peace and quiet was shattered. My excellent Navajo guide directed me toward the most interesting locations while he played Native American songs on his homemade flute.
Since the canyons are relatively dark, properly photographing them to capture the details requires a tripod; in fact you have to have one to even join a photography group. But you can also get pretty good photos using a hand held approach or even with an iPhone (set it to chrome for the best results). The guides know the most photogenic locations within the canyons and will even adjust your camera settings and take pictures for you. So even if you are a novice photographer you are bound to come away with some great images.
If you are planning a trip to the Grand Canyon, Zion or Bryce Canyon try to make time for a visit to one, or both of these incredible places. And for a similar experience without the crowds try nearby Rattlesnake, Owl or Mountain Sheep Canyons, or one of many other slot canyons in Southern Utah. You won't be disappointed.
To view the full size versions of these images and several more, please visit my Arizona Canyons gallery.
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