After saying goodbye to Grand Canyon National Park, we traveled through the Navajo Nation to Page, Arizona. Page is home to the most amazing hidden gems below the desert floor … slot canyons! The Page Arizona slot canyons offer families an amazing opportunity to explore an untouched world. Venture underground with our adventure travel family, as we tour Lower Antelope Canyon!
Page Arizona Slot Canyons:
What is a Slot Canyon?
Antelope Canyon is a slot canyon on Navajo land near Page Arizona. Slot canyons are small canyons formed when water flows into a crack in the bedrock. In Page, a creek that empties into the Colorado River would have flash floods that wore away the sandstone. This was followed by hot, dry periods where sandstorms brushed against the canyon walls. The sandstorms caused the striated and swirled canyon walls you see in the slot canyons.
Page Arizona Slot Canyons:
Upper Or Lower Antelope Canyon?
Antelope Canyon includes six separate slot canyon sections. These sections are Upper Antelope Canyon, Rattle Snake Canyon, Owl Canyon, Mountain Sheep Canyon, Canyon X and Lower Antelope Canyon.
Upper Antelope Canyon is the most famous and most visited section of Antelope Canyon. Most people arrive wanting to view the famous ray of sunshine that appears when the sun is in just the right location. The famous ray of sunshine is not visible at other times of the day. So visitors trek the entire 100 yard length of Upper Antelope Canyon to view a single location.
Unlike its famous sibling, Lower Antelope Canyon is lesser known and closer to a mile in length. Lower Antelope Canyon is in the shape of a “V” with narrow footing and wider ceilings. Whereas Upper Antelope Canyon is shaped like an “A” with a wider pathway that narrows as you approach the ceiling.
Even though Lower Antelope Canyon is becoming more popular now, tours of Upper Antelope Canyon remain far more crowded. So, weighing all the pros and cons, we our adventure travel family opted for a tour of Lower Antelope Canyon. And we were not disappointed!!
Page Arizona Slot Canyons:
Ken’s Tours
Because Lower Antelope Canyon is located with the Navajo Nation, it is only accessible through certain Navajo tour companies. Meaning, you cannot tour or visit Lower Antelope Canyon without a Navajo tour company guide. We recommend these tours of Lower Antelope Canyon: Ken’s Tours or Dixie’s Tours.
What Should You Expect on Your Tour of Lower Antelope Canyon:
Getting There
I booked a 11 am tour of Lower Antelope Canyon. To be safe, we we left Grand Canyon National Park by 7 am. This allowed us enough time to visit the overlooks along the Desert View Drive as we exited the park.
Navajo Nation does not observe Daylight Savings Time. And there were long stretches of our drive with no cell signal. The drive from Grand Canyon National Park to Page is scenic. There are long stretches of desert landscapes with little pullout areas and vender stalls every couple miles. Cattle, horses, and other livestock are free roaming throughout the area, so stay aware and watch your speed.
The tour operator specifies the which time zone they operated in. But, figuring out the correct time can be tricky even when we had cell signal. The Utah boarder is a few miles away from Page, so our phones bounced back and forth between time zones. Ultimately, we ended up arriving before 10 am. Luckily, we were able to swap for slots on the 10 am tour.
What Should You Expect on Your Tour of Lower Antelope Canyon:
What to Bring & What to Leave Behind
There is a much longer list of what you cannot bring on your tour. You will have to squeeze through the canyon walls during your tour of Lower Antelope Canyon. The rules prohibit you from bringing in anything that can damage the walls of the canyon. So, you cannot bring any backpacks, bags or purses into the canyon. You also cannot bring in any selfie-sticks. They also prohibit the recording of any video … so no GoPros.
So what can you bring? The tour lasts about an hour, so you can bring water. You can also bring your camera. You will be required to climb stairs and walk for about a mile, so wear sturdy shoes.
What Should You Expect on Your Tour of Lower Antelope Canyon:
Descending Into the Canyon
We started our tour of Lower Antelope Canyon with a brief safety talk lead by our tour guide. Then, our guide led us on a short walk out into the desert.Â
Lower Antelope Canyon is the kind of place that you would never find unless it was pointed out to you. The entire canyon is below ground level. All that you can see to give it away is the wavy narrow chasm. And you can’t really see that unless you are really see close up!
Once at the entrance, you descend down 5 sets of metal staircases. From here, you enter into the long narrow slot canyon.
What Should You Expect on Your Tour of Lower Antelope Canyon:
Inside Lower Antelope Canyon
Lower Antelope Canyon runs north to south. What does this mean? Well, it means the lighting is always amazing!
With the sun shining through the top of the underground canyon, shafts of light cut into the canyon. This illuminates the orange and gold sandstone walls. The effect is surreal!
At every turn there was a new formation, swirl, or wave to explore.
I could have spent hours in the canyon photographing the angles and colors!
What Should You Expect on Your Tour of Lower Antelope Canyon:
Exiting the Canyon
Once we reached the end of Lower Antelope Canyon, we climbed up climb up a metal staircase.
Then there is a tight squeeze through the sandstone on the desert floor.
Here, we explored some dinosaur prints. Then we made the short hike back to the tour station, where we enjoyed popsicles while we dusted off.
The Family Verdict
No trip to the American Southwest is complete without visiting some part of Antelope Canyon! Our tour of Lower Antelope Canyon was perfect! We were given enough space to explore and take photos. We didn’t feel like we were rushed through to make room for the next tour group. Our guide pointed out great photo opportunities and shared a ton of great information with us. Lower Antelope Canyon is one of my favorite stops on our road trip!
If you loved our adventures in Lower Antelope Canyon, check out our adventures in nearby Grand Canyon National Park and Horseshoe Bend. Also, follow along on our road trip through the American Southwest!
Follow along on our other amazing family travel adventures at www.adventureisinoursouls.com.
Recommended Supplies
Don’t miss out on these recommended supplies for your family adventure in the American Southwest!
For Packing:
For the Airport / Airplane:
Basics:
Outdoors:
- Pocket Binoculars
- Travel Umbrella
- Adult Hiking Hydration Backpack
- Kid’s Hiking Hydration Backpack
- Water Bladder Cleaning Tablets
- Microfiber Towels
- Women’s All Around Jacket
- Women’s Water-Resistant Hiking Pants, These and These
- Women’s Quick Dry Pants and These
- Women’s Quick Dry Shirts
- Women’s Long Sleeve UV Rash Guard
- Women’s Hiking Socks
- Women’s Rain Jacket
- Kid’s Quick Dry Pants
- Kid’s Quick Dry Shorts
- Kid’s Quick Dry Shirts
- Kid’s Long Sleeve UV Rash Guard
- Kid’s Hiking Socks and These
- Kids Rain Jacket
- Kid’s Rain Pants
- Foldable Kid’s Hat
- Men’s Rain Jacket
