Antelope Canyon is one of our most popular and requested tours. This is obviously due to the completely unique landscape that is presented at Antelope Canyon, with the slot canyon walls rising dramatically on both sides of the path. The “Crack” and the “Corkscrew” are the two hiking paths that make up Antelope Canyon, and they are a combination of completely natural terrain and safety measures such as railings embedded into the rock which assist explorers to both walk and hike through the area more safely as well as protecting against flash flooding which can be deadly if a severe enough flood was to present itself while you are within the slot. While safety measures like staircases might not be the most natural looking things in the world, they are a necessary evil in order to protect our tours. Flash flooding is what actually created Antelope Canyon, and the rushing water will carry away anything in its path in many cases. In 2006 the flooding was so bad that it lasted 36 hours and closed the park for more than five months.
Professional tour groups are the only ones allowed to move through the Antelope Canyon area, as they have to utilize all weather notices and understand all safety precautions that Navajo Nation requires in order to maintain the safety of the visitors. You cannot “self-tour” the area, due to the concerns about flash flooding that can have no visible clues when standing inside of the slot. That said, the majority of times that we offer tours to Antelope Canyon as a part of our multi-day tours, we will be able to complete the tour without an issue. If inclement weather does not allow us to visit the canyon on the day of our tour, then we will instead visit an alternative National Park.
Photography at Antelope Canyon is very popular, as photographers from all over the world come to the area to capture the natural phenomenon that exist here. While there are two distinct types of tours that are offered through different companies (predominantly defined as a “photography tour” or a “sightseeing tour”) our tours are generally considered “sightseeing” as they will not include the lengthy stops on one or two areas of photographic interest that are more “photo tour” oriented. The photo tours that are offered by some companies will stop for almost two hours in a single area of the canyon in order to allow photographers to set up equipment and tripods and work toward getting that perfect shot. Our tours offer photo stops, but are not designed to spend the same amounts of time in a specific area as a photo tour, so you will be able to get plenty of amazing pictures but will not get bored by the other members of our group staying in one place for hours.
So what makes Antelope Canyon so popular with photographers? The answer is “light beams” and “sand waterfalls.” What this means is that between March 20 and October 7 of every year, the sun is positioned directly over the canyon sky, allowing dramatic sunbeams to drop from the sky down to the floor. The “sand waterfalls” are created when large amounts of sand are either blown into the canyon walls or thrown against them by the tour guide, producing a waterfall effect that will sometimes last for an extended period of time. In order to photograph the sunbeams and waterfalls accurately, you are going to need a camera that allows for a wide exposure range, because you are literally photographing light inside of a dark area. While your phone will probably get a great picture, if you want to try out your photographic skills bring your SLR and a good lens.