In October of this year our family took a trip to visit some of the state parks in the U.S. and one of the places we traveled to was the beautiful Lower Antelope Canyon near Page, Arizona. This is not a state park, it is a Navajo Tribal Park.
What is a Slot Canyon?
Lower Antelope canyon is a slot canyon located in northern Arizona in Lake Powell. A slot canyon is a narrow canyon that is formed from water rushing through rock. What starts off as a tiny crack steadily grows larger from repeat flash floods and erosion over years and years.
This is the entrance to the canyon, a steep climb down 3 or 4 flights of stairs. There are no wheelchair ramps here.
Lower Antelope Canyon is located a few miles from Upper Antelope Canyon. It is known as "spiral rock arches" by the Navajo. It is great for those looking for a little hike and to take cool photographs. The lower canyon is in the shape of a "V". Lighting is better in the early hours and late morning. Unfortunately, we were there in the middle of the day. It was an awesome tour and I loved taking pictures there!
A Guided Tour of the Lower Antelope Canyon
No one is allowed to walk through without a Navajo guide. And to go along with that thought, you will have to arrive no later than 1 hour prior to your scheduled time. Your reservation will be passed to someone else, if you are late. When we were there, someone was late, and they lost their reservation. They are also very careful about the weather. If it rains, the water flows into the canyon and floods it. Our guide said that as a kid, he would play in the canyon during or after rainstorms, which could be very dangerous.
This is the crevice where we climbed out of the canyon. There is a gradual slant with steps to climb up and out. You can see how the rain would rush down into the canyon, if there was a downpour. You can look at a map of Antelope Canyon, where it is in relation to the state of Arizona.
My next blog will be about the beauty of Zion National Park. If you haven't read my previous blogs about our trip out west, here are a few to check out: Hoover Dam, as well as the South Rim of the Grand Canyon.
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