Lower Antelope Canyon

IMG_5823
Welcome back to National Parks and other public lands with T!

Antelope Canyon is a slot canyon outside Page, Arizona. The Navajo named Lower Antelope Canyon Hazdistazí, or ‘spiral rock arches.’ It was designated a Navajo Tribal Park in 1997.

IMG_5725

Entry is by guided tour only since a slot canyon is a dangerous place to be if there is rain anywhere along the course of the canyon (and thunderstorms are surprisingly frequent in the desert.) Several tourists have died in flash floods in this canyon.

IMG_5711

It was a cloudless sunny morning the day we set out to visit Antelope Canyon. We chose Lower Antelope because it is less crowded and less expensive than Upper Antelope.

IMG_5707

The only tour operator here for years was Ken’s. The year we went, his sister had also set up shop, next to Ken’s in the parking lot. Hers had no line, so we went there.

IMG_5717

Our tour guide was great, told interesting stories, gave tips on shooting photos, played the flute along the way and took family photos for us at several places.

IMG_5874

The slot canyon itself is amazing. It was formed by the erosion of Navajo Sandstone, primarily due to flash flooding. During monsoon season, rainwater collects in the basin above the slot canyon sections, picking up speed and sand as it scours through the narrow passageways.

IMG_5835

It is quite an arduous climb down steep stairs and ladders to the floor and then there are more stairs and ladders up and down along the way and places where you have to squeeze through narrow passages. The first multi-story, metal staircase by which we descended into the canyon was heart-stoppingly steep. I almost couldn’t bring myself to climb down until the guide told me there was no shame in climbing down backwards, as if it were a ladder (really, it almost was one!)

IMG_5739

We went early in the morning and the canyon was cool at the bottom, but by the time we ascended, we were sweating and tired. The guides gave us a free water at the end of the tour…be sure to bring your own for the tour. I did see small children and elderly people make the trek just fine with some help from the guides and their families.

IMG_5720

Location: Page, Arizona
Designation: Navajo Tribal Park
Date designated/established: 1997
Date of my visit: August 18, 2014

IMG_5772