Antelope Canyon – Where the Rock Walls are Fiery and Dreamy

Being inside Antelope Canyon is like being in a dream. It’s also like being inside a giant fire; being licked by flames that strike you with awe rather than scorch you. The red rock walls seem to twist and turn and stretch out into the atmosphere as the light from above fights its way in through the convoluted channels and onto the canyon floor. 

Antelope Canyons* are a set of slot canyons — narrow canyons carved by flowing water. To me, these slot canyons in northern Arizona looked more like they were crafted by deft hands. The graceful curves, the delicate textures and colors, and the light that accentuate the formations made it feel like I was engulfed by dainty flow-ey things and not rock walls. But our guide Lori was quick to remind us as we walked into the canyon that what we saw around us was created by fast-moving water. She pointed out to the vertical tunnels created by water, and the broader circular walls above our heads that might have been a result of whirlpools formed between the rocks. 

She also pointed out some popular ‘photo points’ as she called them; they were some shapes that the rocks seemed to make: the lion head, corkscrew, a heart, and a whole lot of other things. There was also an Elvis Prestley somewhere in there.

The Crack

Anywhere within the 200-meter canyon, you look up and you see dramatic formations in the rock. That, with the light that filters through the 30-40 meter depth of the canyon, will deceive you into believing that you are at the foot of a gigantic piece of abstract installation art. With the limited light in there, you might think it challenging to take pictures in there or you might see unlimited photographic opportunities.

For me, it was the latter.

I turned off the flash on my phone and set my camera on programmed setting and went click-click-click. I was on the regular tour which meant not being able to linger in one spot for too long in order to take pictures. 😐To be able to pause, think of the best angles and camera settings before you take pictures, one has to purchase special photo tours. 

The Walls of Antelope Canyon

Some views from the Canyon Floor

Some of the Formations in the Slot Canyon

The Wavy Walls and the Textures

That brings me to the tours.

How to visit Antelope Canyon

The only way to see the canyons here is through the tours organized by the local tour companies. 

The drill: you book your tickets before your visit. Then, arrive at the address you are given, at least an hour early. When your time comes, you are summoned to a tour truck that will take you on a 10-mile fun-bumpy ride across the red rocky desert. 

At the mouth of the canyon, you gather with your tour group of 12-15 people and follow the guide in. Now as you walk in you are allowed to make a few stops to photograph the shapes that are pointed out to you. You can also keep clicking as long as you are able to keep in step with the tour group that is pretty much ‘constantly on the move.’ The group stops a few times for group/family/couple picture where there’s the light that comes all the way to the bottom of the canyon. 

You walk in through the right side of the canyon and allow the out-going line of people, the other side of the path. Often the path gets very narrow and you have to squeeze through the space and take turns to pass in opposite directions. That’s fun too. 

What was not fun was being breathed down by the tour guide of the group that followed us. He seemed to rush us through the canyon, even though we weren’t really making “stops” :-/. (I noticed that the groups that came into the canyon as we were leaving, seemed to have a bit more time to enjoy the dreaminess of the absolutely gorgeous Upper Antelope Canyon.

On the way back, you are asked to put away your phones and cameras and just walk back out, allowing the incoming line to take pictures at the photo spots. And that was totally understandable. Totally fair. 

[FYI: We did one of the 10:30 am tours. You might want to check if going in a little later could mean that you get to take in more of the water-polished canyon. You need to be able to stand at stare at the sights every now and then. That’s how awe-inspiring these Navajo Sandstone Slot Canyons are.
Happy Touring!! 🙂 ]

More —
Lithic Landscapes on Tipsy from the TRIP
Red Rock Formations on Tipsy from the TRIP

[*- not to be confused with Antelope Valley in CA, (also a place to see!)
Antelope Valley – The Poppy Hills of California]

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