Most travelers who post it page in the north of the US state Arizona fails, come because of the Slot canyons. Slot canyons are rocky canyons washed out by water currents, the upper edges of which are super-narrow in some sections and almost or even completely touch one another. Slot canyons create fascinating photo opportunities. There are many of them on the southern edge of Lake Powell, and they are all made of sandstone in this region.
The most famous and most visited slot canyon is Antelope Canyon. There are also others that are also worth a visit, especially for those travelers who want to avoid the hustle and bustle at Antelope Canyon. Much of the slot canyons are on the territory of the Navajo Nation, and to visit them you need a permit. Most of them can only be visited as part of guided tours, a permit is sufficient for some, others are completely closed to the public. There are also slot canyons outside of the Indian reservation, e.g. B. the Buckskin Gulch; these and a few others are freely accessible.
The town page offers numerous overnight accommodations.
background
history
landscape
Flora and fauna
climate
preparation
There are no toilets at the canyons. The canyons are very sandy, so you need good shoes. The slot canyons are vestibules, and even slight air movements create sandstorms in the canyon. If you love your camera, you should bring all-weather protection with you, which you can get in retail outlets for less than 10 €; if you don't need it after all: all the better. Initiates wear a hoodie (sweatshirt with a hood) so that the sand does not constantly trickle down their necks; some even have swimming goggles in their luggage. For longer hair, it's best to have a headscarf handy. If you come with young children, visiting in sandstorm conditions can become a nightmare.
The slot canyons in detail
Outside the Navajo Nation, at Page
- Stateline Canyon
- Stateline Canyon (Geocoordinates: 36.988298, -111.547826) is 12 minutes northwest of Page on the eastern edge of U.S. Route 89. The canyon reaches the waters of Lake Powell and is two miles long and relatively easy for hikers. The canyon is outside the Navajo Nation, no permit required. Coming from Page, drive past Wahweap Blvd, then pay attention to the next street to the left and park in the open space at the junction (36.983983, -111.552280). Then walk about 200 meters northwest on the path that accompanies Route 89 on the right-hand side, until the small depression that heralds the central arm of the canyon becomes visible.
- Blue Fool Wash
- The Blue Pool Wash (37.038550, -111.618395) is on the eastern edge of Route 89, a quarter of an hour northwest of Page. The canyon is a good 1 km long and relatively easy for hikers, but on the way you come across a barrier that, if you really want to make it all the way, can only be climbed with the help of ropes. The canyon is outside the Navajo Nation and does not require a permit to visit. Access to the canyon is west of the small bridge that Highway 89 crosses. You can park if you turn left onto the gravel road (37.037271, -111.616831) 200 meters before the bridge (i.e. as soon as you see guardrails on the road ahead).
Outside the Navajo Nation, in the Vermilion Cliffs National Monument
- Wire Pass Canyon
- The im Vermilion Cliffs National Monument located Wire Pass Canyon (37.020922, -112.007427) is a short slot canyon that joins the much longer Buckskin Gulch after 2.7 km (if in doubt, turn right here, where it continues underground). The Wire Pass Canyon itself is easy to hike with hardly any obstacles. The trail begins at a parking lot (37.019263, -112.025045) on House Rock Valley Rd, 8.4 miles south of Route 89.
- Buckskin Gulch
- The Buckskin Gulch also belongs to the Vermilion Cliffs National Monument and is a tributary of the Paria River Canyon, which in turn flows into the Colorado River. The 21 km long gorge has a section south of point 37.030056, -112.003928, which is considered the longest slot canyon in the world. The easiest way to get into the slot canyon is via Wire Pass Canyon. An alternative is the trailhead by the parking lot at House Rock Valley Rd (37.066820, -112.000539), 4 miles south of Route 89; To get to the actual slot canyon you have to walk another 5 km from there.
Navajo Nation, accessible
- Waterholes Canyon
- The Lower waterholes (36.839299, -111.511339) and Upper waterholes (36.835021, -111.502942) are 10 minutes southwest of Page. The canyon, which is basically one but left and right of U.S. Route 89 is a tributary of the Colorado River that forms Horseshoe Bend a little further north. Permits for the visit can be obtained from the Lake Powell Navajo Tribal Park Office - Antelope Canyon (Coppermine Road = Navajo Route 20).
- Secret Canyon
- The Secret Canyon (36.827463, -111.493923) is a branch of Waterholes Canyon. The trail is easy to moderately difficult to hike. Little visited and beautiful.
- Owl Canyon
- Access to Owl Canyon is a little further north than the entrances to Rattlesnake Canyon and Upper Antelope Canyon. This slot canyon is more accessible and less narrow than the others, but very nice for hiking and photography, and significantly less crowded than Antelope Canyon.
- Rattlesnake Canyon
- Access to the Rattlesnake Canyon (36.862475, -111.376786) is only a few hundred meters next to the Upper Antelope Canyon. This slot canyon is 300 meters long and hardly less beautiful than Antelope Canyon, but much less crowded.
- Antelope Canyon
- The most famous of the slot canyons at Page, Antelope Canyon, has 2 slot sections that are spatially far apart, so that separate sightseeing tours are offered for the upper and lower sections. The Upper Antelope Canyon (36.862595, -111.374693) is south of Route 98, i.e. leading away from Lake Powell and upland, while the Lower Antelope Canyon (36.902477, -111.412296) is north, i.e. leading to Lake Powell and thus deeper. The Upper Antelope Canyon in particular is a must-see, but many visitors complain about the high number of visitors, which leads to the fact that the tour participants are herded through both the Upper Antelope Canyon and the Lower Antelope Canyon.
- Cardiac Canyon
- Cardiac Canyon (36.800870, -111.360941) is a southern branch of Antelope Canyon and is 45 minutes from Page. Hiking in this canyon is - as the name suggests - very strenuous and not for the untrained.
- Canyon X
- Canyon X (36.802792, -111.345938) is another southern branch of Antelope Canyon. The rarely visited canyon is just as beautiful as Antelope Canyon. However, the hike goes over steep stairs and is therefore relatively strenuous.
- Mountain Sheep Canyon
- Mountain Sheep Canyon is further from Page than the three aforementioned canyons and requires a longer drive, which is also a bit rough. At 2½ km, the canyon itself is relatively long and challenging to hike. You have to climb a lot, and the desperate can easily be afraid, especially when descending.
Navajo Nation, not accessible
- Butterfly Canyon
- Butterfly Canyon (36.858687, -111.243777) is a western tributary of the great Navajo Canyon. It is quite impressive, but not that easy to hike.
- Upper Kaibito Creek
- The Upper Kaibito Creek (36.729390, -111.139231) and the Upper Kaibito Creek, East Fork are very attractive and easy to hike.
- Starting Water Wash
- Another arm of the Navajo Canyon is the Starting Water Wash (36.757298, -111.137026). It is spectacular, but challenging to hike.
There are numerous other slot canyons in the region. An overview map is included caltopo.com to find.
Fees / permits
The entrance fee to enter the Lake Powell Navajo Tribal Park is $ 8 per person (April 2017). If you visit Upper and Lower Antelope Canyon in one day, you only have to pay this entry once upon presentation of the receipt for the other canyon.
providers
Most of the slot canyons on Navajo Nation land can only be visited with a guide. Reservations are recommended for all visits during prime time (10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.). The traveler can book tours from the listed providers, but also in almost every hotel and tourist information office.
- Adventurous Antelope Canyon Photo Tours, U.S. Route 98 (from Page 1 mile past the power station on the right hand side). Antelope Canyon and other slot canyons in Lake Powell Navajo Tribal Park.
- Antelope Canyon Navajo Tours, Indian Rte 222 (on the southern edge of U.S. Route 98, just before the power station). Tel.: 1 928.698.3384. Upper Antelope Canyon only.
- Antelope Canyon Tours, 22 South Lake Powell Blvd. (Downtown Page). Tel.: 1 866.645.9102, 1 928.645.9102. Upper Antelope Canyon only.
- Antelope Slot Canyon Tours / Chief Tsosie’s, 55 S Lake Powell Blvd. (Downtown Page, next to the All-American gas station). Tel.: 1 928.645.5594. Upper Antelope Canyon and Cathedral Canyon.
- Taadidiin Tours (Overland Canyon Tours), 48 S Lake Powell Blvd. (Downtown Page, across from the All-American Gas Station). Tel.: 1 928.608.4072, 1 800.684.4072. Canyon X and Cardiac Canyon.
- Ken’s Tours, Indian Rte 222 (northwest of corner 98 & 222). Tel.: 1 928.606.2168. Lower Antelope Canyon.
- Slot Canyon Hummer Adventures, 12 Lake Powell Blvd. (Downtown Page). Tel.: 1 928.645.2266. Secret Canyon only.
Tours
The prices quoted already include the entrance fee for the Lake Powell Navajo Tribal Park (as of summer 2017). The highlight of the prime-time tours is that the light falls more or less vertically around midday, which creates attractive light reflections on the floor of the canyons.
| providers | Slot canyons | Duration (hours) | price | annotation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adventurous Antelope Canyon Photo Tours | Upper Antelope | 1½ | Prime Time (10:15 am and 12:30 pm) $ 60 (children 8-12: $ 40, children 7 and under: $ 20); other times: $ 50 (children 8-12: $ 30, children 7 and under: $ 20) | In addition, a 2-hour variant is offered, which is specially tailored to photographers ($ 120, at night $ 208) |
| Adventurous Antelope Canyon Photo Tours | Upper Antelope, Rattlesnake | 3 | $ 110 (children 8-12: $ 60, children 7 and under: $ 40) | also 3½ hours especially for photographers ($ 170) |
| Adventurous Antelope Canyon Photo Tours | Upper Antelope, Rattlesnake, Owl | 3½ | $ 130 (children 8-12: $ 70, children 7 and younger: $ 50) | also 5 hours especially for photographers ($ 200) |
| Adventurous Antelope Canyon Photo Tours | Upper Antelope, Rattlesnake, Owl, Mountain Sheep | 5½ | $ 190 (children 8-12: $ 80, children 7 and younger: $ 60) | also 8 hours especially for photographers ($ 250) |
| Adventurous Antelope Canyon Photo Tours | Rattlesnake, Owl, Mountain Sheep | 5 | $ 170 (children 8-12: $ 70, children 7 and younger: $ 50) | Standard tour |
| Antelope Canyon Navajo Tours | Upper Antelope | 1 | $ 48 (children 12 and younger: $ 28) | also 2 hours especially for photographers ($ 120) |
| Antelope Canyon Tours | Upper Antelope | 1½ | Prime Time (11:30 am) $ 58 (kids 8-12: $ 48, kids 3-7 $ 40); other times: $ 45 (kids 8-12: $ 35, kids 3-7: $ 27) | also 2-hour special for photographers ($ 108) |
| Antelope Slot Canyon Tours | Upper Antelope | 1½ | Prime Time (10:30 am, 1:00 pm) $ 58 (kids 6-12: $ 48); other times: $ 48 (children 6-12: $ 40) | |
| Antelope Slot Canyon Tours | Cathedral | 2½ | $ 99.95 (Children 8-12: $ 75) | |
| Taadidiin Tours | Canyon X | 1½-2 | $ 38 (children 8-11 years old: $ 18) | 2-3 hours especially for photographers ($ 68) |
| Taadidiin Tours | Cardiac | 6-8 | $200 | |
| Ken’s Tours | Lower Antelope | 1 | $ 33 (children 7-12 years: $ 24) | also 2¼ hours especially for photographers ($ 55) |
| Slot Canyon Hummer Adventures | Secret | 2½ | $ 90 (Children 12 and under: $ 65) | also 3 hours especially for photographers ($ 150) or for private groups (max. 6 people, $ 700) |
security
One can drown in slot canyons. Even rain that falls several kilometers away can, in unfavorable cases, suddenly flood a canyon. Occasionally, groups of visitors have already died in this way. For this reason, the guides carefully study the weather forecasts and their instructions must be followed exactly.
