Antelope Canyon - No Place Like It
I had been awestruck by photographs of this extraordinary place and it’s ever changing light and art show. There is no other place quite like it on earth. This is a “must see” destination that completely over-delivers on its promise!
From the surface it looks rather unremarkable, yet to the indigenous Navajo People it is a sacred cathedral - one which we are so fortunate they opened to the world in 1997.
Mother Nature initially began working on this artistic masterpiece over 174 million years ago. Iron oxide deposits mixed with the windblown sands to create layer after layer of varying shades of orange and red rock. For the last several millennia, millions of gallons of annual flash flood waters mixed with sand and thundered though these narrow sandstone walls, and still do several times a year, carving out an other-worldly slot canyon. It is less than 100 yards long, less than 120 feet high and between 15 - 20 feet wide. The Navajo call it Tsé bighánílíní, “The place where water runs through rocks”.
Note: All the spectacular photos in this post were taken on my iPhone without any filers.
Antelope Canyon made it onto my bucket list over 10 years ago when I was inspired by a friend’s Facebook post. So when I was planning my 2019 riding adventure, and realized my trip plan would have me passing within 200km of it, there was no question I would have to change course so I could finally see and feel this spiritual place for myself.
I arrived at 11:30 am on July 22. It was 120 degrees Fahrenheit in the shade and, having ridden all morning, I was already feeling loopy from the heat. Out of water and hungry, my lack of planning for this day was starting to become evident. The kind Navajo man in charge of selling tickets told me that all the tours were full, but if there was a cancellation I might possibly get on the 1:00pm tour truck to the canyon…but I had to remain on site because if I left then I would lose my spot. Further, he told that the experience was 2 hours.
So now I had to make a decision - if I stayed in the hopes of getting on the the 1:00 pm tour, my next days plans would have to be pushed back. I seriously considered leaving but then that little voice in my head said, “This is on your bucket list and you are right here - you will regret leaving.”
This was, in hindsight, definitely one of those important life moments - do I let the events of the day change my plans or do I stay committed to experiencing something I had wanted for over 10 years? Fortunately, I began to think clearly and I decided that I would never forgive myself if, having ridden over 2500km to get here, I abandoned my dream of seeing this natural wonder. So I downed one of my emergency protein bars, happily paid the inflated price for a bottle of water from a Navajo woman and her children supplying drinks the for ill prepared tourists like myself, and shuffled over to the shaded waiting area with the hope my name would be called…
…and fortunately, it was!
The 20 minute ride through the desert in the back of an open air pick-up truck ended up being a mini adventure in and of itself. I felt a little like I was in a scene from Raiders of the Lost Ark. As the trucks traversed the dunes, sand filled the air sticking to the sweaty faces of us passengers. Our driver was a spirited and witty Navajo woman with long black braids, wise eyes and a kind face that looked like the desert itself had etched out every feature. As she turned over her right shoulder to talk to us , driving for uncomfortably long stretches without looking where she was going (…1 mississippi, 2 mississippi…13 mississippi…), she told jokes and recounted stories of her people and their history on this land. I was with a group of late twenty-something-year-old friends from Australia who were also living out a dream adventure - they had rented a motorhome and the 5 of them where taking 3 months to traverse North America while visiting every National Park. When our driver wasn’t telling stories, The Aussies and I traded intel on the best hidden places we had discovered.
Upon arriving at the Canyon we were met by our guild, an equally interesting and enthusiastic young Navajo woman who, for the next hour, would walk us through this spirit-filled cathedral while sharing with us the geographical, spiritual and relevant history as we gazed in amazement at the ever changing dance between light and rock.
There is no way to adequately describe the beauty and wonder of this place, and an attempt to do so would simply not do it justice. Mother Nature’s masterpiece, like any great work of art, must be seen and experienced to be understood and appreciated. I highly recommend that you take this as a challenge (from me to you) to do just that, and I have given you some tips below to maximizing your experience…stuff I wish I had known.
By the time my Antelope Canyon experience wrapped up and I was back at my motorcycle, it was 3pm. I was hungry, thirsty, dirty and, although I still had 400km (250 miles) ahead of me for that day, I somehow felt lifted…knowing that I had received precious gift.
Tips:
Book in advance by going to: Navajo Tours or Navajo Nations Parks. Note: It is open from mid-March to mid-October. Price is $80 per adult and $60 for kids (12 and under).
If possible, take a morning tour that has you in the Canyon by or before 11:00am - the light is apparently even better in the morning than when I went in the afternoon. As a matter of fact, until 2020 the Canyon used to be open only to professional photographers prior to 11am.
Bring extra water, a snack and dress for the temperature at that time of day.
Take way more photos (and videos) than you think you should - you will not regret it.
Stick with your guild - they will show you unique photo angles you would not otherwise notice and they will share amazing facts and history along the way.
Stay tuned for my next post and stay curious!
All photographs on this website are the exclusive property of Giselle Briden and may not be copied or reproduced in any form without her express written consent.