Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend

A trip to Page, Arizona should be on every travel adventurers life list. The area is full of scenic drives, beautiful views, and mesmerizing hikes. Our visit to area hotspots; Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend was spectacular. With a bit of trip planning and a sense of adventure, time spent in the Page, Arizona area can be very rewarding.

Horseshoe Bend

Horseshoe Bend is part of the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area and one of the most popular sites in Page. The Colorado River makes a unique turn at this breaktaking place, about nine miles south of the Glen Canyon Dam. To visit Horseshoe Bend, prepare to hike about 1.5 miles round trip on a flat, well mainatined gravel path. There is no shade along the trail. Be prepare with sun protection and plenty of water. You can expect to spend about 1-2 hours at Horseshoe Bend, inlcuding the walk to and from the site as well as time enjoying the views with an almost 1,000 foot overlook to the river below. Use this link to learn more about parking fees and getting the Horseshoe Bend.

Lower Antelope Canyon

To see Antelope Canyon, all visitors must be part of a tour. The canyon sits on the Navajo Reservation, and explorers can chose to see either the Lower or Upper Canyon as part of their visit. Lower Antelope Canyon is “V-shpaed” with a wide opening at the top. This makes it great to see anytime of the year and most times of the day. Upper Antelope Canyon is “tent-shaped” meaning it’s narrow at the top and wider at the top. It’s ideal to visit Upper Antelope between June-September and during the hours of 11:00am and 2:00pm.

Since we visited in March, we chose to tour Lower Antelope Canyon. We selected Dixie’s Canyon Tours and were VERY pleased with our experience. Our first impression of the canyon was, “where is it?” The canyon sits below the surface. The slit in the ground, in the image above, is actually the top of the canyon. Our group of about 15 people was giddy with anticpation as we made our way down the 80 steps down into the canyon. Asending into the canyon is a bit unnerving. The metal stair with railing is steep but once we reached the bottom, everyone was in awe of the beauty of the red sandstone walls.

Once inside the canyon, our guide gave great information on how the canyon was formed. In adddtion, they shared snippets of Native American culuture and history. I also appreciated the guide adjusting the settings on my phone to take the best pictures. The swirls and waves of the canyon walls are the evidence of centuries of wind and water erosion. The natural artisry and beauty draws people frpm all over the globe to Antelope Canyon.

Images and shapes in Antelope Canyon

The highlight of the Antelope Canyon tour for our teen boys was discovering the shapes and images wind and water have carved into the sandstone walls. I liken it to clouds, if you stare long enough and free your imagination, images and shapes makde themselves available. The canyon tour covered about 1 mile and ended with a clib up a metal ladder before we resurfaced.

A trip to Horseshoe Bend and Antelope Canyon is a must while visiting northern Arizona. For more Arizona adventures see our Sedona hiking experiences at Cathedral Rock, Seven Sacred Pools, Devils Bridge, as well as the Grand Canyon (coming soon).

Happy Adventuring, Rochelle