Brief History of Lower Antelope Canyon

Incredibly carved out by the natural forces of wind and water, Lower Antelope Canyon is truly one of nature’s most amazing works. It has been there for centuries, however, entry to it was severely restricted up until 1997.

The Navajo tribe made the canyon a Navajo Tribal Park in 1997 and since then people are allowed to visit the place but only through designated guided tours, thus ruling out any chance of independent entry.

Getting to Lower Antelope Canyon

It is located in Navajo Nation, Coconino County near Page, Arizona. Drive east on the AZ 98 for about two miles and then take a left turn just before the power plant onto the Indian Route 222. From here on, travel for about half a mile more before taking a left towards the parking lots after driving a little on a dirt road.

Tips when visiting Lower Antelope Canyon

• Tour guides are mandatory.
• You can expect a lot of sun outside the canyon as there is practically no shade. Make sure you equip yourself with sunglasses, sunscreen, a cap, and a water bottle.
• You are not allowed to take big bags or backpacks inside the canyon.
• There are no toilet facilities in the area except for old-school pits.
• It can get really hot inside the canyon as well. Make sure you are wearing adequate clothing and footwear to ensure you are comfortable.

Lower Antelope Canyon Tours

There are two companies which are offering Lower Antelope Canyon Tours. These are;

1. Ken’s Tours

2. Dixie Ellis Lower Antelope

Photography Tips for Lower Antelope Canyon

Sunlight bounces off the canyon walls to create some beautiful shots. These attractive colorful formations inside the canyon require a 2-10 second exposure usually, but you will have to be there at the right time and the right day for the most immaculate photos.

Best Time of the Year to Shoot

Since it is very popular among tourists, it is best if you plan your visit during winter, fall or early in the spring season. They are not a lot of tourists during those days and hence you will have a better opportunity of capturing some really classy snaps.

Best Time of the Day to Shoot

If you are visiting during the winters then it is best if you get here in the early morning to catch some awesome photos of the front part of the Lower Canyon. For the rear and middle of the canyon, it is best that you wait for noon or afternoon for the best shots.

What Camera Gears to Bring

There is a lot of sandstone dust inside the canyon so it is not advised that you change lenses while inside. It can seriously damage your photography equipment, so be careful. Furthermore, Tripods are also not allowed in the canyon.

As for the lens, it is recommended that you take just one zoom lens with you (24-70 or 16-35) with you since most shots in the canyon are ultra-wide to normal lenses.

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Reflection canyon is basically an extension of the Lake Powell. Backpacking to reflection canyon is a highly challenging venture of about 20 miles, and this intense hiking has become increasingly popular of late. This location was revealed in the year 2006 by the National Geographic Channel when they published an article named Glen Canyon Revealed along with an amazing picture of the reflection canyon. Just as backpacking to Mount Whitney is an epitome of back country isolation, the same goes with this feat which also demands increased willpower, detailed planning and physical stamina.

Once the photo of this place was revealed, the search for the exact location began immediately. The place is quite remote, and you’ll need some planning to witness the gorgeous view of the canyon. Now the question arises, how to get to the reflection canyon? Well, backpacking to reflection canyon can be a one-day hike trip, but usually, photographers love to make an overnight stay there in order to capture the magnificent view of the milky way and sunrise next morning. Below are the details.

What to Expect

When you’re backpacking to reflection canyon, you’ll see a multitude of views that’ll remind you of Arches National Park, The Wave in Arizona, and Antelope Canyon. It’ll be one of your hardest and most rewarding trips. I can almost guarantee it.

Trail difficulty: Hard. It is around a 9 on a 1-10 scale.

Trail distance: 18-21 miles round trip.

Trail time: It took me 4.5-5.5 hours one way.

Trail type: Unmarked In and out. No coverage from sun. Trail is rocky with patches of sand.

Trail head elevation: 4,478 feet.

Net elevation gain: Roughly 550 feet. It really depends on the path you take but it’s relatively flat.

Water source: Expect no water source. There may be pockets of water if a storm recently passed by.

Parking/Overnight Permits: Not required.

Weather: Dependent on the month. Check HERE for the most current weather forecast.

Cell reception: Expect no reception. At max spotty 3G with AT&T service on an iPhone 7+.

Trailhead coordinates: 37°15’21.70″N, 110°57’47.25″W

Destination coordinates: 37°11’15.72″N, 110°55’8.54″W

Campsite conditions: Minimal to no dirt to stake in tent. I used rocks to hold up my tent.

Best time to go: Late March through April (lowest water level to see the ‘spine’) and October.

Planning the Hike

Backpacking to reflection canyon takes effort in researching and planning. Although I’ve compiled all the information you need here, I advise you to visit a couple of other sites that talk about their ventures to reflection canyon. Rainer Grosskopf shares his adventure during September HERE. I went during the last weekend in April 2017.

GPS: Yes you’ll need GPS to navigate yourself to the destination. There’s several options here to do so. First thing though is to locate and download a GPX file of a previously recorded route. You can find mine HERE.

1. Option 1 is to buy and download Gaia GPS app or similar and upload the GPX file.
2. Option 2 is to buy a GPS device and upload the GPX file. We used a Garmin Fenix 3 on our trip.
3. Option 3 is to use Google map’s offline feature. Simply download the offline map of the area and upload the GPX file onto your google map‘s account. We also used this option.

Click on Image for GPX File.

After figuring out your GPS situation, you’ll need to decide how many nights you’ll be spending out there. From there, you’ll be able to move on to planning your food and water supply.

Water amount: I packed a total of 4.7L water for a one night stay. Keep in mind though that I’m a camel and don’t drink much water. My friend though went through 8L of water. I cooked 2 mountain house meals (dinner and breakfast). My full 700ml bottle rolled down the cliff but luckily a neighbor packed in too much water and was able to share some with me. Also please remember to bring electrolyte packets for your water. This is much needed to reduce cramping and fatigue.

Food: I basically just packed 2 mountain houses and a bunch of high calorie pro bar meals and clif bars for lunch and trail munching. Keep it simple and keep it high in calorie.

Backpacking Equipment: Temperatures don’t usually drop below 30F during April so pack sleeping bags and insulating layers accordingly. The goal is always to pack essentials and keep the load as light as possible. Also it is counter intuitive but to stay cool, you’d want complete coverage from the sun with your apparel. Here’s some crucial items I brought that made the trip comfortable for me:

1. Ultralight backpack: Granite Gear Crown 2
2. Lightweight trail shoes: Astral Footwear TR1 Trek
3. Soft shell rain jacket with a hood
4. Long sleeve base layer
5. Lightweight Smart water bottles
6. SPF 50 Chapstick and sunblock
7. Trekking poles
8. Hat
9. Battery packs to charge phone and GPS
10. High calorie bars and nuts medley

Hole in the Rock Road

This is the infamous road you’ll be on for 50 miles to get to the trailhead (coordinates above). It is not paved and is full of big rocks and potholes. The relatively narrow road is windy and has some crazy hairpin turns. An SUV is definitely needed. 4×4 or AWD option for your SUV is recommended if it rained recently.

Trail Details and Landmarks

It’s pretty scary and daunting tackling a trail that’s not clearly marked. During my trip, I made sure to snap enough pictures of landmarks to help ease your nerves of backpacking to reflection canyon.

Key things to note: When heading to the destination, stay close to the side of Fifty Mile Point mountain and head south, keeping you away from those beautiful yet dangerous slot canyons. You will see the south end of the Fifty Mile Point and use that as a guiding point. When you get to the rounded tips buttes, you’d go around them and not over them. After that you’ll reach the iconic flat butte landmark. Go past it a bit, turn left and head in the southeast direction. You’ll make your own path so I’d advise to go around the buttes and not over them. Use the landmark images below as reference. When you reach the last butte that covers reflection canyon, you’ll want to go to the right of it. I saw many backpackers struggle going over and going to the left of it.

Photography Tips

Proper planning will get you the shots you want here at reflection canyon. Make note of sunrise and sunset times for the days you are going to be there. Also make a note of the optimal times the milky way galaxy will be visible at night for some astro photography. Remember to set your alarms! Pack a couple extra batteries and memory cards if you plan to do long exposures and time lapses. I packed in my Sony A7Rii along with the Sony 16-35mm F4 lens, Sony 70-200mm F4 lens and the Rokinon 14mm lens. Don’t forget your tripod of course! During late April, the sun settled behind me while I faced the canyon and the sun rose to the left front of me as I faced the canyon. Get there early to get the best camping spot.

My Experience

Backpacking to reflection canyon was an experience of a lifetime for me. The first morning hiking into the canyon was pretty cold. I’d say the temperature was around 35F+ in the morning. There were a lot of clouds that blocked the sun. As the day reached noon, it became warmer and was much better. Winds were blowing and it kept us cool from the heat later on during the day. We took a route that gave us a more direct path to the destination but it involved slight rock scrambling. I thought it was fun more than anything. We started our hike early around 8:45AM and we’re the first group to reach reflection canyon that day. This gave us options to choose our camping spot with a view. The hike back to car the next day was super hot and felt forever. Heading back, we just followed the same path we used heading in.  I wouldn’t do anything differently except bring more water and cut my toe nails before hand. Haha yes my toenails were scraping on my toes and caused a lot of discomfort. Feel free to leave any comments and questions below and i’ll do what I can to answer them!

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An Arizona road trip is a journey to one of the most attraction-filled states of the American Southwest. Not only is it home to two of the nation’s most revered tourism destinations (the almighty Grand Canyon and Hoover Dam), it holds a wealth of majestic deserts, monumental rock formations, and ancient Native American sites. There’s more to the state than most can fit into one trip. But what’s to stop you from trying, right?

1. Sedona

No Arizona road trip would be complete without mentioning Sedona. The picturesque town and region are located in red rock country, where the stone walls change hues with varying sunlight. Its weather conditions are famously mild with almost perpetually blue skies. Even in the winter, the region will normally snow but rarely storm. The town of Sedona is also a lavish resort, offering hotels, shopping areas, and other amenities.

One the area’s most popular nature sites is the Bell Rock trail, a backpacking trail that tours multiple intriguing rock formations. The Bell Rock and Spaceship Rock are both known to be ‘vortex sites,’ where visitors reportedly feel inexplicable feelings of beneficial energy and atmosphere. The sites can be tough to get to if you come at them obliquely from the path, so be sure to carry a reliable pack with enough compartments for everything you’ll need. If you’re not the outdoorsy type, Sedona is also a bustling town with vibrant shopping areas, restaurants, and art galleries. The town also hosts numerous cultural events, including jazz concerts, international film festivals, and much more.

2. Horseshoe Bend

One of the more unknown regions of the Grand Canyon (though that’s quickly changing!) is Horseshoe Bend. Any Arizona road trip has to include the GC, but this is a particularly stunning portion of the Colorado River. Here, the winds and waters have carved a natural horseshoe-like pattern into the rock, which dates back to the Jurassic period.

Visitors love the spot for the feeling of being ‘inside’ the Grand Canyon rather than just observing it from afar. Horseshoe Bend is also a viable camping spot, with nearby campgrounds that are rich in fishing and wild game. Careful on the way, though: the path has lots of loose sand in spots and can be a strenuous hike, so bring outdoors wear that maximize comfort and mobility.

3. Monument Valley Tribal Park

When people think ‘western movies,’ they’re probably picturing Monument Valley in their minds. The area is the classic western filming spot, perhaps most notable for Stagecoach, starring John Wayne. And it’s no surprise either: I’ve talked a lot about breathtaking rock formations in Arizona, but there is nothing like what you’ll find in Monument Valley.

Across the valley lie enormous red rock mesas like tabletops for giants. There are also thousand-foot towers of sandstone, casting shadows as far as you can see. Especially awe-inspiring are the lightning storms in Monument Valley. The flatlands allow you to see the spectacular flashes and hear the thunder from miles around. No joke, Monument Valley is what can distinguish an epic road trip to Arizona from a mediocre one. In addition to the natural landscape, the Valley is also in the middle of a Navajo reservation. Consequently, there are tons of opportunities to view Navajo arts and crafts, sample local cuisine, and pick up authentic souvenirs. A must visit for any Arizona road trip!

4. Antelope Canyon – Lower Canyon

You could call all of these locations photogenic, but Antelope Canyon maybe takes the cake. The site is beloved by photographers for its flowing passageways, carved by flashfloods running through the canyon. The ironic thing, though, is that the difficult lighting conditions of the canyon make well-balanced photos hard to get. The canyon can be pitch-black in the shadows, but with bright sunbeams reflecting off the canyon walls.

Antelope Canyon is divided into two regions: the Crack and the Corkscrew. The Crack is more accessible and offers more photographing opportunities of sunbeams. The Corkscrew, while still popular, is a bit more difficult to traverse. Even after the addition of ladders and stairways, it’s quite a journey down below the surface. Regardless, both locations draw tons of visitors. This was on top of our list for our Arizona road trip.

5. Grand Canyon – South Rim

Like we said, any Arizona road trip necessitates seeing the Grand Canyon. But if you haven’t heard, the Canyon is… rather large. So where should you set your destination? South Rim is likely your best bet. For one, the South Rim offers a different type of spectacle depending on the season. Spring and Fall in the South Rim sees the canyons in full bloom with beautiful wildflowers and the yellowing leaves of the Aspen trees.

In wintertime, the canyon is dusted over with pristine snow, an incredible contrast to the red-glowy mental image we normally have of the Grand Canyon. South Rim is also the most well-developed region along the Grand Canyon, with its own airport, hotels, shops, an IMAX theater (for some reason), ATMs, and an RV park. You certainly don’t have to rough it at the Grand Canyon if you don’t want to.

There are, of course, numerous other sights to see in Arizona, so let us know your favorites, and happy tripping!

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