We are a Navajo-owned and operated family tour business. We offer public and private tours through Northern Arizona’s majestic backcountry and slot canyons. Antelope Valley Canyon Tours has been in the touring business for a long time now. Touring is not just a job for us; it is a lifestyle. Located a relatively short distance from Antelope Canyon, this one is a bit smaller and visited far less often than Antelope Canyon, making a visit here even more special. You’ll love getting what feels like a personalized tour of the slot canyon, as well as watching the light filter through the top opening and changing throughout the day.

• Slot Canyon Arizona To New Mexico

Water Holes, Lower Antelope, Upper Antelope. Are these the names of hiking trails? No, they’re Arizona slot canyons located on the Navajo Reservation near Page, Arizona. Alan and I discovered the photogenic gems while on a photo workshop. But you don’t have to be a boomer photographer to enjoy exploring canyons carved by nature’s power. Walking through the twists and turns of Arizona’s slot canyons will spark the imagination of any active travel enthusiast.

Upper Antelope Canyon: an easy-to-explore Arizona slot canyon.

Upper Antelope Canyon is the easiest Arizona slot canyon to maneuver. After paying a hiking and permit fee (around $21 on our last visit), a truck takes visitors from the starting point off Highway 89 near Page, Arizona, to the canyon’s opening. Access is via a level, sandy path—no stairs or climbing involved. A Navajo guide accompanies travelers through the canyon on a one-hour trip where a combination of water and sand has etched the walls into a wonderland of texture and curves. Beams of sunlight shine down from the cracks in the canyon overhead. When the wind blows, dust drifts in swirling through the light in a ghostly dance.

Lower Antelope Canyon: adventure and photography fun

Adventure seekers will prefer Lower Antelope Canyon. Located on Copper Mine Rd. off Highway 89, entrance requires a permit and hiking fee (around $21 at the time of my visit). To reach the slot canyon, visitors follow the guide along a crack in the earth’s stony surface until it widens, leading to stairs that descend into the canyon. Warning! This is not an adventure for claustrophobics. They way is narrow but oh so worth it. Alan and I spent almost three hours exploring this photogenic fun house, slipping through narrow passageways, maneuvering several short drops via stairs, craning our necks for the view above us. When the light peeps in through overhead cracks, the textured walls turn into purple, yellow and orange curtains of rippling stone.

Water Holes Canyon: know where you’re going

Water Holes Canyon involves a bit of orienteering. A permit and hiking fee is required to access this Arizona slot canyon located south of Page on Highway 89. There’s no signage on the highway to direct you so it’s best to go with someone who’s familiar with the area. After a short hike, the canyon is accessed by walking down its sloping walls. The portion of Water Holes that we visited is not as dramatic as Lower or Upper Antelope and has a more rugged feel to it.

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Exploring Arizona’s slot canyons is one of our favorite adventures in the American Southwest and a boomer travel experience that Alan and I will be repeating. But, we won’t be going during monsoon season when flash floods make hiking in the canyons a dangerous endeavor.

We are a Navajo-owned and operated family tour business. We offer public and private tours through Northern Arizona’s majestic backcountry and slot canyons.

Antelope Valley Canyon Tours has been in the touring business for a long time now. Touring is not just a job for us; it is a lifestyle.

We offer tours that can be enjoyed by hikers of every level, from easier tours like our Wind Pebble Canyon tour to a more advanced, demanding tour like Rams Head Canyon. Our tours are customized for your hiking experience, focused on your individual ability.

Slot Canyon Arizona To New Mexico

We offer a unique hiking experience for everyone, leaving you with amazing memories of a great adventure.