Antelope Canyon, Az

I was there about 6 years ago. It is very much worth the visit with or without a camera. I am on the phone just now so I can't post links, but my shots from there are in my "The American West".

Hi Robert,

We were in Page, AZ last year. The Antelope Canyon was way too crowded for my liking so we didn't go in. Also, I think its a bit expensive to hire a guide if I recall. I'd love to go there some time just to see it but its been photographed so much I'm not sure I'd get anything unique.

Dave Gordon
http://www.dgportfolio.net

Thanks Dave, I've just been reading about the crowds and the price of the tours..I may just hang out at the Grand Canyon instead..

You're welcome Robert. Wherever you decide to go, have a great trip.

Dave

As Joshua said, it is very much worth the visit with or without a camera.

Upper Antelope Canyon is crowded like hell, but you can have Lower Antelope Canyon almost to yourself for 1/3 of the price.

IMHO it is one big cluster f@@k, that is Upper Anelope Canyon, for photographers anyway. I think it is up to around $150 for prime time now. It's not a 'tour'. It's like you are one of about 10 to 20 herds of goats in a quarter mike canyon. People are everywhere. For the photo trips your herd gets a bit of special treatment in that they try to keep the other non photo herds out of your shots.

While in my opinion it is a ripoff and a pretty bad experience overall it is a beautiful canyon. It's like being at Walmart on Black Friday in a short narrow canyon.

Aside from Upper Anyelope the sights in that area are mind blowing. Buckskin Gulch is a BLM canyon that is almost always empty. It's 24 miles round trip on rough roads that are generally ok for passenger cars but check with the BLM fold first.

Lower Antelope Canyon is also owned and run by the Navajos and is not as well known. For around $50 you get two hours of photo time in there on your own to photograph as you like. There are some light beams that pop through that one too and it is nowhere near as crowded. It's about a mike drive from Upper Antelope.

Vermilion Cliffs/Coyote Buttes is awesome in that area. It can take permits that difficult to get and it a military vehicle to get to some spots there but there are tours that generally run into the hundreds if dollars.

Horseshoe Bend is there, Wahweap Hoodoos are in that area (10 mile flat round trip hike), Toad Stools are in that area (1-mile round trip hike) and various other things depending on your willingness to hike, spend money on tours, or subject your vehicle to varying degrees of abuse.

There are other Navajo Slot Canyons in the area they give tours of as well but they are more remote and probably start at around $200.00 because it takes a really solid vehicle to get to some of them.

Whether you go to Upper Antelope or not, the area between Page, AZ and Kanab,UT has some of the most amazing sights anywhere.

http://www.azdot.gov/projects/north-central/us-89-landslide/overview

Check the road conditions depending on your route. Part of 89 collapsed last year.

Although Christine's photos are amazing the idea of tours and crowds is not appealing to me... I was also thinking of Ship Rock New Mexico...Hiked the Grand Canyon last september so I wanted to add a new location to the trip, I'm driving from Taos New Mexico..

If you can hike the Grand Canyon then this might be of interest:

http://www.thehikeguy.com/2010/05/30/7-tips-for-hiking-buckskin-gulch/

It's the full 21-mile buckskin hike. It's also possible to hike a few miles in and come back out the same day. There is a free campground at the start if the hike (stateline campground)

I visited Antelope in 2012 during my last American trip. Antelope was in my "absolutely need to do it" list !

I booked in advance this Pro photographer kind of tour where you can bring your tripod. It is more expensive than usual tour but you're part of a smaller group limited to 6-8 people. In fact I was pretty lucky as we were only 3 photographers.

Anyway this was probably the most difficult shooting experience I've ever had !
As already said I'm speaking about all groups of people rushing into that small Canyon between 11:30am and 1:00pm, time period where you can see sun beams.
Our group guide was doing his best to give us 1... 2 minutes for shooting, calling his colleague on the other side to block people from coming into the shooting spot.

During this time you don't really have time to think about best angle, view point... do your shoot, now !
In my case, I'm doing HDR photo stitching... so 10 to 50 shots... just for one image ! What a stress !

Great experience... and luckily great results !

Worth seeing if you're in the area, just be prepared for crowds and very limited space. It's quite difficult to use a tripod in there if it's busy.

As far as driving to Page from Flagstaff, I checked with friends there about two weeks ago, the Rez road is fine.

Robert,

"Vermilion Cliffs/Coyote Buttes" the area that Adam mentioned,which is Northern Arizona/Southern Utah/Lake Powell area is a real treat, if you enjoy hiking and go any time,except the sumer months,lot's to see. This is the area where the "WAVE" is! and a pretty easy hike, if NOT the SUMMER! Certainly no crowds,but need a permit to hike out to the Wave.More intimate than the Grand Canyon,

Rich

I've been there twice. My first time was a teenager over 15 years ago before it was "big" and it was a blast. I went back about 5-6 years ago and it was still fun but very crowded and commercialized now. Probably won't be going back it was definitely a treat. Be sure to check out horseshoe overlook of the colorado river if you end up going.

Please remember, that while the hike to the Wave is relatively simple for those used to hiking in the desert and at moderate altitude, it is easy to get lost out in the back, and three people did DIE last year. I've not been to the Wave but it isn't for people with little to no desert experience.

http://www.blm.gov/az/st/en/arolrsmain/paria/plan_prepare.html

Sounds to me like you can adapt to the situation in a different way if you want to bring the camera along. People are very interesting to shoot, especially when pissed off in crowds. I bet you could get some very interesting people shots, or just go exploring without your camera and have fun.

The hike out to the Wave is easy. The hike back is a little harder (to navigate) but they do provide photos of waypoints in both directions now. Anyone in decent shape who is prepared with water, a flashlight, a GPS or topo map (not really needed), some snacks and something to stay warm overnight if the need arises should be fine. Permits for that are VERY hard to get though. I went through the daily lottery 10 days in a row this past summer and didn't get one.

I think one guy fell off a cliff out there and presumably had no flashlight, I think one woman was 26 on her honeymoon and must have been woefully unprepared or had some kind of existing health condition and two others were an elderly couple who may have not been prepared or had health issues.

Lots of people die in the national parks and public lands in the us every year. For whatever reason it just doesn't make the news all that often unless it is some spectacular death like the base jumpers who keep hitting the ground at Zion.

Even at Mesa Verde people drop dead on the tours of the ruins each year. I think it's around 7,000 to 8,000 feet in elevation. It's hot, maybe a mile if that, it moves very slowly and goes up and down a few steps and ladders.

When we were in Page a few years ago, I tried to get a spot in an Antelope Canyon tour, but they were full. I was kind of bummed out at the time, but the more I hear about it, the less I want to go. Plus, everybody and their brother has photos of it and I doubt I would get anything other than the same shots you see everywhere. I consoled myself by going out to Horseshoe Bend and managed to get this:



which is my second most viewed image behind Multnomah Falls in Oregon. Neither of which have ever sold.

If you decide to go to Horseshoe Bend for sunset, bring a flashlight for the hike back. It's not a long hike, but the best light comes *after* the sun goes behind the horizon, so it can get a little dark walking back. :-)

I read Deaths in The Grand Canyon recently and know of the dangers of desert hiking... Thanks for all the info I will research some of these places tonight...

That's what Upper Antelope Canyon is like:

http://www.skianything.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/6292011-Overcrowded-Upper-Antelope-Slot-Canyon.jpg

Dup

Dup

Robert,

Just got off the phone with the ranger station about the Wave. He says that the new brochure they give you and only with a permit. shows both in and out,like Adam mentioned above, but still would suggest a GPS or a Smart phone App,for the way back,which is where most people get lost,coming back, as I did 10 years or so ago. The Summer is still the best time to ry and get a permit,because of the heat,less want to hike out there,which I did, end of July/beginning of August!

I left at sunrise and only lasted about 6-7 hours altogether, out and back and ran out of water(1 gal). You can spend all day there, finding little spots of shade, but I wouldn't suggest you come back after dark,asking for trouble,

Rich

Maybe I'm asking too much but what I need is a place I can camp from my truck a dodge ram 1500 4x4 with ATV tires and paint from there . Either by short hike or drive as well as some longer hikes where I would just carry water colors . I'm definitely doing the Grand Canyon but they have a 7 day limit stay then I have to work my way over to Santa Fe by the 8th

I google maped the wave in Utah and nothing came up is it under another park name

I google maped the wave in Utah and nothing came up is it under another park name

Robert,

The Wave is really more of a nick name and the area is called Coyote Buttes:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coyote_Buttes

Never did any camping there, stayed in Kanab, which was a neat little town, some artists and guides and I think a good Pizza place and cheap too. Utah to me seems like the place for you, if big vistas and red rock works. Plenty of campgrounds and most of the big parks, are all in a relatively close area. You could spend weeks in Zion,Bryce,capitol Reef or any of a number of great places.

http://stateparks.utah.gov/

And here's the big 5 National parks:

http://www.fiveutahparks.com/

This to me will be completely different for you, than New Mexico,different light/energy to me, good, maybe not as good as New Mexico though,

Rich

Canyon de Chelly is beautiful and not too far away. Also, right here in New Mexico, there's Chaco Canyon, the Gila, Kasha Katuwe Tent Rocks, etc. I have not been to Kasha Katuwe, but plan to in the next week or so. Would love to get some photos and sketches and start a new series. Unique area from the pictures I've seen.

Oh, for camping, not just sightseeing, Zion would be my choice! Plenty of hikes, short or long. And this time of year, you can drive to some of the sights. (In the summer, you have to take a bus, like in the Grand Canyon.)

Thank you everyone I will get on line tonight and research, leaving as early as Thursday and may want to find a site between Taos and the Grand Canyon

You may also want to look at Bryce Canon National Park. Just my personal preference but I prefer Bryce over The Grand Canyon.

Thanks George I'll check it out..anyone have photos of Bryce Canyon? checked the weather there and its still a little cool for camping..