The formation of the canyon was just one of the fascinating stories that my group learned along the tour. “Everything is made out of water and sand,” the guide told us, adding that wind erosion had also formed some of the rock formations in the upper part of the canyon and that the silky smooth appearance deep inside indicated that the formations were formed by water erosion. As the water started to dissipate or evaporate, sand dunes were formed, later going through a process of compression, and ultimately forming into the beautiful layers that exist in the Lower Antelope Canyon today. The Stories Are FascinatingĪs we started our tour, our guide told us that over 500 million years ago, the entire region around Antelope Canyon was underwater. Sandstone erosionPhoto credit: Cindy Barks 6. So, when I was recently invited on a hosted press trip to Page, which included a visit to Antelope Canyon, I thought, “Finally!” And also, I wondered briefly if the canyon would really be as stunning as it looked in all of those photographs.Īfter taking a tour of the Lower Antelope Canyon with Ken’s Tours, I have to say, “Yes,” Antelope Canyon does indeed live up to all of the hype! Here are seven reasons why.

I had passed through Page - the Arizona town that is home to Antelope Canyon - a number of times, but I always seemed to be on my way to other nearby destinations like Buckskin Gulch, Zion National Park, or the Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park in Utah. The social media images showing off the slot canyon’s luminous light and softly-fluted sandstone never fail to blow me away.īut for some reason, even though I live only 3.5 hours away in north-central Arizona, I had never visited the famous spot. For years, I’ve admired the gorgeous photos coming out of Antelope Canyon on Navajo Nation land in northern Arizona.

Lower antelope slot canyon