Antelope Canyon Tour Guides.

[gouldm]

Hi,

My wife and I are off to SW USA on Saturday (29th November) and one of the places we plan on going during our 2 week trip is Antelope Canyon. I have a few questions I wonder if anyone can answer for me:

1 Has anyone been to the canyons at this time of year, and should I expect anything unusual because it's winter?

2 Is a guide required at this time of year (it would appear so from the 'Navajo Parks & Recreation Dept' web site http://www.navajonationparks.org)?

3 What does the guide do, does the guide just take you from the gate (I understand you are not allowed to drive your own vehicle to the canyons) to the canyon, or will the guide show you through the canyon as well?

4 Can anyone recommend a guide (for Upper and or Lower Antelope)? We'd prefer to go to both canyons, but it doesn't look like there is a guide that provides tours to both, most of the guides are for Upper (presumably because access is easier) and only one guide provides tours to Lower, and that's only an hour long (and I thought the Lower Canyon was the longer more difficult canyon to access)! I know that there are some guides who specialize in photography.

5 Is it necessary to book a guide in advance (i.e. should I book one now) or could I do it the day before (I'd prefer to book the day before because it gives us more flexibility in planning the schedule for our trip!)?

Thanks.

Mark.

[francois]

Hi,

My wife and I are off to SW USA on Saturday (29th November) and one of the places we plan on going during our 2 week trip is Antelope Canyon. I have a few questions I wonder if anyone can answer for me:

1 Has anyone been to the canyons at this time of year, and should I expect anything unusual because it's winter?

2 Is a guide required at this time of year (it would appear so from the 'Navajo Parks & Recreation Dept' web site http://www.navajonationparks.org)?

3 What does the guide do, does the guide just take you from the gate (I understand you are not allowed to drive your own vehicle to the canyons) to the canyon, or will the guide show you through the canyon as well?

4 Can anyone recommend a guide (for Upper and or Lower Antelope)? We'd prefer to go to both canyons, but it doesn't look like there is a guide that provides tours to both, most of the guides are for Upper (presumably because access is easier) and only one guide provides tours to Lower, and that's only an hour long (and I thought the Lower Canyon was the longer more difficult canyon to access)! I know that there are some guides who specialize in photography.

5 Is it necessary to book a guide in advance (i.e. should I book one now) or could I do it the day before (I'd prefer to book the day before because it gives us more flexibility in planning the schedule for our trip!)?

Thanks.

Mark.

Mark,
I've never been to Anteplope that late in the year so I can't really offer any advice on that question.

Unless rules change for the winter period, you need a guide for both canyons. With the lower canyon, the guide will only guide you down the steel ladders and walk you til you reach the middle point.
The upper canyon visit starts with a bumpy and dusty truck ride (about 3 miles).

I always parked my car in the parking lots and bought my entrance ticket at the booth, I never hired a guide in town. I believe that some guides will offer you photo advices and throw dust in the air so you can take some light shafts. They will also point out special looking formations and perhaps explain geological features.

At the booth, you can purchase a standard ticket which gives about 1 hour in the canyon. At special photo ticket is also available and it gives you 2 hours in the canyon. I don't know how it goes with in-town guiding companies.

I don't know if it's a good idea to book in advance as weather can be less than ideal and you don't want to bring your expensive camera equipment when sand is pouring into the canyon.

If you decide to hire a guide in town, you could visit the offices and see what they offer and if they can customize your visit. All the offices are located in the same area and you can easily walk from one office to the next in a matter of minutes.

I hope this helps.

Edit: The only guiding company I've used in Page was Overland Canyon and I was really satisfied.

[cmburns]

I was there last week. You don't need a guide, just cash. I went to lower Antelope, $26. I stayed in lower the whole time but as I remember from past trips the price also covered upper. Still it's steep to walk around some rocks. At upper you have to park and they drive you out to it. At lower you pay the money and walk about 50 feet over to where you climb down in it.

Compared to the summer it's not nearly as good. The sun is so low in the sky it doesn't light up many sections and some only get lit up partially. You can still make some great images, some of the areas that do light up work great. I have my doubts about being able to get any sunbeams in upper. If anyone has managed it this time of year please post.

On the plus side the crowds are gone. I was in there 3 hours or so and there was maybe 10 people the whole time. A British photographer that was there told me it was crowded the week before with a busload of Italians, but barring that you will have tons of room. Also the temperature is nice. It was in the 60's, much better than baking in the 90's in the summer. It was completely cloudless. One of my previous trips to Antelope was ruined by big puffy summer clouds, that would float by for 20 minutes just as I got set up and dialed in.

Take a tripod. For great shots if you don't have one don't come. Shoot bracketed exposures. If you have an angle finder this is the time to use it as you're often shooting up at an extreme angle. The dust was much less than in the summer, I guess with less crowds, still if you don't have to switch lenses it's better. I used a 24-70 on a full frame and 70-200 on a 1.6x crop and got some nice stuff with both. More on the 24-70 but the longer reach is nice because you get stuff that not everyone else has shot a thousand times.

Page itself is dead in the winter. I stayed at the Holiday Inn Express and there was only 6 or 7 cars in the parking lot. Many of the restaurants are closed.

If you want to try for the lottery to The Wave, keep in mind that in the winter they move the drawing over to the Kanab, UT field office, about 80 miles from Page. Information for it is on the BLM website.

As you go north out of town, across the bridge, and then 2-3 miles more there's a sign for a scenic overlook, it's a gravel road going uphill to the right. This was really nice at sunset.

[Don Libby]

You might also want to consider contacting Overland Canyon Tours.  Overland is the only company permitted to take visitors to Canyon X which is a very little known slot canyon further away than Antelope.  Overland take only 6 people max per day into the canyon so it’s like renting your very own slot canyon for an entire day.  I’ve used them several times and have found them great each time – very photographer friendly.  928-608-4072

don

[mitchdob]

Like Don, I highly recommend Overland Canyon Tours. There are none better then Carley (owner) and Jackson Bridges. True pros.
Recently went with them for 3 days out into the South Unit (Coyote Buttes). - Mitch

[haefnerphoto]

I was at Lower Antelope on November 3rd.  It was great, other than my family only a few other people.  It was a Monday though.  It cost $25-$35 or so and we stayed as long as we wanted.  I don't see a need for a guide.  I'm sure you'll enjoy it.  I attached a shot done there earlier this month, I'll see if it's possible to link it to this post.  Jim

[attachment=9870:antelope...on_1_dc3.jpg]

[gouldm]

Thanks for all your comments and tips it's all very useful.

I've emailed Overland Canyon Tours for some information.

@cmburns and haefnerphoto On the Navajo Parks website it says that the entrance station is closed Nov-Feb... who did you pay to go into the canyons?!

@haefnerphoto Cool image, I am so looking forward to visiting Antelope!

Thanks again,

Mark.

[vandevanterSH]

Interesting...The web site, which looks new to me, has the following info:

"Special Note: ALL ACCESS TO UPPER & LOWER ANTELOPE CANYON WILL BE BY GUIDED TOURS ONLY. Tour fees are extra and not included with general admission fees. "

I wonder if things have changed since haefnerphoto was there.  I will probably drive by in a few weeks and check..if they now require you to hire commercial guide companies..I'll keep on driving.  If it is your first time, it will be worth the cost..but not for repeat business, IMO.

Steve

[cmburns]

The entrance was the same as always. You drive up to the parking area of lower, there's a couple of Navajos there in a little shack  to take your money, and a release form to sign. Everytime i've been there(2005-07 and last week) one of them is strumming a guitar and he goes down through the canyon every hour or so to see if anyone has died. At upper you drive up, get assigned to a group, when the truck comes you load up with your group, and they drive you the short distance up the sandy wash to the entrance. If you go with a tour from town you can only stay for a little while. Go direct and you could stay as long as you liked, at least in 05 and 07, I didn't go to upper this year.

Also with your Navajo permit you get access to another canyon south of town.
http://gorp.away.com/gorp/location/az/monvall4.htm